Mark Pack

Government takes a small step forward in removing sexism in Royal inheritance

By | Thu 30th June 2011 - 10:42 pm

The Evening Standard reports:

George Osborne just made a historic announcement about the Royal finances.

His reforms, signalled first in his Budget a year ago, pave the way for a first-born daughter of Kate and William to be Heir to the Throne.

The heir is supported by £16 million a year revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall estate. At present the Duke is Prince Charles.  But a girl cannot become a duke, so Osborne is changing the rules.

“We propose to correct this anomaly by making clear that in future the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall will go to the heir whether or not they are the Duke of Cornwall,” said the Chancellor.

On its own this does not abolish the rule of primogeniture, which means a first-born daughter of Kate and Wills would be superseded in the succession by a younger brother. But it shows that ministers are putting the finances in place for the day when the law of succession is brought into the modern age.

Welcome news, especially as it’s an issue which Lynne Featherstone and Nick Clegg have been pushing on and which is overwhelmingly backed by the public.

 

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4 Comments

  • g 1st Jul '11 - 9:22am

    OK, I know this is against the prevailing political consensus. I’m all for reducing sexism, but I really don’t think minor changes to primogeniture do anything to make the inherited wealth and inherited power of the monarch even slightly more justifiable.

  • Greg 1st Jul '11 - 10:08am

    I thought the Queen was the Duke of Lancaster?

  • Paul 1st Jul '11 - 4:49pm

    Hurrah! Equal rights for princesses! Now that’s a reason to be in government.

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