Royal change could put a girl on top

THE government is planning legislative changes to allow an elder daughter to precede a younger son in the line of succession to the British throne.

Monarchists are praising it as another part of the emancipation battle but the republican movement says New Zealand is just tagging along with the gang in case the Duchess of Cambridge has a girl.

Prince William and his wife Kate are expecting their first baby in July.

All 16 countries sharing the Queen as head of state, including New Zealand, must have the same laws of succession and a bill is going through the British parliament to make the change.

Justice Minister Judith Collins says the new rules will also allow a person married to a Roman Catholic to become king or queen.

Currently, prospective heirs who are married to Catholics are disqualified.

"It is fitting that the nation which led the charge for women's suffrage is co-ordinating the change for equal succession rights," said Monarchy New Zealand chairman Sean Palmer.

"This international effort to modernise the crown is remarkable. The monarchy has been evolving for centuries and will continue to do so far into the future.

"The much-needed changes to the royal succession will remove gender discrimination by allowing women equal right to the throne."

Dr Palmer said the ban on heirs marrying Catholics came out of 17th century European conflicts and was completely unnecessary today.

"The religious divisions of the old world have no place in New Zealand," he said.

But Republican Movement chairman Lewis Holden said the changes were "too little too late".

The changes should have been made a long time ago and were a rushed job in case Kate gave birth to a girl. The monarchy wanted to avoid the embarrassment of her not being in line for the throne, he told NZ Newswire.

New Zealand was spending a lot of time and effort changing its rules all for a foreign aristocracy, when for the same effort they could have set the wheels in motion for a New Zealand head of state, he said.

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