Royal family: Cameron begins process to allow first born daughters to accede throne

David Cameron has formally begun the process that could allow a first born daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to accede to the throne.

Prince William and Kate Middleton next to her father Michael Middleton at Westminster Abbey Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

He has written to the prime ministers of Commonwealth countries outlining how he wants to change laws dating back centuries, but which are now discriminatory.

In the letter, Mr Cameron says it is “an anomaly” and goes against “gender equality” that women have to take their place behind younger royal males in the line of succession.

He writes: “In the UK, we have found it increasingly difficult to continue to justify two particular aspects of the present rules on the succession to the Crown.

“The first is the rule which says that an elder daughter should take a place in the line of succession behind a younger son. We espouse gender equality in all other aspects of life, and it is an anomaly that in the rules relating to the highest public office we continue to enshrine male superiority.”

Mr Cameron told MPs that he wants to change the rules. As well as ending male primogeniture, the Prime Minister hopes to open the way for members of the Royal Family who marry a Roman Catholic being able to succeed to the Crown.

In his letter to the 16 prime ministers, Mr Cameron said it was rule is a historical anomaly as it does not apply to those who marry spouses of other faiths.

Thirdly, he is calling for an end to the permission to marry rules, and limit to the first six in line to the throne those descendants of King George II who require the Monarch’s consent before they marry.

The Prime Minister is proposing limiting this requirement to the first six in line to the throne.”

Mr Cameron will meet the Commonwealth leaders at a meeting, which will also be attended by the Queen, in Perth later this month. A discussion will be held with a plan for reform expected to be agreed.

The Royal Wedding in April has again thrust the issue of male primogeniture into the spotlight.

Among the laws which would need to be amended or repealed if the rule changes were agreed, the Bill of Rights 1688, the Coronation Oath Act 1688, Act of Settlement 1701 and the Royal Marriages Act 1772.