NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7967142.stm
Gordon Brown and Buckingham Palace have discussed plans to change the rules of succession to the throne, including giving royal women equal rights.

Downing Street said the scrapping of the ban on heirs to the throne marrying Roman Catholics was also discussed.

Mr Brown said people expected discrimination to be removed and Tory leader David Cameron backed the reform.

Meanwhile a BBC poll suggests public support for reform, with 80% wanting equal succession rights for women.

A Private Members' Bill aimed at ending the discrimination is being debated in the House of Commons but the government is not backing it.

But speaking during his visit to Brazil the prime minister said: "There are clearly issues about the exclusion of people from the rights of succession and there are clearly issues that have got to be dealt with. This is not an easy set of answers.
"But I think in the 21st Century people do expect discrimination to be removed and they do expect us to be looking at all these issues."

Took long enough. If the monarch is going to largely be a figurehead then the least you could to is be fair about the rules of succession, if only to put on a good show for the rest of the world about how you're great about equality for women and Catholics.

If we're going to pretend that the family of one particular bloodline is inherently more authoritative than any other, then the least we can do is not discriminate.

:tongue:

About time they were looking at it - although to be fair most constitutional monarchies are just getting round to reforming the progenitor rules (I think they changed them in Belgium less than a decade ago) and I suspect changing the for the British monarch may cause additional head-aches given she is also head of state for 18 different countries. I can see it taken a while but I've no doubt it will get changed. There's not really all that much pressure right now due to having male first-borns for the next two generations of succession.

If we're going to pretend that the family of one particular bloodline is inherently more authoritative than any other, then the least we can do is not discriminate.

:tongue:

Damn straight. Women have that magic authoritative blue blood too

Does that mean one of Fergies offspring could be Queen? That would make her the Queen Mother!!

Does that mean one of Fergies offspring could be Queen? That would make her the Queen Mother!!

Actually it makes them less likely - currently they are 5th and 6th respectively. If they change the rules, they'd drop down to 8th and 9th because Princess Anne and her children would comes first.

If we're going to pretend that the family of one particular bloodline is inherently more authoritative than any other, then the least we can do is not discriminate.

:tongue:
It is an antiquated relic of an ignorant and violent era. The very least we can do is make it a modernized antiquated relic of an ignorant and violent era.

Why not just have a lottery to see who can be the Queen? That would be the fairest.

Why not just have a lottery to see who can be the Queen? That would be the fairest.

Kinda like Powerball.

But what do you do if a whole bunch of people from work pool their money and buy a mass of tickets and one of the tickets wins? Do they take turns?

Why not just have a lottery to see who can be the Queen? That would be the fairest.

I'd make a great Queen.

But what do you do if a whole bunch of people from work pool their money and buy a mass of tickets and one of the tickets wins? Do they take turns?

I suggest some kind of elimination tournament. Possibly involving wrestling and custard.

I suggest some kind of elimination tournament. Possibly involving wrestling and custard.

I endorse this.

I endorse this.

Until the local residents at a nursing home win. Then the tragedy starts.

I suggest some kind of elimination tournament. Possibly involving wrestling and custard.

It would be cool to see the Royals in Gladiators. Camilla on the travelator would be worth the cost of the licence fee on its own.

Maybe the actual Gladiators could be replaced by anti-Royal celebrities

George Galloway vs Prince Andrew, lycra, pugel sticks - it's the way forward

Until the local residents at a nursing home win. Then the tragedy starts.
There is a very fine line between tragedy and comedy. So fine, in fact, that it possibly doesn't exist.

It would be cool to see the Royals in Gladiators. Camilla on the travelator would be worth the cost of the licence fee on its own.

Maybe the actual Gladiators could be replaced by anti-Royal celebrities

George Galloway vs Prince Andrew, lycra, pugel sticks - it's the way forward

Wolf taking a swing at some royal. Awesome!

I suggest some kind of elimination tournament. Possibly involving wrestling and custard.
I was thinking more along the lines of DoubleDare. The aspiring royals must muck their way through a slime-filled obstacle course, ending with them searching for the Crown Jewels in a tub of ooze and/or baked beans.

It would be cool to see the Royals in Gladiators. Camilla on the travelator would be worth the cost of the licence fee on its own.

Maybe the actual Gladiators could be replaced by anti-Royal celebrities

George Galloway vs Prince Andrew, lycra, pugel sticks - it's the way forward

They tried something similar, results were mixed shall we say. Linky (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_a_royal_knockout)

A little taster for you The contestants competed in ridiculous and somewhat humiliating games; for example in one round they dress up as giant vegetables and throw fake hams at each other

On a side note this'll take awhile. Have to float it in the Commonwealth Summit in November before passing any legislation, probably take it past the next election before anything gets near to happening.

I'd make a great Queen.

....and there's nothing wrong with that. At all.

I was thinking more along the lines of DoubleDare. The aspiring royals must muck their way through a slime-filled obstacle course, ending with them searching for the Crown Jewels in a tub of ooze and/or baked beans.

While wearing something horribly degrading. I mean, what's the point unless they have to wear some ridiculous outfit? And the outfit must include one of Elizabeth's silly hats.

I thought Posh and Becks held the British crown :confused:

I was thinking more along the lines of DoubleDare. The aspiring royals must muck their way through a slime-filled obstacle course, ending with them searching for the Crown Jewels in a tub of ooze and/or baked beans.

While wearing something horribly degrading. I mean, what's the point unless they have to wear some ridiculous outfit? And the outfit must include one of Elizabeth's silly hats.

You guys are full of good ideas today. ;)

I think it's just a waste of time to be honest.

A 300 year old rule and now they decide to change it?

Is the "Global Recession" not important enough any more?

C'mon Gordon sort yourself out.

You guys are full of good ideas today. ;)

You're rubbing off on us LG! :D

I'd prefer the queen and the royals any day over Gordon Brown and his idiotic government.

The foreign minister really irritates me and the chancellor... It amuses me when I see him on tv with snow white hair and jet black eyebrows. Strange.

You're rubbing off on us LG! :D

Not again. LG, I told you to stop that. You're going to get yourself registered as a sex offender one of these days if you keep it up.

Not again. LG, I told you to stop that. You're going to get yourself registered as a sex offender one of these days if you keep it up.

I defy labels. :)

You're rubbing off on us LG! :D

Ewww that is not an image I wish to have in my head :eek:

That's what gives clowns a bad name..

Yes, let's have the government discuss succession rules. That's so much more important than all the real problems Britain has.