I'm a little confused on the new 'gender equality law' on succession of the British throne.?

Question

Now it is clear that Anne will be reverted back to having precedence before Edward and Andrew, but does it mean she is next in line after Charles and thus before William and Harry? Since at birth she came after Charles and then show keep at that position.

Or does the second in line's(Charles) children (William and Harry) automatically come before any further heirs to the throne (Anne, Edward and Andrew).

Answer 1

There is no clear answer to this question at present, as it is only a suggestion. The current line of succession is governed by the Act of Settlement and it would be very difficult and time consuming for the UK government to amend this act, and any changes that are made would have to be agreed with the other 15 countries where the Queen is head of state.

Answer 2

It is utterly amazing that it has been announced that due to equality laws, the gender issue regarding the line of succession is to be changed. However, no mention of the most blatant and cruel State Act of Sectarianism which forbids Roman Catholics in isolation from being included. Utterly disgraceful.

Interestingly, whilst Anne may very shortly go up in the list, Her son Peter Phillips will shortly be excluded altogether for the heinous crime of marrying a Roman Catholic.

If the law is changed, Anne will suddenly become 4th in line and Zara Phillips 5th, followed by Andrew, his children and then Edward and his children, (Lady Louise will take precedence over Viscount Severn). There is talk  that the Act of Settlement may be referred to the Human Rights Court. Incidentally, the Act of Settlement has never been tested in law: it would be interesting (but not likely to happen)to see Peter Phillips stand his ground and challenge the Act.

Answer 3

Princess Ann will never be reverted back. Males have always come first in the succession line.

Ann's children aren't even in the picture, because they are classed as "Commoners", because of their father Mark Phillips. If the father is a commoner, but the mother is of royal blood, the children of that union are "commoners".

If both parents are of royal blood, then the children are royal.

Answer 4

If the new "gender equality" law (Equal Primogeniture) is introduced into the British line of succession, Princess Anne will have precedence before Prince Andrew, and his children (Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie), and Prince Edward, and his two children (Lady Louise Windsor and James Windsor.)

Fully equal primogeniture is a law in which the eldest child of the sovereign succeeds to the throne, regardless of gender, and where females (and their descendants) enjoy the same right of succession as males. Therefore, Princess Anne will be fourth in line after Prince Charles and his two children, Prince William and Prince Harry. Princess Anne's own children will also take precedent over their uncles, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and their children.

If Prince Charles inherits the throne, both Prince William and Prince Harry will be first and second in line. If they produced their own offspring in the future, Princess Anne and everyone else will be moving down the line accordingly.

Note: Since only the "gender equality" law is being revised, all the other sections still applies. For example, anyone who is Roman Catholic, becomes Roman Catholic, or marries a Roman Catholic is permanently excluded from the succession.

Answer 5

The line of succession to the British Throne is an ordered list of the people in line to succeed to the throne of the United Kingdom. The succession is regulated by the Act of Settlement 1701, which limits it to the heirs of the Electress Sophia of Hanover, as determined by male-preference primogeniture, religion, and legitimate birth:

A person is always immediately followed in the succession by his or her own legitimate descendants (his or her "line") except for any legitimate descendents who already appear higher in the line of succession. Birth order and gender matter: older sons (and their lines) come before younger sons (and theirs); a person's sons (and their lines), irrespective of age, all come before his or her daughters (and their lines).

The monarch must be a Protestant at time of accession, and enter into communion with the Church of England after accession.

Anyone who is Roman Catholic, becomes Roman Catholic, or marries a Roman Catholic is permanently excluded from the succession.

A person born to parents who are not married to each other at the time of birth is not included in the line of succession. The subsequent marriage of the parents does not alter this. Under British law, a child born to a married woman is assumed to be the child of her husband.

Under common law the crown is passed on by male-preference primogeniture. In other words, an individual's male children are preferred over his or her female children, and an older child is preferred over a younger child of the same gender

The Blair government blocked all attempts to revise the succession laws, claiming it would raise too many constitutional issues (i.e., necessity for concurrent legislation in the Commonwealth Realms), and it is unnecessary at this time, since the first four people in the line of succession are male. This could change rapidly, however, once princes William and Harry get married and have children. The birth of a daughter, particularly to William, would add great urgency to the debate, and it would become awkward if she were followed by a son. The issue has not yet arisen under the Brown government.

Changing the succession to absolute primogeniture would result in HRH The Princess Royal (Anne) being fourth in line, followed by her son and daughter, taking the place of HRH The Duke of York (Andrew) and his two daughters.

Currently the first twelve of the list are, in order:

1 HRH The Prince of Wales (The Prince Charles; b. 1948), son of Queen Elizabeth II

2 HRH Prince William of Wales (b. 1982), son of The Prince of Wales

3 HRH Prince Henry of Wales (b. 1984), son of The Prince of Wales

4 HRH The Duke of York (The Prince Andrew; b. 1960), son of Queen Elizabeth II

5 HRH Princess Beatrice of York (b. 1988), daughter of The Duke of York

6 HRH Princess Eugenie of York (b. 1990), daughter of The Duke of York

7 HRH The Earl of Wessex (The Prince Edward; b. 1964), son of Queen Elizabeth II

8 Viscount Severn (legally HRH Prince James of Wessex; b. 2007), son of The Earl of Wessex

9 Lady Louise Windsor (legally HRH Princess Louise of Wessex; b. 2003), daughter of The Earl of Wessex

10 HRH The Princess Royal (The Princess Anne; b. 1950), daughter of Queen Elizabeth II

11 Peter Phillips (b. 1977), son of The Princess Royal

12 Zara Phillips (b. 1981), daughter of The Princess Royal