Revolution at the palace as Brown plans to give female Royals equal succession rights

Gordon Brown wants to end the centuries-old law that gives men priority over their older sisters in the Royal line of succession.
The ban on members of the Royal Family marrying Roman Catholics – unless they give up their claim to the throne – would also be swept away.
The Prime Minister believes the 1701 Act of Settlement is an ‘anomaly that has no place in the 21st century’, Downing Street sources said last night.
Buckingham Palace is said to be sympathetic to the idea and ready to ‘open dialogue’ on the issue.
Spearheading a backbench Bill to bring about change, Liberal Democrat Evan Harris told the Commons ‘This is a welcome opportunity to debate what I think most people would consider to be outrageous discrimination in our constitution against Roman Catholics and equally unfair treatment of women.
‘I come to this not from a religious perspective – but from the perspective of recognising whatever someone’s religious views, or views of the Royal Family, the fundamental basis on which our constitution should be run is one that doesn’t include unjustified discrimination.’
Mr Brown also plans to raise it at the Commonwealth summit in November, since the law will have to be amended in every country where the Queen is head of state.
If the change was applied now, Princess Anne would rise from tenth in line to the throne to fourth, leapfrogging Princes Andrew and Edward and their children.
There will be no change, however, to the requirement for the monarch to be a Protestant.
Altering that would upset the position of the Church of England as the established church.
The law requires that the monarch is also Supreme Governor of the church. Britain’s Roman Catholic leaders have publicly expressed their desire to see the Act reformed, but the Right Reverend Kieron Conry, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, said the issue was not a major concern.
A spokesman for the Church of England, however, said there was ‘no way of knowing’ where a discussion of the Act of Settlement could lead. In a historic Commons move, MPs will discuss a Private Member’s Bill proposing the changes.
The Queen’s consent had to be sought and granted for the debate to take place at all.
The Bill, from Liberal Democrat MP Evan Harris, is supported by leading Catholic MPs, including Tory Edward Leigh and Labour’s Andrew Mackinlay and John Grogan.
It has support from all parties. The Act of Settlement laid down that only the Protestant heirs of Sophia, granddaughter of James I, can become King or Queen. It also gives precedence to male heirs.
It was drawn up in an era of religious strife to ensure the Protestant succession, but has increasingly been condemned as discriminatory against both Catholics and women in the modern world.
Autumn Kelly, wife of the Queen’s grandson Peter Phillips, gave up her Catholic faith so her husband could retain his place as 11th in line to the throne after their wedding in 2008.
Other Royals, including Prince Michael of Kent, the Queen’s first cousin, have given up their claim to the throne in order to marry Catholics.