Royal Succession

Most people know that the British Monarchy's rules for succession favours male heirs over female heirs.  Queen Elizabeth would have never ascended to the throne if she'd any male siblings.   However some of the other provisions of the Act of Settlement are less well known.

As the monarch is also the head of the Church of England, the Act of Settlement of 1701 specifically bans Catholics from ascending to the throne.  Curiously, a good Anglican Prince is also barred from succession should he have the temerity to marry a Catholic.

The current Deputy Prime Minister has mused aloud about changing the rules of succession such that any children of William and Kate would ascend to the throne based upon order of birth without regard to gender.  Deputy PM Nick Clegg has stated that most people find the rules "a little old fashioned."

I must admit to nearly falling off my chair in laughter when I read that.  The idea that an archaic institution ought to have "modern" rules of succession ignores the somewhat salient view that the entire monarchy is a "little old fashioned."

I find myself in a rather surprising position of opposing a change in the rules of succession.  For one thing, I'm not sure why a first born (boy/girl) is necessarily more qualified to be King/Queen than a second born.  I suppose one could argue that sexism is merely being eliminated while ageism is being strengthened., (to say nothing of the bias against Catholics)

I oppose a change in the rules of succession precisely because they are so "old fashioned."  Eliminating the sexism while reaffirming ageism as well as the bias against Catholics shows the monarchy to be the a pointless entity.  I oppose a change because the rules show clearly how absurd the whole institution is.

In this day and age, any Royal Family should only exist as a link to the past without requiring any public funds and they should have no role in government.

I think that Canada should become a republic rather than having a foreigner serve as our Head of State.  However if Michael Ignatieff should be elected Prime Minister, the we would have a foreigner as head of state and an American serving as her first minister.