Indian-origin Labour MP Keith Vaz wants to use Prince William and Kate Middleton's marriage to change the law governing succession to the British throne under which women are superseded in the line of succession by younger male siblings. As per the law that governs succession,if the couple's firstborn is a girl,she would not be first in line to become the monarch if they later had a son. Vaz,MP from Leicester East,says the law,which dates from the 1701 Act of Settlement,is out of date,reports from Leicester said. He said the wedding in 2011 of William and Kate is an opportunity to bring a change in the law. He said: "I was absolutely thrilled that Prince William and Kate Middleton are to be married,they make a wonderful couple. This gives us an opportunity to change the law,so it is important that we take it". He added that the current practice of giving sons precedence over daughters should definitely be changed to suit the 2010 landscape. "This wedding shows that the royal family has already become more modern - although there are other steps that can be taken. "For example,I think we need to look again at the law preventing a royal marrying a Catholic,which is also an issue in the way Parliament operates". North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said: "As a royalist,I believe that the firstborn child of Prince William and Kate Middleton should become the monarch,whether it is a boy or a girl. "However,this is not an immediate issue and there are far more important problems to be dealt with at present". Leicester South MP Peter Soulsby strongly backed Vaz's proposal. "As the father of three daughters,I certainly agree that girls should have an equal right to inherit," he said.
