Queen backs plan to allow daughters to take throne

The Queen’s support will strengthen British Premier David Cameron’s hand in seeking to change the law. He had last week launched a bid to get the consent of 15 Commonwealth countries for reform of the law,calling the current system “an anomaly” that goes against “gender equality”.

Under Cameron’s plans,succession to the throne would be determined simply by the order of birth — so if Prince William and his wife Kate had a first child who was a girl,she would take precedence over any of her brothers.

A royal aide said: “The Queen will naturally leave the politics and the debating to her government,but she has let it be known that she would very much welcome an active debate on the issue by all her Commonwealth leaders in Perth.” A change to the law would build on the the Queen’s legacy of modernising the monarchy. Under her reign,she has opened Buckingham Palace to the public,embraced the digital age with a Facebook account,and encouraged Royal family members to take a less “stuffy” approach to their official duties.