SUCCESSION TO THE CROWN BILL AND EQUALITY

That this House welcomes the principle of the Succession to the Crown Bill, but recognises that it has defects; notes that it does not deal with all of the aspects by which the UK constitution treats a Queen Regnant as being inferior to a King Regnant; further notes that the spouse of a King Regnant has a right to a title as Queen Consort or Princess Consort but that the spouse of a Queen Regnant has no right to a title; believes that a Queen Regnant should have the authority to determine the title of her spouse in the same way as a King Regnant; further notes that the spouse of a Queen Regnant is not entitled to an Attorney General or other such representative and that there are further examples of sex discrimination in the constitutional procedures relating to the Royal Family and peerage which are not resolved by the Bill; further notes that there are other potential unintended consequences that arise from the Bill; and calls for consideration to be given to resolving these constitutional lacunae during the passage of the Succession to the Crown Bill in consultation with those most experienced in dealing with these issues such as HM the Queen, HRH the Prince of Wales and HRH the Duke of Cambridge.