What Changed in the Succession to the Crown Act 2013?
Summary
The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 changed the rules of royal succession in three important ways. First, it ended the system of male-preference primogeniture and replaced it with absolute primogeniture for those born after 28 October 2011, meaning that the eldest child inherits the place in the line of succession regardless of gender. Second, it removed the rule that disqualified people who married Roman Catholics from the line of succession. Third, it replaced the Royal Marriages Act 1772 with a more limited requirement that only the first six people in the line of succession need the monarch’s permission to marry.
These changes were agreed by the Commonwealth realms in 2011 and came into force in March 2015.
Male-Preference Primogeniture Abolished
Before the 2013 Act, the line of succession was determined by male-preference primogeniture. Under that system, sons took precedence over daughters regardless of age. This is why Princess Anne, the daughter of Elizabeth II, is behind her younger brothers Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Edward in the line of succession.
The 2013 Act changed this to absolute primogeniture for people born after 28 October 2011. Under the new system, the eldest child takes precedence regardless of gender.
A clear example of this change can be seen in the family of William, Prince of Wales. His daughter, Princess Charlotte, remains ahead of her younger brother, Prince Louis, in the line of succession. Under the old rules, Louis would have come before Charlotte.
Marriage to Roman Catholics
Before the Act, anyone who married a Roman Catholic was automatically removed from the line of succession. This rule was repealed by the 2013 Act. People who marry Roman Catholics are now allowed to remain in the line of succession.
However, the monarch themselves must still be in communion with the Church of England and cannot be Roman Catholic, because the monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Royal Marriages Act Replaced
The Royal Marriages Act 1772 required all descendants of George II to obtain the monarch’s consent before marrying. Marriages without consent were legally invalid.
The 2013 Act replaced this rule with a much narrower one. Now, only the first six people in the line of succession must obtain the monarch’s consent to marry. If they marry without consent, they and their descendants lose their place in the line of succession, but the marriage itself remains legally valid.
When the Changes Took Effect
Although the changes were agreed in principle in 2011, the law did not come into force until March 2015, when all the Commonwealth realms that share the same monarch had passed the necessary legislation.
The change to absolute primogeniture applies only to people born after 28 October 2011, which is why the positions of older members of the royal family, such as Princess Anne and her younger brothers, did not change.
Summary
The Succession to the Crown Act 2013 made three major changes: it introduced absolute primogeniture for younger generations, it allowed people who marry Roman Catholics to remain in the line of succession, and it reduced the number of people who need the monarch’s permission to marry. These changes modernised the rules of succession but did not apply retroactively to older generations.
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