I am an unabashed monarchist – I feel that the constitutional monarchy we have best fits our peculiar historical and political history, and that there is no reason to try and “fix” what isn’t broken. However, I also believe that the Royal Family and the succession needs to be reformed.

The current situation is untenable in the modern world, with the discrimination against women and against non-Anglicans. It is completely out of place that someone can be excluded from being sovereig based on their gender or their religion, and there is no reason why it should continue.

The current succession rules were set in place through the Glorious revolution and the Act of Settlement – making them 300+ years old. Of course, cognatic primogeniture (the preference for males) has been around for a lot longer, but the specification that only Anglicans can ascend to the throne, and that anyone who even marries a Roman Catholic must renounce their claim to the throne in order to do so.

In the modern world, that is intolerable. Accession should be equal for those of both genders and all religions. There was once a time when it was necessary for there to be a man on the throne if possible, but that as long vanished. The monarch is now a figurehead, and it really doesn’t matter whether they are male or female. There is absolutely no reason for this not to be changed.

The issue regarding religion, however, is a bit of a stickier issue – seeing as the sovereign is also the Supreme Governor of the Church of England. There is one very simple resolution to this issue, though and one which fis perfectly with my views: disestablishment. The King or Queen would no longer automatically be the “Supreme Governor”, but this would be instead a position that the CofE would usually choose to give to the monarch, but would have the ability to not do so as well.

I can see absolutely no reason for the succession not to be properly reformed. And I never have.