Gender neutrality

Leaders of Commonwealth nations on Friday unanimously approved new rules that would have the British monarch's first-born child ascend the throne, regardless of the child's gender.

After a meeting in Perth, Australia, British Prime Minister David Cameron, who proposed the rule change, said the decision was a long time coming.

"Attitudes have changed fundamentally over the centuries and some of the outdated rules - like some of the rules of succession - just don't make sense to us any more," Cameron told reporters.

"The idea that a younger son should become monarch instead of an elder daughter simply because he is a man, or that a future monarch can marry someone of any faith except a Catholic - this way of thinking is at odds with the modern countries that we have become."

Queen Elizabeth II became monarch because her father, King George VI, had no sons. If the queen had had a brother, he would have preceded her in the line of succession, regardless of his age.

All 16 Commonwealth nations of which Queen Elizabeth is monarch must now change their domestic legislation to reflect the agreed reforms. New Zealand is to chair a working group of the member states on the implementation of the reforms.

The meeting of all 54 member states began with a disagreement over human rights issues. Some countries called on members to legalize homosexual acts, ban capital punishment and liberalize the rights of women.

There was also a disagreement over the publication of a report on how the Commonwealth can increase its relevance in the shadow of big international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague called for the report's publication before the meeting, but Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who commissioned the report, insisted it remain secret.

Author: Andrew Bowen (AP, dpa)
Editor: Martin Kuebler