Peter Rhodes on succession, speeding and breaking the rules on boozing
According to a new book, the late Queen Elizabeth had “no great enthusiasm” for changing the law on succession of the monarchy. Historically, the crown passed automatically to the monarch's oldest son but in 2013 this was changed, under constitutional reforms, to the monarch's oldest child, of whatever gender.
The change in rules won't affect anything for a while but if William and Kate's firstborn grandchild were a girl, she and not any younger brother, would become the heir apparent. And thus the monarchy becomes more modern, enlightened and fairer. Well, sort of. But if the crown automatically passes to the oldest child is this not by definition ageist, discriminating against those whose only sin is to be born later? This could run and run.
After a falling-out with the local newspaper in Nottingham, the Reform-controlled council has allegedly threatened not to speak to reporters, accusing them of moving “from being a media organisation to an activist organisation.” I'm reminded that Enoch Powell, no stranger to hostile coverage, took a more pragmatic view of the age-old, and often acidic, relationship between politicians and journalists: “For a politician to complain about the press,” he said, “is like a ship's captain complaining about the sea.”
