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Original poster

I was today years old when I realised Princess Anne should be Queen

225 replies

monkeysox · 18/09/2022 07:26

She's the eldest child. The law has changed now.
Even Zara Philips is behind her little brother in line to the throne. Wtf.

OP posts:
ReneBumsWombats · 18/09/2022 09:37

Enko · 18/09/2022 09:22

Personally, I would care for Anne as queen. I don't get the love for her here on MN.

With a 2022 view, it seems sensible to say that Anne should be after Lilibet but I also get that with 1950 eyes when Anne was born this was not the "lie of the land"

Personally, I think it should have been changed when Diana was expecting William but obviously, that would not have made any difference as Diana and Charles had only boys.

I remember being surprised when I realised it was being changed for William and Catherine's children, as I had thought it must surely have been corrected when, or even before, Diana was first pregnant. Then I wondered if the 80s really would have been that progressive...

TarasHarp55 · 18/09/2022 09:37

Thinking of something to be annoyed about 😂

EbbyEbs · 18/09/2022 09:37

RubbishRobotFromTheDawnOfTime · 18/09/2022 09:13

I’m a bit surprised at people not knowing males inherit over their older sisters. It’s not just the royals, it’s all hereditary titles. In a landed family, the oldest son (or closest male relative if no sons) inherits the title. It’s the whole basis of the first series of Downton Abbey!

I guess us working class folk never really got exposed to such silliness 😂 I honestly had no idea. I’ve never seen Downton Abbey either, I’ve been meaning to start watching it - is it any good? I love historical stuff

Quartz2208 · 18/09/2022 09:38

I don’t think Anne wants it. I think she is well aware of the impact being royal has and was more than happy to allow her children to make their own choices without the impact of being heir and it has shown. To change it for Anne now would change Zara and Peter in a way none of them would want

i think from the funeral it is quite clear that even though Andrew and Edward are ahead in line to the throne she is very much in charge as the older sister

The rumours are though that Charles is thinking of changing rules around counsellors of state to bring Anne and Edward in and Harry and Andrew out (working royals)

BonesOfWhatYouBelieve · 18/09/2022 09:40

The rumours are though that Charles is thinking of changing rules around counsellors of state to bring Anne and Edward in and Harry and Andrew out (working royals)

I think that would make sense. Obviously it would be good to get rid of Andrew from it. And I have no problem with Harry, but having a non-working royal who lives on the other side of the world as a counsellor of state isn't very practical.

Prescottdanni123 · 18/09/2022 09:45

They changed the rules surrounding succession before Kate and William had children so that if they had a girl first, she would become queen. As it is, they had a boy but the new rules still mean that Charlotte is higher up in the line of succession than Louis.

It does not apply to people born before it was changed, so that is why Anne and Louise etc have stayed where they are.

Starrystarrynight456 · 18/09/2022 09:47

I'm surprised people didn't realise that males inherit over older sisters, although we've had notable Queens, we have had so few Queens compared to Kings for this very reason I.e. to become Queen it relies on having no male relatives who had a stronger claim. Or in Elizabeth I and Mary I 's case, having a younger brother who died young with no children so although he got the throne first (Edward VI) they also both got a turn. We have had so very few Queens in history but as most of us have only ever known having a Queen, perhaps people don't appreciate this being infrequent.

It's good that it has changed going forward. I agree in Anne's or Lady Louise's case it doesn't really make much difference given both won't get anywhere near the throne.

Prescottdanni123 · 18/09/2022 09:47

And Peter is older than Zara anyway so would have always been higher up in the succession than her.

CranfordScones · 18/09/2022 09:47

The irony in the change in primogeniture rules is that they'll have no effect for at least 3 generations.

Ameanstreakamilewide · 18/09/2022 09:48

monkeysox · 18/09/2022 07:26

She's the eldest child. The law has changed now.
Even Zara Philips is behind her little brother in line to the throne. Wtf.

You'd have a great point if Anne was actually the oldest.
But she isn't.
What gave you that impression?

Starrystarrynight456 · 18/09/2022 09:53

@CranfordScones haha yes indeed. They definitely lucked out with Charles and William as I think if Anne had been the eldest questions would be asked. And absolutely if William had an elder sister. But as it turns out the people affected by the 2011 rule change are so far away from the throne its not worth being worried about.

fluffiphlox · 18/09/2022 09:56

Oh dear.

FredrikaPeri · 18/09/2022 09:57

Yes, men trump women in succession. The monarchy is an archaic and sexist institution. Who knew?!

But are you not more annoyed about having a non democratically elected head of state?! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

etulosba · 18/09/2022 10:02

I was today years old

WTF?

Micawbs · 18/09/2022 10:03

BonesOfWhatYouBelieve · 18/09/2022 07:59

I didn’t know that women were bypassed in succession either,

Can I ask (as a genuine question, not meaning to be snide), when you thought it had changed? Is it just that it's such an antiquated rule you assumed it just must have been changed - because I imagine when it was changed in 2013 there were people who thought "hang on, that hasn't already been sorted??"

It was changed just before William had children as it wasn’t relevant before that. No real need to change it when William was 5 years old or anything. I suppose you could ask why it wasn’t changed before William and Harry were born to take into account the eldest might have been a girl 🤔I think most European royal families have made the change in past 40ish years, timed for just before a new generation born. Saying that, I think the Swedish royal family made the change when Crown Princess Victoria was a toddler and her brother a tiny baby. So, for a while, he was the heir until they swapped to absolute primogeniture and she took her place again as the eldest.

lljkk · 18/09/2022 10:04

If Andrew became king, we'd have Queen Beatrice to look forward to. And Fergie as Queen Mum. Snurk.

JudgeJ · 18/09/2022 10:05

Y7drama · 18/09/2022 08:16

When they changed the law for Charlotte, why could they not have applied it retrospectively? As it would have been very unlikely to have made any real difference unless William and Harry plus descendants were wiped out?

It changed when George was on the way, not Charlotte, she was the first to be affected by it of those close to the throne. I'm old enough to recall speculation when Diana was first pregnant that the primogeniture rules could be overhauled and I imagine that the late Queen Mother stuck her oar in to stop that, she wanted to keep everything the same as when her husband George VI had been King. The changes affected other things too, up until the change a member of the RF could marry a member of ISIS but not a Catholic!

lizziesiddal79 · 18/09/2022 10:06

Henry VIII was so obsessed with a male heir… well, hopefully you know the rest.

The point being that even though females could technically inherit the throne of England, they were seen as lesser. A female heir was an unknown quantity. A realm was perceived as unsafe and in greater danger of invasion without a King in charge.

Mary I was the first crowned Queen of England in 1553 after her brother’s death, but it was unusual and unprecedented.

lizziesiddal79 · 18/09/2022 10:09

The above was reply to @EbbyEbs

nomoreflyingfucks · 18/09/2022 10:10

"Today years old" wtaf does this mean? It makes no grammatical sense at all.

Mybestyear · 18/09/2022 10:11

monkeysox · 18/09/2022 07:26

She's the eldest child. The law has changed now.
Even Zara Philips is behind her little brother in line to the throne. Wtf.

@monkeysox - lol - how old were you when you realised you couldn’t count 😂💐

LovingTheseAutumnSnippets · 18/09/2022 10:12

Just out of interest, how old were you when you thought she was the eldest?

Original poster
monkeysox · 18/09/2022 10:12

Erm I can count. Admitted mistake earlier in thread. It's lady Louise and her little brother that are the wrong way round in the line to the throne.

OP posts:
BruceAndNosh · 18/09/2022 10:13

Someone needs to introduce OP to Google

Mybestyear · 18/09/2022 10:14

nomoreflyingfucks · 18/09/2022 10:10

"Today years old" wtaf does this mean? It makes no grammatical sense at all.

@nomoreflyingfucks - it’s an internet colloquialism in the vein of …..I can’t get a GP appointment for 49 years because Covid…..