The British government is rewriting 700 years worth of rules related to the ascension to the British throne to respond to the country’s new same-sex marriage law. But the changes aren’t what you might think at first. They aren’t seeking to block same-sex couples from ever ascending to the throne; in fact, they’re planning on it.
Right now, the laws state that the spouse of the King of England is the Queen of England, even if that spouse were to be a man’s same-gender partner. The same is true for the Prince of Wales: his spouse is always the Princess of Wales, regardless of gender. In an effort to stop this before the problem rears its head, an order has been put in place during the redrafting process that stops any current peers from declaring their same sex partners countesses, duchesses, etc. until the whole thing can be sorted out.
