Prince William was reportedly not consulted over a major change to the royal succession rules that ultimately ensured his daughter Princess Charlotte would remain ahead of her younger brother Prince Louis.
The change came through the Succession to the Crown Act 2013, which ended the system of male-preference succession and established that, for those born after October 28, 2011, birth order would determine position in the line of succession regardless of gender.
That reform is particularly relevant to William’s children because Charlotte was born in 2015, while Louis was born in 2018. As a result, Charlotte remains ahead of Louis in the succession despite being the older daughter rather than a son.
According to royal author Valentine Low’s book Power and the Palace: The Inside Story of the Monarchy and 10 Downing Street, however, William was not consulted when the reform was being developed.
Low’s account, as reported following the publication of his book, says that then-Prince Charles was disappointed that William had not been consulted about the proposed changes.
The reported lack of consultation does not mean William opposed the reform or that he was deliberately excluded from the constitutional process. Rather, it highlights that the change was being handled primarily through the government and the wider Commonwealth realms.
The reform was announced by then-Prime Minister David Cameron at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth in October 2011, with the government subsequently working with the other 15 Commonwealth countries where the monarch was head of state.
The Palace’s reported position was not to oppose the change, but to make clear that the government needed to secure agreement from the other realms before the reform could proceed.
Low quoted an unnamed source as saying there was no sense of “any great enthusiasm” for the change from Buckingham Palace or Queen Elizabeth II, although the Palace would not stand in its way if the elected government wanted the reform and the necessary Commonwealth backing could be secured.
The legislation eventually received Royal Assent in April 2013, before its provisions came into force across the Commonwealth realms in March 2015.
The Act did more than change the position of royal daughters. It also removed the rule preventing an heir to the throne from remaining in the succession after marrying a Roman Catholic and changed the rules governing which royal marriages require the monarch’s consent.
For Charlotte, the reform had a particularly important consequence because it meant her position could not later be overtaken by Louis simply because he was male.
That represents a significant difference from the experience of Princess Anne, who was born under the previous system and was overtaken in the succession by her younger brothers Prince Andrew and Prince Edward.
The episode also illustrates that constitutional changes affecting the monarchy are not simply matters decided by the future King. The 2013 reform was ultimately legislation passed through Parliament and implemented after agreement among the relevant Commonwealth realms.
For William’s family, however, the result is now firmly established: Charlotte remains ahead of Louis in the line of succession, while the wider reform means future royal daughters will not automatically be displaced by younger brothers simply because of their gender.
