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Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, following their wedding ceremony - Source: Reuters -
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The New Zealand Government is coordinating a Commonwealth agreement to bring gender equality to royal succession rules, the British Deputy Prime Minister has told the House of Commons.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said even though the British parliament has yet to pass a law for succession equality, if the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had a baby girl tomorrow she would go on to be queen.
Centuries of British royal discrimination came to an end after Commonwealth leaders agreed to drop rules that give sons precedence as heir to the throne and bar anyone in line for the crown from marrying a Roman Catholic.
Commonwealth heads of government agreed to change the rules at a summit in Perth, Australia, last October.
Speaking at Commons' question time, Clegg said: "I can confirm we will bring forward UK legislation to give effect to changes to the rules of succession once we have secured the consent of the other Commonwealth realms.
"This work has been coordinated by the New Zealand government.
"It's worth noting the change on gender will apply to a child born after the date of the Perth announcement, namely October 28 2011, even if the birth is before the legislation is actually passed."