Editing Monarchy of the United Kingdom (section)

===Restrictions by sex and religion===
{{see also|Succession to the Crown Act 2013}}
Succession was by [[Primogeniture|male-preference cognatic primogeniture]], under which sons inherit before daughters, and elder children inherit before younger ones of the same sex. The British prime minister, [[David Cameron]], announced at the [[2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting]] that all 16 [[Commonwealth realm]]s, including the United Kingdom, had agreed to abolish the male-preference rule for anyone born after the date of the meeting, 28 October 2011.<ref>{{Citation |title=Girls Equal in British throne succession |date=28 October 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15492607 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=28 October 2011 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116214426/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15492607 |url-status=live }}</ref> They also agreed that future monarchs would no longer be prohibited from marrying a Roman Catholic – a law which dated from the Act of Settlement 1701. However, since the monarch is also the [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]], the laws which restrict the throne to Protestants remain.<ref>{{Citation |title=Act of Settlement 1700(c.2), Article II |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=1565212 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806021648/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Will3/12-13/2/section/II/1991-05-21?timeline=true |url-status=live }}; {{Citation |title=Union with Scotland Act 1706 (c.11), Article II |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=2078408 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806021624/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aep/Ann/6/11/section/wrapper2 |url-status=live }}; {{Citation |title=Union with England Act 1707 (c.7), Article II |url=http://www.statutelaw.gov.uk/content.aspx?ActiveTextDocId=1519715 |access-date=14 May 2010 |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806021556/https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aosp/1707/7/section/II |url-status=live }}</ref> The necessary UK legislation making the changes received the royal assent on 25 April 2013 and was brought into force in March 2015 after the equivalent legislation was approved in all the other Commonwealth realms.<ref>{{Citation |title=Baby destined to become a monarch |date=22 July 2013 |url=http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-07-22/baby-destined-to-become-a-monarch/ |publisher=ITV News |access-date=7 November 2013 |archive-date=16 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116214418/https://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-07-22/baby-destined-to-become-a-monarch/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Though Catholics are prohibited from succeeding and are deemed "naturally dead" for succession purposes, the disqualification does not extend to the individual's legitimate Protestant descendants.