REGENCY BILL

Evening Star, Issue 22560, 30 January 1937, Page 15

REGENCY BILL

EXPLANATION OF ITS TERMS PRINCESS ELIZABETH'S POSITION DEFINED Press Association —By Telegraph Copyright LONDON, January 28. The Regency Bill means that were Princess Elizabeth to succeed to the Throne before she was 18 the Duke of Gloucester would be Regent. It had been previously suggested that the Regent would be Queen Elizabeth. The Duke of Gloucester will also be Regent should King George become incapacitated, but Princess Elizabeth will become eligible as Regent on reaching [(the age of 21. The Bill does not provide for the Appointment of a Regent during the jninor illness of the Sovereign or his Absence abroad. In either of these circumstances the King will appoint A Council of State, which in the present circumstances will consist of Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent, the Princess Royal, and the Duke of Connaught. The (Bill differs from the Act passed on the accession of King George, which provided that the King’s wife, Queen Mary, should b© Regent. In subfetituting the Duke of Gloucester for Queen Elizabeth, clause six provides that the Sovereign, when out of the (country, may convey instructions by telegraph, thus excluding the Empire telephone service. It is understood ■that the reason as there must he a record of the instructions given. WMLE EMPIRE HOT INCLUDED UNDER REGENCY (British Official Wireless.) 1 RUGBY, January 29, (Received January 30, at noon.) In accordance with the Statute of Westminster, the Regency Bill provides for the Regency of the United Kingdom and the Crown colonies alone, and not of the British Empire. It does not alter the law touching succession to the throne of the Royal style and titles, and therefore, establishing a constitutional position, it does not require the simultaneous assent of all the self-governing dominions. The natural procedure, says £ The (Times, ’■ is for each of them to legislate separately for the Regent of its own territory, and it may be supposed that they will concur, in so legislating, that the powers of Regency everywhere in the British Empire will, when required, be vested in the same person.