SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4263, 24 January 1901, Page 6

SUCCESSION TO THE THRONE

THE CONSTITUTIONAL RULE. J Towards the end of William llL's reign, when .all hopes of issue died with the Duke of Gloucester, the King_ and Parliament thought it necessary again to limit the succession, .in-order to prevent another vacancy of the throne. They turned their eyes on unc Princess Sophia, eleetress and. iJuche-ss 19ow«gcr of Hanover, tile youngest daughter 1 of Elizabeth Queen of Bohemia,' daughter of James 1., nearest of the' Wooe. royal who was not incapacitated by religion. On her, 'therefore, and the heirs of" 'her body, being Protestants, the remainder of'(.he Crown, expectant on the death of William, and ..nne, without is-si-.e 'ivas settled ; and p.t, the .same, time it 'was enacted that whosoever should hereafter come to the possession of the Ci-owii should join in the communion of the Church of England as by law established. This is the last limitation of tho Crown that has been made by Parliament. The Princess Sophia, dying before Queen Anne, the . inheritance descended on her son and heir George I. ; from him to George 11. ; and from him to his grandson and heir, George 111. From him it descended to his eldest son, George IV. who, dying without issue, ivas .succeeded by William IV.. the third son .c.f George III.; the second son, Frederick, Duke of York, having previously died without issue. On tho death of William IV!, the inheritance descended to the only child of Edward Duke of Kent (the fourth son or George III.), our late Sovereign Queen Victoria, who will bo succeeded .by Albert Edward -Prince of Wales. The title to the Crown is at present hereditary, though not so absolutely hereditary as formerly. For formerly tho Crown wont to the next heir without any restriction ; . now tho inheritance is conditional, being limited to such heirs only of tho Princess Sophia as are members of the Church of England, and are married to none but Protestants. In tins due me dium (says an English text-book writer) consists the true constitutional not'on of the right of succession to the Imperial Crown of these kingdoms.