Report on monarchy urges change

BUCKINGHAM PALACE was last night awaiting public reaction to calls for wide-ranging reform of the monarchy.

A detailed report by the left-of-centre Fabian Society said the Queen should be allowed to retire and the Prince of Wales allowed to marry Camilla Parker Bowles without royal or Government backing.

The think-tank report, entitled The Future of The Monarchy, said the institution must change to maintain public support.

Drawn up after a year-long inquiry by an independent 10-member commission, it called for two Acts of Parliament to implement its central proposals.

Far from dismissing the recommendations, the Palace said: "The report is a useful contribution to the debate on changes to the monarchy. We will be interested in seeing public reaction."

The report recommended a Succession Act, replacing the 1701 Act of Settlement, and a Constitution Act, defining the scope of powers exercised by the Head of State.

David Bean QC, chair of the commission which drew up the report, said: "Britain has been through very significant constitutional change in the last few years. The missing piece in the jigsaw is the position of head of state.

"In every other European constitutional monarchy, the role is clearly defined in law, it is depoliticised, and the public and private elements of royalty are kept clearly separate.

"The same principles should now be adopted in Britain.

Paul Richards, chair of the Fabian Society and a member of the commission, said: "People will no doubt say reform of the monarchy is not the most urgent priority for scarce legislative time. But the risk of inertia is that the institution gradually comes to appear more and more out of touch with modern Britain and our evolving constitution.

"It would be much better to carry out reform calmly now than to wait until forced by a crisis. And we have unfortunately had too many royal crises in recent years."

The report concluded it recognised the Government might regard some of its proposals as "politically difficult".

"The reluctance of ministers to address these issues is understandable, given the extent of popular support for the monarchy and the other demands on legislative time," it said.

"Yet the evidence suggests that public opinion still firmly behind the institution itself is open to reform.

"Just as importantly, there are strong indications the Palaces themselves are willing to countenance reform as the Queen observed in her address to Parliament in 2002, the historic strength of the monarchy has been its ability to adapt to changed circumstances.

"We believe the lessons of the turbulent events of recent years both the successes and the near-crises point in the direction of reform set out by this report."