For the Record - Read the full text of Royal Baby Bill

Hot off the parliamentary presses, the full text of the government's just-unveiled proposal to tweak the rules of succession to allow females to inherit the Throne, as well as permit all otherwise designated heirs to marry (but not themselves be, mind you) outside the Church of England:


As a bonus for those wondering how such a change could possibly be considered without an accompanying constitutional amendment, here's the reasoning laid out in the backgrounder helpfully provided by Canadian Heritage:

The laws governing succession are UK law and are not part of Canada's constitution. Specifically, they are not enumerated in the schedule to our Constitution Act, 1982 as part of the Constitution of Canada. Furthermore, the changes to the laws of succession do not constitute a change to the "office of The Queen", as contemplated in the Constitution Act, 1982. The "office of The Queen" includes the Sovereign's constitutional status, powers and rights in Canada. Neither the ban on the marriages of heirs to Roman Catholics, nor the common law governing male preference primogeniture, can properly be said to be royal powers or prerogatives in Canada. As the line of succession is therefore determined by UK law and not by the Sovereign, The Queen's powers and rights have not been altered by the changes to the laws governing succession in Canada.

The legislation introduced today is in keeping with the Preamble to the Statute of Westminster, 1931, which provides that any changes to the laws governing succession require the assent of Dominion Parliaments. The Government of Canada is working in collaboration with all parties to ensure swift passage of the bill.