News from the Centre for Citizenship

The Barclay brothers have said they will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after the High Court rejected their claim that state recognition of feudal positions in Sark breaches human rights. New legislation will give Sark, a “crown dependency”, an elected legislature for the first time. However, the unelected feudal positions of Seigneur…

The Scout Association has threatened to deny full membership of its Cubs to eight-year-old Matthew McVeigh because he refuses to promise allegiance to Britain’s feudal head of state, Elizabeth Windsor. Matthew’s family is Catholic and Britain’s constitution bars Catholics from the nation’s chief public office. His mother Tracy McVeigh told the Daily Record newspaper “The…

The Caribbean island Bermuda, Britain’s oldest colony, is to celebrate the birthday of hereditary head of state Elizabeth Windsor for the last time this year. The colony’s government, which favours independence from Britain, is to replace the public holiday that marks the birthday with National Hero’s Day. The government hopes this will encourage national identity.

A Roy Morgan Research opinion poll suggests that 46 per cent of New Zealanders are in favour of their country becoming a republic. Only 41 per cent favoured the current status of monarchy. This percentage fell to 32 when those polled were asked what they would want if Charles Windsor became Britain’s head of state.

The British government announced on 30 April that there would be no change to the feudal Act of Settlement that favours males for head of state and bars Catholics. In April the government had announced its intention of ending the discrimination against women that the Act requires. Solicitor General Vera Baird is reported to have…

Thousands danced in the streets of Kathmandu when Nepal’s monarchy was abolished on 28 May. Legislators had voted 560 to 4 to end the 240-year-old evil. King Gyanendra has been given 14 days to vacate his palace and has been asked to pay the electricity bill. His portrait has already been removed from bank notes…

Barrister David Pannick has told the High Court that feudal offices in the English Channel island of Sark breach human rights and are inconsistent with a modern democracy. Mr. Pannick is representing the Barclay brothers who own one fifth of the island as well as having substantial business interests in Britain. They are claiming that…

In a new demonstration of its commitment to equal opportunities the government has announced that it will end discrimination against female members of the Windsor family. A sixteenth century law currently gives male family members precedence over older sisters for the office of head of state. Solicitor General Vera Baird is reported to have called…