New-York tribune., 1901-01-27
THE BRITISH CROW \.
SYSTEM OF SUCCESSiON-SOM OF THE,
MoNARCH'S oGATIVES-ALBERT
EDWARDS EXPERIENCE IN
STATECRAFT.

sion to the British Crown. The arrival in Eng
land of the Kaiser for the purpose of taking a
last farewell of his grandmother, to whom he
was sincerely devoted, had the effect of revlV-
ing the query discussed few months ago in
the German press as to whether Emperor Will
lam had rights to the British throne which were
superior to these of the Prince of Wales. owing
to the fact of his being the eldest son of Queen
Victorias first born child, the Empress Fred
erick
According to the system of succession In Eng
land the Kaisers rights to his English grand
mothers throne very remote. BY its terms,
male heirs i'm the degree of relation to
the sovereign exclude females without regard to
priority Of birth. Thus. though the son of
iDvereign may be younger than the daughter,
,he son succeeds An instance illustrating this
yont is furnished by Spain. where the same sys-
tenn of succession prevails, and where the little
boy King has two sisters older than himself,
one of whom actually reigned during the six
months that intervened between his fathers
death and his own birth. But if the sovereign
leaves a daughter and brother or nephew, II
is the daughter who succeeds. as being in a
closer degree of relationship. Thus, when King
George Nv of England, King William Nv and
the third brother. the Duke of York, had died
without leaving any surviving issue, the next
in line of succession TO the throne was the
fourth brother who bore the title of the Duke
Of Kent. The latter died before either George
w or William ~. But he left daughter. Alex
andrina Victoria. whose rights to the crown
under the prevailing system of succession were
superior to those of her fathers younger
brothers, the Dukes Of Cumberland and of Sus-
Eek But ~ Victoria bad younger brother
he instead UI herself. would have become mon
trch of Great Britain. According to this syS-
TEN, the three children Of the Duke OF York,
lhe Duchess 0f Fife and her children. Princess
Victoria Princess Charles of Denmark, then the
bur daughters of the late Duke OF Coburg, who
Eas second son of Queen Victoria. and their
children; thereafter the Duke of Connaught and
his three children. and. lastly, the sixteen-year-
old Duke Of CObur-. as son of'the late Duke OF
Albany, and his sister. Alice would all have
rights to the English throne superior to those
of Emperor William. From this it may be seen
that the prospects OF the Kaiser ever becoming
Ming of England very remote, indeed.
THE ACT OF SETTLEMENT
The present mode of succession to the throne
I'm England determined by the Act of Set
tlement passed by Parliament in May. liVl.
by virtue OF which the throne of Great Britain
was settled upon the desce ndants of the Prot
estant Electress Sophia Of Hanover. instead OF
upon the Roman Catholic descendants of the
Louis OF Bavaria. whom ultra -legtimists and
members of the White Rose League profess TO
regard the person who should lie de jure
monarch OF England. Princess Louis. whose
husband is the eldest Of the Regent Of
Bavaria is descended from King Charles I.
who lost his head the scaffOld. whereas the
present occupant of the British throne IS Obliged
to so further back, namely. to King Charess
father. King James, in order to establish CON
nection with the Stu"rt line. Incidentally, il
by virtue of which the present Hanoverian
dynasty holds the crown of England. passed
by the majority of a single vote. Had that one
vote, which was cast by barOnet namei Sir
Arthur Owen. not been east. Princess Louis of
Bavaria might be to-day Queen of Great Britain
and Empress of India
Another question in the minds Of many, and
subject Of little discussion. is what sort of
King Queen NiCtoria's eldest viii prove to
be- While scme Of the opinion that he will
take active part in the direction of the ;.f
fairs of the nation. there others who insist
that ne iii show himself 'roi faincant." and
will leave everything to hrs Ministers. And it
is added that he viii be the inclined to
adopt this latter coarse owing To the fact that
he has taste for or experience in affairs of
state. and. moreover. that he is re.lucei by the
terms and spirit of the constitution to play the
part of a mere tiGureh"ad. And il is explained
that The influence ana power exercised bN Queen