The business of monarchy has always been stacked in favour of men.
Not any more - or so the British government promises.
The first child of Prince William and his wife, Kate, will be born a king or a queen in waiting, under changes to succession rules designed to overturn centuries of tradition and give royal daughters the same rights as sons.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg pledged Tuesday that the law on succession would be changed at the "earliest opportunity."
He said "whether the baby is a boy or a girl, they will have an equal claim to the throne."
"Born to rule, be it a boy or a girl" proclaimed the Daily Mail, which noted that the baby had "already made royal and constitutional history" even before it is born.
Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cambridge - the former Kate Middleton - was "continuing to feel better" Tuesday as she spent a second day in a London hospital being treated for acute morning sickness, St.
James's Palace said.
William visited his wife in the hospital for several hours, as photographers and camera crews from around the world camped outside, eager for news on the royal pregnancy.
Officials say Kate and William's baby will displace Prince Harry, William's younger brother, as third in line to the throne.
