QUEEN ELIZABETH is considering the most fundamental reforms to the British monarchy for centuries to ensure its continuing survival Buckingham Palace confirmed yesterday.
A palace spokeswoman stressed that no changes are imminent.
But it is understood that the reforms under consideration include ending the monarch's traditional role as head of the Church of England and abolishing the Civil List.
This is the annual vote by parliament for the upkeep of the royal family, and currently stands at £8.7 million stg.
Queen Elizabeth has established a committee called The Way Ahead Group, which includes senior members of the royal family, their advisers and government officials, to discuss any reforms necessary to ensure the monarchy survives her.
Other subjects the committee is discussing include whether
. to allow women to succeed to the throne even if they have younger brothers
. to limit the royal family to the monarch, the consort, their children and any grandchildren who are direct heirs to the throne and to abolish the 1701 law banning heirs to the throne from marrying Roman Catholics.
A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman stressed that discussions of "strategic issues" occurred regularly within the royal family, particularly when they were all on holiday together.
"As with any other organisation, these sort of discussions have been going on in the form of internal deliberation."
"It is worth pointing out that one of the reasons the monarchy has lasted for over 1,000 years is that it is able to adapt and change as necessary, whilst retaining the overwhelming public support it enjoys," she added.
Constitutional specialists welcomed the proposed changes, but suggested that the ending of the royal family's relationship with the Church of England was particularly controversial.
Dr David Starkey, a lecturer in history at the London School of Economics, suggested the reforms were part of "Charles's agenda" and would amount to the "biggest privatisation" ever.
"He has been playing around with these ideas for years. The idea of relinquishing the role of head of the Church of England also definitely comes from Charles.
"He has signalled this with the business of becoming defender of faith rather than Defender of the Faith. It is the rejection of the idea that you cannot really be English without being Anglican," he said.
Lord St John of Fawsley, a constitutional specialist and a friend of Queen Elizabeth, admitted that this debate had been prompted by the royal family's "recent troubles particularly the impending divorce of the Prince of Wales.
The Queen is acting coolly, sensibly and rationally as is her won't. She's looking to the future of the monarchy. She's 70 now and this is a good time.
"Every so often an institution does need to look at itself if it is to survive. The monarchy would have disappeared centuries ago if occasional reforms hadn't been made," he added.