Egalitarianism in the Royal Family

[lethargic_man]

The media have been making a big hoo-har about the fact the Commonwealth has changed its succession law so if Prince William's firstborn is a daughter, she will accede to the throne even if she has a younger brother. Today's news is that the Queen has issued Letters Patent to ensure such a daughter is a princess from birth, which would not hithertofore have been the case for a daughter. According to the abovelinked article, the Letters Patent reads:

All the children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales should enjoy the style, title and attribute of Royal Highness with the titular dignity of Prince or Princess prefixed to their Christian names.

What an incredible botched job that seems to me: it only applies to the situation where the heir to the throne is a male; it does not clearly set out the law for future generations. Now that a daughter would become (in due course) Heir Apparent, rather than Heir Presumptive, she would go on in due course to become Princess of Wales when William is king (no, I didn't know that; I had to look it up); and should she go on to have a firstborn daughter herself, that daughter would be the eldest child (not son) of the Princess (not Prince) of Wales, and her daughter should be entitled to be rank of princess too—something that will require further legislation or Letters Patent, as it is not covered by today's Letters Patent, and makes me wonder whether Her Majesty (someone who, Wikipedia tells me, previously turned down the idea of being made Princess of Wales when it was suggested to her father) has really bought in to the concept of egalitarianism.