LORD ARCHER yesterday took the first step to introduce legislation that would allow women equal rights to men in the royal line of succession.
The measure would ensure that if the now teenage Prince William, the son of king in waiting Prince Charles, was to have a daughter first, she would become queen even if she had a younger brother.
Under a centuries old British rule, male children take precedence over their sisters in their right to the throne.
Lord Jeffrey Archer, a best selling author and member of the Conservative Party, presented a "humble address" in the House of Lords asking for permission to bring in a parliamentary Bill.
The vote on his address was passed by 74 votes to 53, surprising many commentators who had expected the Lords, where many hereditary peers only hold their own seats by virtue of their gender, to resist his proposal.
Queen Elizabeth will now decide whether he should be granted permission to take the bill further.
Lord Archer said he wanted to discover if there were people in the unelected House of Lords, "or anywhere, who feel that men are still naturally superior to women".
He said nothing would happen in practice for 50 or 60 years, until one of Prince William's children succeeded him.
"The only change that would be made immediate is that Princess Anne would leapfrog over Prince Andrew and Prince Edward to fourth place," Lord Archer told BBC Radio.
The measure has little chance of becoming law because of tight parliamentary time in the run up to a general election.
. The Princess of Wales told a charity conference yesterday that lepers need to be touched to show they are not completely reviled.
Diana, who has made headlines by holding hands with AIDS patients, lepers and others afflicted with frightening diseases, looked radiant and tanned as she spoke about the horrors of leprosy.
"It has always been my concern to touch people with leprosy trying to show in a simple action that they are not reviled nor are we repulsed," she said in a speech marking the 30th anniversary of the International Federation of Anti Leprosy Associations in London.
Meanwhile her former sister in law, the Duchess of York, flew to the US, reportedly for talks about, hosting a multi million dollar chats show.