Comments come amid concerns tinkering with constitution could reopen debate in Australia about monarchy
David Cameron has played down the prospect of an imminent change in the rules of royal succession amid concerns that constitutional tinkering could spark a fresh campaign in Australia for it to become a republic.
The wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton on 29 April has focused attention on the issue. The deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, had said he was actively pursuing a plan to scrap the principle that gives preference to male heirs, but the prime minister warned that any progress would be complicated and slow.
"This has been discussed before and everyone in the frontline of politics agrees that this does need to change and there are conversations ongoing," Cameron told the Murnaghan programme on Sky News.
"But it clearly does take some time, because the Queen is not just queen of the United Kingdom but of many other countries around the world and so changes have to be changes that all countries take on board and put in place and there are discussions with those countries ongoing, but these things, I'm sure, will take some time."
It is understood one particular concern is Australia, where it is thought that any attempt to legislate on the laws of succession would reopen the fierce debate about the abolition of the monarchy.
Cameron's comments came as some Tories expressed anger that Clegg was being presented as the champion of change on the issue.
"The idea that Clegg is pressing for this, and that the PM is dragging his heels because he's not in favour of rights for women, is totally ludicrous," said one Tory source. "We want change, too, but it's more complicated than it sounds. A number of different governments would have to pass new laws and, although in principle that should be straightforward, in practice other governments might say it's not a priority for them."
The issue of primogeniture has occupied UK governments on and off for years, with individual MPs making numerous attempts to steer reforms through parliament. The most recent came from Labour's Keith Vaz in January.
At the time, Downing Street acknowledged that elements of the 1701 Act of Succession, which also bars Roman Catholics from succeeding to the throne, were "discriminatory", but said change would be "difficult and complex".
Last month, Prince William was urged by the Labour MP and historian Tristram Hunt to "subtly show his support" for the reform campaign.
On Sunday Clegg, who is responsible for constitutional reform within the government, said that most people would see the current accession rules as outdated. He said: "My own personal view is that in this day and age, the idea that only a man should ascend to the throne would, I think, strike most people as a little old-fashioned. And that if Prince William and Catherine Middleton were to have a baby daughter as their first child, I think most people would think it perfectly fair and normal that she would eventually become queen of our country."