Who would have thought it? The British royal family, it transpires, is not all that keen on absurd anachronisms. Since 1689, royals who wish to accede to the throne have been banned not only from practising Roman Catholicism but also from wedding people who do. But among reforms being discussed by the Queen and the prime minister is a plan to allow British royals to marry Catholics. About time too.
These rules are remnants of the most successful propaganda effort in British history - the "Glorious Revolution" of 1688. It was an invasion by 15,000 foreign troops, which scared a sitting King into exile so that a Dutch princeling could seize power. But a sophisticated media campaign spun it as a peaceful transfer of power from a Papist brute to a great Protestant prince at the invitation of British patriots.
