Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales: "Most people can't understand why a member of the Royal Family can marry a Sikh, Hindu or Jew but not a Roman Catholic."Most Catholics would say it is discrimination. Most people would agree that it isn't right. I don't think people should fear a Catholic monarch."
Michael Howard, the former Tory leader: "There is no prohibition on the monarch or the monarch's consort being members of any other religion. So I think it is an anachronism that Catholicism should be singled out."
A spokesman for Alex Salmond, Scottish First Minister: "The First Minister has called over a period of many years for the discrimination in the Act of Settlement to be repealed.
Discrimination has no place in a 21st century democracy, and he will continue to urge the Westminster government to take the necessary action to remove this blot from the UK's constitutional arrangements.
Catherine Pepinster, the editor of the Tablet, the Catholic weekly magazine: "If the Church of England were to take the initiative and seek for itself a status similar to that enjoyed by another national Church, that of the Church of Scotland, the personal beliefs of members of the Royal Family would become the private affair they ought to be. And the British constitution would be less at odds with the fundamental values of a tolerant multicultural society."
The Rev David Phillips, general secretary of the Church Society: "Britain is not, as some imagine, a secular state. In the political arena, in law and education there is still a strong Christian influence and active role. Over two thirds of people count themselves as Christian and the majority identify with the Church of England. It is perfectly reasonable therefore that the monarch should be asked to identify personally with the Christian faith. With the 1701 Act of Settlement a deliberate decision was taken that England, and separately Scotland, should be Protestant. This position has served Britain well for over 300 years."
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