Queensland succession laws passed Queen Elizabeth II at her coronation on June 2, 1952. Kate, Wills and the Commonwealth can relax; Queensland has passed its succession bill. In the "spirit of compromise" the state government has also made an amendment to the bill requesting the federal government implement its own legislation. The passing of the bill means Australia as a whole can give the nod to New Zealand, the Commonwealth jurisdiction facilitating the arrangements, and pass on the good news to the United Kingdom. The legislation allows for succession regardless of gender. It also removes the bar on Roman Catholics and limits the number of heirs who need to ask the monarch for permission to marry to the first six in line. The succession bill had a somewhat rocky road to success. Premier Campbell Newman admitted in December last year that Queensland had a "view that others don't agree with" when he said the state would go it alone in passing its own succession legislation. In February the parliamentary committee charged with reviewing the proposed legislation recommended the bill be passed. But the committee also asked for clarification on key issues, including whether or not the bill was constitutional. In a statement to parliament Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said the government was confident the bill as introduced would be a "valid Act" [constitutional] declaring the state's recognition to the proposed succession changes. But after further discussions a compromise with the federal government was decided on. Mr Bleijie told Fairfax Media this "hybrid model" bill was not a backflip. "We wanted to go it alone because Queensland is a sovereign state," Mr Bleijie said outside parliament. We have essentially done that today with our own legislation. We have a bill that is copied on the United Kingdom bill, so we actually have a bill as a sovereign state, what we have done though in the COAG agreement, that the premier negotiated ... we essentially said, 'we are going to go it alone with our own bill, but for the sake of the other states who didn't proceed down the road of legislation ... that we will put a chapter in our bill, requesting the Commonwealth to do the same.' Now the Commonwealth can go off and do theirs, we have nothing else to do now, we have our legislation in and as I said, of all the jurisdictions, we have been quick off the mark. We've done it and the United Kingdom has done it and as I understand we are the first jurisdiction to do it in the whole of the Commonwealth and territories, other than the United Kingdom. Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said he was pleased Mr Bleijie and Premier Campbell Newman had "come to their senses" by requesting the the Commonwealth enact its own legislation. "The Queensland Attorney-General may like to echo Joh Bjelke-Peterson's claims to have a direct relationship with the Crown, but as I've repeatedly stated, a Commonwealth law is the safest and most effective way to ensure we bring the rules of succession into the 21st century," he said. The Queensland Government is more than welcome to pass its own face-saving legislation, secure in the knowledge it will have no practical effect.