This is the last limitation of the crown that has been made by Parliament ; and all the several actual limitations, from the time of Henry VI. to the present, (stated at large in 1 Comm. c. 3.) do clearly prove the power of the King and Parliament to new-model or alter the succession. And indeed it is now again made highly penal to dispute it ; for by stat. 6 Anne, c. 7, it is enacted, that if any person maliciously, advisedly, and directly, shall maintain, by writing or printing, that the kings of this realm, with the authority of Parliament, are not able to make laws to bind the crown and the descent aiereof, he shall be guilty of high treason ;'or if he maintains the same only by preaching, teaching, or advised speaking, he shall incur the penal ties of a prxmunire. The Princess Sophia dying befbre Queen Anne, the inheritance, thus limited, descended on her son King George I.; and having taken effect in his person, from him it descended to his late Majesty King George IL, and from him to his grandson and heir, our present gra cious sovereign Icing George III. Former.
ly the common stock,from which the heirs to the crown were derived, was King Eg bert, then William the Conqueror. In the time of James I., both stocks were unit ed; and, by the abdication of James IL, the common stock is the Princess Sophia, and the heirs of her body, being Protes tant members of the Church of England, and married to such as are Protestants. This is therefore an hereditary monarchy, duly constituted between the extremes of divine hereditary, indefeasible right, and elective succession.
With respect to the royal family, the first branch considered in the law is the Queen, as to whom, see title Qouzie.
The Prince of Wales, or heir-apparent to the crown, and also his royal consort ; and the Princess Royal, or eldest daugh. ter of the King, are likewise peculiarly regarded by the laws. For, by statute 25 Edw. III. to compass or conspire the death of the former, or to violate the chastity of the latter, is as much high treason as to conspire the death of the king, or vio late the chastity cf the queen. See