This, on the other hand, DID surprise me

End of the Anglican crown - 300 year bar to be lifted

Downing Street has drawn up plans to end the 300-year-old exclusion of Catholics from the throne. The requirement that the succession automatically pass to a male would also be reformed, making it possible for a first born daughter of Prince William to become his heir.

It makes an enormous amount of sense. But when have "sense" and "politics" and "religion" ever gone together at the same time? Being British and being Protestant have, at least in the popular mindset, been more or less coextensive for a very long time indeed. If I'm not mistaken, there were some rumblings not terribly long ago because Cherie Blair, wife of the then-prime minister, is Catholic.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.