Who's better? Boys or girls?

Now I know every single member of the Danish royal family intimately, thanks to Se og hør, which gets delivered along with similar magazines to our office every Thursday, I've come to take an interest in what they're all up to, considering some of the 50+% tax I pay is helping them live the kind of life I am glad someone does. I quite like them, well most of them, although my opinion is only made up from what I see and read. But they help Denmark work the way it does, so I am glad they are here.

This weekend is a bit of a milestone, because there's a vote, along with EU elections, as to whether first born boys should be given precendence over first born girls in the line of succession to the throne.

I thought the answer would be a done-deal but not so. For the referendum to pass, 40% of the population has to vote and according to the newspapers it's very borderline this would happen. This surprises me. Firstly, because I come from a country where it is illegal not to vote (yes, it is) and secondly I thought at least 50% of the Danish population, the women, would be would be looking at their watches every few minutes the night before.

Now, for a minute, think about Christian and Isabella (Isabell?). Some 30 years ago, across the bridge in Sweden, there was another two royal children, Victoria and Carl Philip. Victoria, the eldest. After they were both born, the law was changed removing the title of Crown Prince from Carl Philip, because he was the second child and giving the title to Victoria. I don't know whether that affected their relationship as siblings but it seems a bit rough to have it decided after they were both born. Apparently the King of Sweden wasn't, and still isn't, too impressed by the move, so I can't quite work out why, considering about 98% of Danes are in favour of the monarchy, why they're not that eager to vote.

Furthermore, I've also heard and read that a lot of people are up in arms about the government's campaign - see it for yourself here (and see the film). Apparently people think the governments shouldn't side with one sex or another, however unfair it may seem. Of course, the government have sided with the female of the species. Usually I would be the same about government interference but not in this instance. I mean in Australia/NZ/Canada/UK there hasn't been a vote, but if there was (republicanism aside)...