The current laws of primogeniture dictate that the Balfour title must pass to a male heir. For the Fifth Earl of Balfour, this means his title would necessarily pass to his younger brother. This forced line of succession skips over the Earl’s four daughters entirely. The current Earl believes he may have found a loophole and solution to this centuries-old problem. If his eldest daughter declares herself a man, then the title can pass to her and stay in the Earl’s directly-descended family.
See Harry Yorke, Earl of Balfour: My Daughter Can Change Gender to Inherit My Title, The Telegraph, November 29, 2017.
Special thanks to Eric Chiappinelli for bringing this article to my attention.
