Heirs to the British crown should be given equal opportunity to ascend to the throne regardless of their gender and religious belief, according to Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who also threw her support behind a spirited campaign to revise outdated royal succession rules.

Regulations that have been in effect for more than three centuries largely prevent women and Protestants from laying claim to the British crown, even forcing any ruling monarchs, presumably males, to abdicate in the event he marries a Catholic.

British Prime Minister David Cameron has been vocal in his intent to ditch the discriminatory tradition that has been observed since the 17th century and Gillard, despite her unabashed republican leanings, is more than happy to back the proposal."

"I do support a change to the act of succession, which would enable the person who succeeds to the throne to be the oldest child, irrespective of gender," Ms Gillard was quoted by a Reuters report on Monday as saying.

"You would expect me, as the first female prime minister of our nation, to say I believe women are equal to men in all regards," the Aussie Labor leader added who is also an adamant supporter of moves for Australia to abandon the British monarchy and become a republic.

Ms Gillard made her comments amidst the ongoing royal visit to Australia of Queen Elizabeth II, now regarded as one of the longest serving monarch in the world who came to the throne in 1952.

Reuters has reported that the British Queen is on her 16th official stop in Australia, where she is also scheduled to open a summit of Commonwealth leaders, who are heads of nations that still regard Britain as their constitutional monarchy.

Yet many of these countries have been seriously mulling measures of cutting ties with the British monarch including Australia, which reportedly has a significant number of citizens that wish to see the country becoming officially separated from its royal allegiance to the crown.