In the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September, it was revealed that Camilla Parker-Bowles would be given the title of Queen Consort as her husband of 18 years, King Charles III, ascended to the throne. It was a wish of the late Queen to see Camilla take this title. She said in her Platinum Jubilee message in February last year, ‘When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me.
‘It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.’
But it was later reported that the wife of the monarch will simply go by Queen Camilla following the coronation, with ‘Consort’ being dropped.
So, is Camilla queen now?
Essentially, yes - the official invitation for the coronation supported the reports, with the top line reading, ‘The coronation of their Majesties, King Charles III and Queen Camilla.’ Buckingham Palace then confirmed last month that Camilla will be known as Queen after the coronation.
What is a Queen Consort?
The Queen Consort is the wife of the reigning monarch. Their role is to support their husband as he carries out his work and duties, while also carrying out public engagements on behalf of the charities she supports.
What is the difference between Queen Consort and the Queen?
The official definition for queen reads, ‘The female ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth.’ This was the case for Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne when her father, King George VI, died in 1952. Camilla is a Queen via marriage, making her a consort.
Upon her marriage to Charles, Camilla was given the title of Duchess of Cornwall, ensuring that she would not be known as the Princess of Wales – a title that will always be closely associated in the public’s mind with Charles’ late ex-wife, Diana.
After that, the Queen named Camilla as a Grand Dame Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in recognition of service to the monarchy, and announced her as a member of the Privy Council in June 2016. But Lord Norton of Louth, a constitutional expert and peer in the House of Lords told Sky News in 2017 that ‘upon the death of the Queen, Charles automatically becomes King – that is it. His wife will become Queen Consort, formally established by precedent.’ The title was previously known as ‘Princess Consort.
Why was Camilla crowned Queen?
It has been widely suggested that Camilla was referred to as Queen Consort to differentiate between Queen Elizabeth II following her passing. Senior royal aides have implied that it was always planned for the ‘Consort’ part of Camilla’s title to be dropped.
One palace insider said last month, ‘It made sense to refer to Her Majesty as The Queen Consort in the early months of His Majesty’s reign, to distinguish from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.’
‘Queen Camilla is the appropriate title to set against King Charles on the invitation. The coronation is an appropriate time to start using “Queen Camilla” in an official capacity. All former Queen consorts have been known as Queen plus their first name.’
Following Charles’ six-part coronation ceremony, it is understood that Camilla will have her own one. It will be a “similar but simpler” ceremony and she will also be anointed with holy oil and crowned.
What is royal precedent for the husbands and wives of British Kings and Queens?
Royal precedent is such that the wives of Kings become Queen Consorts, but the husbands of Queens do not receive the title of King. So, Prince Philip was a Prince and a Duke, but not a King. Lord Norton explained that ‘if [Camilla] wishes to be known by another title, that’s a matter of royal prerogative, so the monarch could determine that another style will be employed.’
What will happen to Camilla when King Charles passes away?
A morbid question, but one everyone is asking according to Google Trends. According to royal tradition, if King Charles was to die, Camilla would lose the title of Queen Consort and would not be considered a monarch or head of state. Instead, her title would change to 'Queen Dowager', with Dowager used to refer to the widow of a peer or a monarch.
What is the reaction to Camilla becoming Queen?
The public is divided on how appropriate it is that Camilla becomes Queen. On social media, news of the title change has reignited backlash towards Camilla, with the 'homewrecker' narrative rearing its ugly head once again over the past couple of months.
Naturally, one must now ask - when will the 'homewrecker' narrative end for Camilla? Sensitivity to the issue is to be expected, but after 20 years of abuse and many attempts at redemption, hasn't Camilla endured enough abuse? She's certainly taken on more of the backlash than Charles, a classic tale of misogyny considering Charles was equally at fault for the affair.