What will Camilla be called when Charles is King of England?
The notion of a royal ‘consort’ was first introduced during the reign of Queen Victoria but for a long time it was unclear if Camilla would take that title.
Following the sad death of Queen Elizabeth II on Thursday her son and heir, Charles, has ascended to the throne. King Charles III will give his first address to the nation on Friday as he begins royal duties as the United Kingdom’s monarch.
Previously Charles had been known as the Prince of Wales, a title granted to him by his mother. Charles’ wife, Camilla, was formerly the Duchess of Cornwall but will now be known as the Queen Consort.
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So why is she not simply ‘the Queen’? In the UK’s hereditary monarchy the title of King or Queen is only assigned to the member of the royal family who ascends to the throne, and not to their spouse. The term ‘Queen Consort’ indicates that she is the spouse of the King, because those who marry into the royal family cannot inherit the crown.
The Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, rejected the title of King Consort and opted instead to be known as the Duke of Edinburgh. The title King Consort was created during the reign of Queen Victoria for her husband, Albert.
Controversy over Camilla’s status as Queen Consort
Although the role of the ‘Consort’ has been in place for well over a hundred years, there was some uncertainty about whether Camilla would use the name. Charles had been previously married to Diana, Princess of Wales, until their divorce in 1996.
At the time the Church of England, of which the monarch is the head, was strongly opposed to divorce. Camilla herself had also been married and there was much media coverage of the prospect of a divorcee becoming Queen Consort.
The matter remained unclear until earlier this year, shortly before Queen Elizabeth celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years on the throne. In a statement, the Queen announced that it was her “most sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
Royal commentators speculated that the move was designed to ease the Charles’ ascension to the throne. The Queen’s explicit approval helped to ease Camilla’s complicated relationship with the British public and she was thanked by Charles.
“We are deeply conscious of the honor represented by my mother’s wish,” Charles said, in response to the Queen’s statement. “As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout.”