It has been confirmed that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will not receive the title of Queen Consort when Prince Charles accedes to the throne but would instead use the title HRH The Princess Consort.
When Prince Charles and Camilla married in 2005, it was officially announced that the Duchess of Cornwall would be known as Princess Consort and not Queen Consort when Charles takes to the throne.
Clarence House issued a statement making it clear that when Prince Charles becomes king, Camilla will not become queen consort: “The intention is for the Duchess to be known as princess consort when the prince accedes to the throne…This was announced at the time of the marriage, and there has been absolutely no change at all.”
Camilla’s decision not to take the title of Queen Consort is rooted mainly in the fact that many did not approve of her taking Diana‘s place after she passed away in 1997.
However, according to established royal commentator Iain MacMarthanne, Camilla would automatically become Queen Consort by law upon Charles’s becoming a king.
MacMarthanne also stated that it was not unusual for Camilla to be tactful when it comes to Diana, for example, the Duchess of Cornwall was presently allowed to the title Princess of Wales, but she chose not to use it.
Meanwhile, other royal experts have stated that when Charles becomes king, Camilla would be Queen Consort regardless of what title she uses, since she is his spouse.
Charlie Proctor, editor-in-chief at Royal Central, who believes that Prince Charles will want his wife to be called queen, had this to say: “The official line is that when Charles becomes king, Camilla will become princess consort. I personally think that is nonsense. When Charles takes to the throne, Camilla will become queen consort. The monarchy is not a popularity contest, and you can’t change titles in fear of certain people still having chips on their shoulders.”
Many others opinionated that Prince Charles would definitely consider the public opinion of the matter when the time comes, and he would maybe consult with the Government.
Interestingly enough, Prince Charles’s first child, Prince William, is being called a “shadow king” by some because the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the queen’s activities.
An insider told the Sunday Times: “The Queen won’t do anything which goes against the advice of people in her [age] category. She’s going to take all the appropriate advice. There are discussions about what we could do and couldn’t do come October.”
Buckingham Palace said that she would keep herself busy.
