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The Duchess of Cornwall, 74, was given the Queen’s backing earlier this month when the monarch said she hopes her daughter-in-law will be known as Queen Consort when Charles succeeds her as Sovereign. The surprise announcement came in the Queen’s Accession Day speech as she marked the 70th anniversary since she succeeded her father King George VI to the throne.
Her Majesty’s message in her Platinum Jubilee year further solidifies Camilla’s importance to the Royal Family as one of its core senior members.
It also puts an end to the years of speculation over Camilla’s future title since she married the Prince of Wales 17 years ago.
When the couple tied the knot, Clarence House said the Duchess would be known as Princess Consort when Charles became King.
Due to public opinion, the royal household was previously cautious over Camilla becoming Queen when she and Charles tied the knot in 2005.
Her and Charles were both divorced from their previous marriages and the heir’s first wife Princess Diana died in 1997.
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There was also a lot of animosity towards Camilla due to her role in the breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage as a result of her and Charles’ affair.
Although there is now greater clarity over Camilla’s future title, questions remain about Charles’ coronation ceremony.
Professor Vernon Bogdanor at King’s College London claimed to Express.co.uk that Camilla may face a difficulty at the coronation.
The constitutional expert told the how Camilla would not necessarily be crowned alongside Charles.
He said last year: “One difficulty I think is that, at the coronation, the wife of the King is crowned with the King. That is not statutory.
“There was a case when it wasn’t as long ago as 1821 when George IV, in order to separate from his wife, Queen Caroline, sort of locked the door of Westminster Abbey so she couldn’t get in.
“It is not required, but it has been the custom. If Camilla is not crowned Queen with the King, it may look to some as if she is not quite up to the first class.
“Therefore, I think this is a difficulty. I think the Church’s rules on divorce are much more liberal now and she would be crowned Queen [with Charles].
“My own personal view is she should be, but it depends on public opinion really.”
Public opinion over Camilla’s title when Charles becomes King appears to have shifted since the couple’s wedding.
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When Charles and Camilla got engaged in February 2005, a YouGov poll found that only seven percent of people thought she should eventually become Queen.
The survey, carried out for the Daily Telegraph and ‘Tonight with Trevor McDonald’, also found that 55 percent of people disagreed with the decision to give Camilla the title Her Royal Highness when she married Charles.
A YouGov poll of 667 British adults from 2014 showed that 53 percent thought Camilla should be Queen Consort.
Meanwhile, 32 percent thought she should be given a lesser title “out of sensitivity to Diana, the Princess of Wales”.
More recent polling appears to show that the level of public support for Camilla since the Queen’s announcement has remained.
A poll of more than 1,000 people for the Daily Mail, conducted by JL Partners, found that 55 percent backed the Queen’s wishes for the Duchess, with 28 percent against.
Another poll of Daily Mirror readers however, found that 33 percent backed Camilla as Queen Consort, while 67 percent were against the move.
Clarence House said Camilla and Charles were “touched and honoured” by the Queen’s message.
In a statement, the Prince of Wales said: “We are deeply conscious of the honour represented by my mother’s wish.
“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.
“The year of this unprecedented Platinum Jubilee brings an opportunity for us all to come together in celebrating the service of the Queen, by whose example we will continue to be led in the years to come.”
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