Prince Charles became King Charles III on Thursday following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will now be known as queen consort.
The Queen announced in February that she wanted Camilla to be named “Queen Consort” when Prince Charles ascended to the throne, ending many years of confusion over what her title would be.
After hosting a reception at Sandringham Estate on the eve of Accession Day, the Queen, 95, released a statement reflecting on her 70-year reign.
“When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” she wrote.
Following the Queen’s announcement, Charles, 73 praised Camilla, 75, in his own 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,” he wrote.
Richard Palmer, a royal correspondent at the Daily Express, reported on Twitter at the time that “Charles and Camilla have indicated they will follow her wishes.”
Confusion surrounding Camilla’s future title began in 2005 when she and Prince Charles announced their engagement. Several outlets reported that her title would be “Princess Consort” when Charles ascended to the throne. According to People, a press release from the day of the engagement addressed the issue, saying: “It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne.”
Camilla’s son, Tom Parker-Bowles, told The Sunday Times in May 2021 that he “honestly didn’t know” whether his mother would take the title of queen consort.
In the first poll taken after the Queen’s announcement, The Daily Mail asked more than 1,000 UK adults if they thought Camilla should be named queen. Fifty-five percent said that Camilla should be named queen consort, compared to 28% of people who disagreed, while 17% said they didn’t know.
Insider’s Mikhaila Friel reported that even though public support for Camilla had increased, the Queen made her endorsement to encourage, support, and reduce backlash from Princess Diana supporters.
Prior to the Queen’s death, the official website of the royal family said when Camilla officially receives the title of Queen Consort, she will be “crowned with the King, in a similar but simpler ceremony.”
This will be a change from what happened to Queen Elizabeth II’s late husband, Prince Philip. The most likely reason Prince Philip was never crowned king was because that title may have outranked the Queen, according to a report by Insider’s Samantha Grindell and Mikhaila Friel.
Prince Philip was only the fifth consort to a reigning Queen in British royal history, according to the royal website. The last instance was in 1857 when Prince Albert was named prince consort by Queen Victoria 17 years after they wed in 1840.
Insider’s Annie Stallings previously reported that Prince Philip’s death didn’t affect the line of succession for the throne “because marriage to a queen does not determine a ranking in the line of succession.”
“If the new Sovereign is a Queen, her consort is not crowned or anointed at the coronation ceremony,” the royal website says.
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