Her Majesty after all: Camilla to be called Queen, not Queen Consort after King Charles' coronation
LONDON, ENGLAND: Camilla will officially be addressed as Queen rather than Queen Consort after King Charles' coronation in May, according to well-placed sources. This new prestigious title has been described as a sign of the transformation of the nation's affection towards the former Duchess of Cornwall.
The first sign of the possible new change came to light last week when Camilla launched the "Queen's Reading Room" after revising the name of her charity, the Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room. It is also believed that the Court Circular, the official register of Royal engagements, will soon reflect the modification. "There’s a view in the Palace that Queen Consort is cumbersome and it might be simpler for Camilla to be known just as the Queen when the time is right," a source told DailyMail.
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"The Reading Room was a sign of that. Her Majesty is the Queen after all," the insider added. "Prince Philip was Prince Consort officially, but he wasn’t known as Prince Consort. The Queen would of course still be Queen Consort so the Palace, of course, wouldn’t stop anyone calling Her Majesty that if they so chose," said the insider.
Queen Elizabeth's support
When Camilla married Charles, the then Prince of Wales, in 2005, it was widely believed that she would never be referred to as Queen if he took over the throne, according to DailyMail. This was apparently because of her long-standing romance with the King during the time he was married to his first wife Diana, who once said notoriously said in her Panorama interview that "there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
However, Camilla soon overturned public assumption and garnered immense affection with her dedicated efforts. It is also said that Queen Elizabeth's intervention last year, where she called for her daughter-in-law to be known as "Queen Consort", was a huge sign of support. "It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service," the late monarch said in an official statement released by Buckingham Palace on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.
Why did Camilla refuse to take the title of Princess of Wales?
It has been a long road for Camilla as when she and Charles married in April 2005, she refused to take the title of Princess of Wales because it was so closely associated in the public consciousness with the late Princess Diana. "It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne," said a Palace statement at that time.
But now, almost 20 years on from marrying Charles, Camilla is just a few steps away from being called the "Queen." The former Duchess of Cornwall will receive her royal jubilee at Westminster Abbey alongside the King in a little more than two months. "There’s a feeling that the time will come when it’s simpler all around to refer to Camilla simply as our Queen. Until then she will be referred to as Queen Consort," the royal source added.