Queen’s death: Why Camilla is now Queen Consort to King Charles

As the Queen's eldest child and heir to the throne, Prince Charles has now become King.

Plans for Charles to take the role of monarch and head of state have been in place since the moment his mother became Queen in 1952.

But the question of his wife Camilla's title has been far less straight-forward - and was only put to rest when Her Majesty herself said during her Platinum Jubilee that she wanted Camilla to be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes King.

Charles and Camilla marry

When Charles and Camilla got married in 2005 - eight years after the death of Lady Diana - Camilla let it be known that she intended to use the title "princess consort". It would be a first in the history of the British monarchy.

The decision was seen as an acknowledgment the public was finding it difficult to accept her new role, after years of speculation in the media over their affair, the bitter divorce of Charles and Diana, and Diana's death in 1997.

For the same reason, upon marrying Charles, who was Prince of Wales at the time, she decided not to use the Princess of Wales title, which had been used by Diana.

Instead, she chose the Duchess of Cornwall, styling herself on Charles's other title the Duke of Cornwall, which is always given to the heir presumptive.

Reflecting on the negative press she received during that period, in an interview with British Vogue, Camilla admitted it "wasn't easy".

"I was scrutinised for such a long time that you just have to find a way to live with it," she said.

"Nobody likes to be looked at all the time and, you know, criticised... but I think in the end, I sort of rise above it and get on with it."

Civil wedding ceremony caused problems

At the time, there were also legal questions surrounding the validity of the couple's civil wedding - which might have added to the decision to opt for princess consort.

Charles and Camilla married in a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall. But under the Marriage Acts 1753 the only type of marriage valid for a member of the Royal Family is a religious one.

In 2005, the Lord Chancellor sought to defend the validity of their marriage, but Palace aides feared that breaking precedent could have meant more unwanted legal challenges over other titles in the future.

Princess Consort or Queen Consort?

According to common law, wives of kings are known as queen consorts, but the husbands of queens only prince consorts.

As a result, the Duke of Edinburgh was known as Prince Philip - and not given the title of king when he married the Queen.

The last queen consort in Britain was Queen Elizabeth, who was given the title upon her marriage to King George VI and kept it until his death in 1952 - when she became known as Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

Camilla becomes more popular

After the wedding, Camilla's popularity started to grow - and so did calls by her supporters to make her queen consort.

A YouGov poll carried out in late 2021 ranked her as the 10th most popular royal, beating Prince Andrew, whose popularity plummeted due to his association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.

Royal author Penny Junor said: "The problem with Camilla was that she was involved with the Prince of Wales and was what Diana famously called the third person in the marriage."

But she added: "When she then married him, she was out and about and people met her. They realised that actually, she wasn't this ghastly woman, a rottweiler, she was actually very nice.

"She's funny, she's warm, she's friendly, she's self-deprecating, she's interested in other people."

Royal observers also noted she took on more responsibilities after Andrew, Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties.

Charles is long thought to have favoured the title of queen consort. According to Sky News royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills, while the issue hadn't occupied Charles's mind "on a weekly basis", it was nonetheless "something he wanted addressed".

The debate over Camilla's title could have also acted as an unwelcome distraction at the start of his reign, she adds.

Queen's Jubilee statement ended years of uncertainty

In February 2022, as her Platinum Jubilee celebrations got under way, the Queen surprised the nation by announcing that Camilla would be known as queen consort when Charles took the throne.

She said in a statement: "When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that 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."

This effectively put an end to nearly two decades of uncertainty over Camilla's position within the Royal Family.

It also served as a way to thank Camilla for years of royal duties - and as recognition the public had warmed to her in that time.

Rhiannon Mills commented: "The Queen clearly wanted to use this opportunity to thank Camilla who over the past 17 years has rolled her sleeves up, embraced the sometimes less glamorous royal engagements and in Her Majesty's eyes shown herself to be a worthy future consort, in the mould of Prince Philip and the Queen Mother."

What will her role be?

Camilla has taken on a number of causes in recent years, such as raising awareness of domestic violence, sexual abuse or illiteracy.

But royal observers said her main role would be to support the new King.

"She is to Charles what Prince Philip was to Elizabeth. She is not in competition with him. She is there purely to support him," said Ms Junor, the royal author.

In her 2022 British Vogue interview Camilla said that balancing her marriage to Charles with their royal work "is not easy sometimes", but the couple always make sure to "sit down together and have a cup of tea and discuss the day".

Constitutional expert Craig Prescott described her as Charles' "secret weapon, or not so secret weapon".

He said: "She has become sort of one of the more interesting members of the royal family, taking up interest in causes, domestic violence, the importance of childhood reading, the importance of live theatre during the pandemic, and sort of the need to speak up for the creative industries. "

"Despite the difficulty she had in the 90s with the media, she seems very open, very relaxed - and that might be sort of actually the model that the monarchy will take in the future."

Sir Peter Westmacott, former deputy private secretary of Prince Charles, also noted the strong bond in the royal couple.
"She has made such a difference to his life all this time. He adores her and vice versa," he said.

"It is an invaluable partnership."