Camilla will be crowned on May 6, next to King Charles III, as Queen Consort. In everyday life, she will simply be called the “Queen”: a simplification that reflects the affection of the British people for the second wife of their new sovereign.
With less than two months to go before the big day, we know a little more about the famous coronation of Charles III, which will take place during three days of festivities in the United Kingdom from May 6 to 8. Of course, it is still unknown if Prince Harry will accept the invitation of his family and travel to London to attend the big day of his father. On the other hand, the role that Camilla will play during the ceremony and throughout the reign of her second husband is becoming clearer: the Daily Mail reports in its February 26 edition that Buckingham Palace is preparing to officially describe her as the “Queen” rather than the “Queen Consort”.
The question of the title of the second wife of Charles III has been at the heart of speculation for several months. If the previous wives of the sovereigns had indeed abandoned the predicate “consort” to be called simply “Queen”, the shortcut seemed inapplicable to Camilla when she married in second marriage the Prince of Wales in 2005. The latter had preferred to take the title of Duchess of Cornwall rather than Princess of Wales, still too attached to Lady Di in the collective imagination. Our confrères recall that an official statement of the palace specified that Camilla had to use the title of Her Royal Highness the Princess Consort when her husband would accede to the throne.
A total reversal
As time passed, Camilla managed to seduce the British people as well as her in-laws. So much so that on the occasion of her platinum jubilee, Elizabeth II issued an official statement endorsing her: “It is my sincere wish that, when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort, as she continues her loyal service,” she had made known by official decree, thus cancelling the previous directives.
“There is a feeling that the time will come when it will be easier for everyone to refer to Camilla simply as our Queen. Until then, she will be referred to as ‘Queen Consort’,” said a source close to Buckingham Palace in the columns of the Daily Mail on Sunday, February 26. If this change of name should occur only after the coronation, our British colleagues underline that Camilla’s charity, The Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room has already been renamed to Queen’s Reading Room, without the predicate “consort”.
Photo credits: Agency / Bestimage