Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, her eldest child Prince Charles has ascended the throne to become the King of the United Kingdom.
So, with Charles as King, what does this mean for the Duchess of Cornwall’s title? Here’s how Parker Bowles’ title will change.
Will Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall become Queen?
The Duchess of Cornwall, who has been married to Prince Charles since 2005, will not become Queen because the throne can only be inherited and cannot be taken by members who married into the royal family.
However, earlier this year Queen Elizabeth II announced that it was her “sincere wish” that the Duchess of Cornwall will be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles becomes king.
It marks a significant U-turn after Camilla took the lesser title Princess Consort when she married the Prince of Wales in 2005. At the time, it was perceived that the public was too hostile towards Camilla following the death of Charles’ first wife, Princess Diana, in 1997.
Clarence House said that Charles and Camilla were “touched and honoured” by the Queen’s gesture.
In 2005, a statement posted to the Prince of Wales’ official website announced that he would marry Camilla in April that year.
It also detailed changes to Camilla’s name once the pair were wed, including the title she will take when Charles becomes King: the Princess consort.
“Mrs Parker Bowles will use the title HRH The Duchess of Cornwall after marriage. It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne,” the statement said.
What title does the wife or husband of the King or Queen take?
Traditionally, the wife of a reigning king is given the title of the Queen consort. She is crowned and anointed at the coronation ceremony.
“Unless decided otherwise, a Queen consort is crowned with the King, in a similar but simpler ceremony. If the new Sovereign is a Queen, her consort is not crowned or anointed at the coronation ceremony,” the royal website reads.
The Queen consort’s primary role is to “provide companionship and moral and practical support” to the reigning monarch, Buckingham Palace said.
While the monarch plays a constitutional role in approving bills before they become law, the Queen consort does not hold a formal position in the structure of the government. She also does not see official state papers or hold official audiences.
The most recent consort to a reigning monarch was Prince Philip, who held the position for 60 years from Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne in 1952 until his death in 2021.
Unlike a Queen consort, the husband of a reigning Queen is not crowned at the coronation ceremony.
However, the Duke of Edinburgh was the first consort to take part in the “act of homage” to the Queen after the Archbishops and Bishops during the ceremony. The Queen also granted him “place, pre-eminence and precedence” next to herself shortly after her accession to the throne.
