While King Charles was only crowned earlier in May, many people appear to be asking the same question: what would happen to Camilla if Charles dies? Google data is full of people asking whether she would remain Queen, or what would happen to her title.
- Despite King Charles’ coronation only just taking place, people are all Googling the same thing – what happens to Queen Camilla if he dies?
- Queen Camilla will simply become a Queen Dowager – a title held by the widow of a king when she isn’t connected to royalty by blood
- In other royal news, William and Kate’s latest move might not have the rest of the Royal Family on board – have you noticed this difference?
After the huge, historic celebrations for the coronation of King Charles earlier in May, people are all asking the same question.
What happens if he dies? Talk about a downer.
While the King is in good health to the best of everyone’s knowledge, the question is one more of curiosity. Especially when it pertains to Queen Camilla and what would happen to her.
As a reminder, despite the fact that she’s been going by the title of Queen Camilla, she is technically or officially the Queen Consort Camilla.
The label of Consort is used to denote that, despite being married to the King, she does not share the same sovereignty or hold the same political and military powers.
It’s essentially a reminder that one is royal by marriage, and not by blood or birthright.
Comparatively, a Queen by blood – like the late Queen Elizabeth II – is officially known as a Queen Regnant.
And this idea helps us to understand what would happen to the current Queen if King Charles was to pass away before her.
As she is not a royal by blood, her title would indeed change. Queen Camilla would go from being the Queen Consort to the Queen Dowager.
A queen dowager or dowager queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king.
They continue to enjoy the status and precedence of being a royal, but they are no longer referred to as the queen.
In Camilla’s case, she will become the dowager queen as Catherine, Princess of Wales becomes the Queen Consort alongside King William.
Previous Queen Dowagers in British history have included Henry VIII’s last surviving wife, Catherine Parr, and the grandmother of the late Queen, Mary of Teck.
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was technically a Queen Dowager, too, but she went by the more well-known title of The Queen Mother.
What’s the difference between a Queen Dowager and a Queen Mother?
Camilla wouldn’t be known as the Queen Mother because she isn’t the mother of Prince William.
A dowager queen can be known as the Queen Mother when they are the biological parent of the reigning monarch.
As William would become King after Charles’ death, there wouldn’t be a Queen Mother.
