Now that King Charles III has formally been declared king, his wife, Camilla, will be known as Queen Consort.
They became king and queen consort following the Queen’s death on September 8.
Queen Elizabeth II’s death brought about a number of title changes – for example, William and Kate are now known as the Prince and Princess of Wales.
But as Camilla, the wife of the monarch, is called Queen Consort, many people are wondering why the late Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was never called King Consort.
Find out everything you need to know about the title below.
Why was Prince Philip not called King Consort?
Prince Philip, who died on April 9, 2021, was known as the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Consort.
The Queen, who was crowned in 1953, made Philip a prince of the United Kingdom in 1957.
Philip was actually born a prince – his official title was Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark – but he relinquished his Greek and Danish titles to marry the Queen.
However, despite being married to the Queen, he was never known as king.
This is down to a longstanding royal rule that states that a man who marries a reigning queen will be known as prince consort.
The title king is reserved for the reigning monarch who inherited the throne, like King Charles III.
So how can Camilla be Queen Consort? Simply put, there are different rules for men and women.
Women who marry into the royal family are allowed to use the title queen consort when their husbands become king.
Camilla is currently known as Queen Consort, and when Prince William becomes king, his wife Catherine will likely be known as Queen Consort as well.
But, despite Camilla now having the title of queen, Charles is the sole monarch and only he has the power to rule.
