Why Is Camilla Queen Consort To King Charles And Not The Queen

Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022, her eldest son Prince Charles inherits the throne and becomes King Charles III while his wife Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, becomes the Queen Consort. After the Queen’s death, the King and Queen Consort remained at Balmoral on September 8 evening and returned to London on September 9, 2022

But, what does the title Queen Consort mean and how did she get it?

What is Queen Consort?

Marking her 70 years on the throne, earlier in 2022, Queen Elizabeth II had issued a letter that laid out how her daughter-in-law Camilla would become the Queen Consort once Charles ascends the throne. The late Queen had also asked the nation to pass on the good will it had long shown her to the woman who would bear the title of queen.

The title of Queen Consort basically indicates that she is the wife of the reigning monarch. As the title of “Queen” is reserved for female rulers of the Royal Family who become monarch through a line of succession with their rank, role and responsibilities equal to those of a king. Unlike Queen Elizabeth, who inherited the throne from her father, Camellia could never inherit the throne as she joined the Royal Family through marriage.

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However, the Queen Consort will be colloquially referred to as the Queen. But, neither the Queen Consort hold any formal positions in the government nor do they see official papers or hold any official audiences throughout her term. The title’s primary role is to “provide companionship and moral and practical support to the Monarch.”

King Charles & Queen Consort Camillia’s Marriage

Camillia, now Duchess of Cornwall, shared a romantic relationship with the then Prince Charles before, during and after their previous marriages. Throughout Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s marriage, Camellia was blamed by many for destroying their marriage.

Princess Diana, in a famous 1995 interview, had reportedly said that “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”

Years after Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s divorce and the latter’s death in 1997, the former and Camillia got married in 2005. However, it took a long time for the British public to accept the royal couple and since the title of Princess of Wales was considered closely associated with Princess Diana, Camilia adopted her husband’s other title and became Duchess of Cornwall.

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Due to the fear of a probable pushback from the general public, the residence of prince Wales had announced in 2005 that Camilla would use the title of The Princess Consort once Prince Charles inherits the throne. She was the first in the United Kingdom to take such a title. However, earlier this year ahead of the Queen’s platinum jubilee, she announced that she wanted Camilla to take the title of Queen Consort after her demise instead of Princess Consort as originally planned.