Camilla will officially be known as the Queen rather than ‘Queen Consort’ after King’s coronation

Buckingham Palace is officially set to describe Camilla as ‘Queen’, rather than ‘Queen consort’.

The change is likely to come after King Charles’ coronation in May, according to informed sources.

It will set the hallmark of a remarkable transformation for Camilla in the nation’s affections.

When she married the then Prince of Wales in 2005, it was assumed that she would never be called Queen when he acceded to the throne.

That was due to her longstanding relationship with Charles while he was married to Diana, who famously said in her Panorama interview: “There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded.”

But Camilla won over the public, and the late Queen’s intervention in February last year when she called for her daughter-in-law to be known as ‘Queen Consort’ is seen as a crucial show of support.

Now Buckingham Palace is ready to go further, according to experts.

The first sign of the new approach came last week when Camilla launched the ‘Queen’s Reading Room’, without the ‘Consort’, when she updated the name of her charity, the Duchess of Cornwall’s Reading Room.

It is believed that the Court Circular, the official record of royal commitments, may soon reflect the change as well.

A well-placed source said: “There is a view in the Palace that the Queen Consort is cumbersome and it might be simpler for Camilla to be known as the Queen when the time is right.”

The Reading Room was a sign of that. Her Majesty is the Queen after all.

Prince Philip was officially Prince Consort, but was not known as Prince Consort. The Queen, of course, would still be the Queen Consort, so the Palace, of course, would not prevent anyone from calling her Majesty that if she so wishes.

Some media outlets including The Times and The Telegraph have already removed ‘Consort’ when writing about Camilla.

Buckingham Palace officials have been searching for precedents, including the titles used for King George VI’s wife, Charles’s grandfather.

As a non-reigning queen, George VI’s wife was technically queen consort, but in public she was known simply as Queen Elizabeth.

After her death in 1952, she was known as the Queen Mother when her daughter Elizabeth II ascended the throne.

Similarly, when Queen Victoria died and was succeeded by her son Edward VII, his wife passed from being known as Princess of Wales to Queen Alexandra, without the use of ‘Consort’.

It’s been a long road for Camilla, and it seemed unthinkable in February 2005 when the engagement of Charles, then Prince of Wales, to Camilla Parker Bowles was announced.

A Palace statement then said: “It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles will use the title HRH The Princess Consort when the Prince of Wales accedes to the Throne.”

When Charles and Camilla married in April 2005, she did not assume the title of Princess of Wales, as it was closely associated in the public consciousness with the late Princess Diana.

After years of speculation, it was the Queen’s strong show of support last year that meant Camilla’s title when Charles was King became clearer.

In an official statement issued by Buckingham Palace on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, Her late Majesty said: “It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her loyalty.” service.’

The official decree established by Queen Elizabeth II ended years of speculation about whether Camilla would ever be known as queen.

It also overturned the previous guidance issued by the Palace that Camilla would only be known as ‘Princess Consort’.

And now, almost 20 years after marrying Charles, Camilla is one step closer to being known simply as ‘The Queen’.

She will be crowned in Westminster Abbey alongside the King in just over two months.

A royal source said: “There is a feeling that the time will come when it will be simpler to refer to Camilla simply as our Queen.” Until then, she will be called the Queen Consort.

Explaining The Times’ decision to call Camilla Queen instead of Queen Consort, the paper’s archivist Rose Wild said: “For most of us ‘the Queen’ has meant just one person for as long as we can remember.” While we were still getting used to the idea of ​​singing “God save the King”, there was some potential for confusion as to who “the Queen” was referring to in our coverage of her death.

‘This was largely resolved by the use of “Queen consort” to refer to the former Duchess of Cornwall. This wordy solution no longer seems necessary. “Consort” is a description, not a title.

“While all previous wives of kings have been queen consorts, none have been mentioned as such.”