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In a message to mark her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen expressed her “honest want” that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will likely be queen consort when her husband Prince Charles ascends the throne. That is as an alternative of the title “princess consort”, as introduced when Camilla married Charles in 2005. Technically, the brand new king would resolve issues reminiscent of this, performing on the recommendation of the prime minister, however in observe, the matter is now closed.
That is the conclusion of a gradual course of to carry Camilla nearer to the centre of the monarchy and switch round her public fame. It began in 1999 when Charles and Camilla had been seen leaving a celebration on the Ritz Resort in London. Photographers camped for days exterior the resort to seize the 20 seconds it took for Charles and Camilla to enter a ready automotive. The digital camera flashes had been so intense, there have been fears that tv footage of the occasion may trigger epileptic seizures. Simply 5 years earlier than, such was the general public anger over the breakdown in Charles and Diana’s marriage, Camilla was pelted with bread rolls in a grocery store automotive park.
Now, she will likely be Queen Camilla, topped alongside King Charles III (or no matter regnal title he chooses) on the coronation. The choice is in line of precedent. Merely put, the spouse of a king has the title queen consort. For proof, you have to look no additional than the earlier three kings. It was George VI and Queen Elizabeth, George V and Queen Mary and Edward VII and Queen Alexandra (we’ll ignore the Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson for these functions).
There was no precedent for the preliminary proposal of princess consort. Nevertheless, had Camilla turn out to be princess consort, this might have been a brand new growth that future generations adopted. However Queen Camilla additionally removes any doubt that when Prince William turns into king, the Duchess of Cambridge will turn out to be Queen Catherine.
Royal double commonplace?
One principled argument for the princess consort title is that it might have furthered equality between kings and queens. As we’ve seen with Prince Philip, the spouse of a king turns into queen consort, however the husband of a queen doesn’t turn out to be “king consort”. There is no such thing as a particular title for the husband of a Queen. Certainly, Philip was solely made a prince in 1957, 5 years after his spouse grew to become queen. Seemingly, Philip was bored with following the precedent of Prince Albert, who grew to become prince consort, however in any occasion, Albert was solely granted that title in 1857, 17 years after his marriage to Queen Victoria.
There’s one query that’s maybe finest left unresolved for now. As soon as Camilla turns into queen, she is going to preserve the model “her majesty” for the remainder of her life. When earlier queen consorts outlived their husbands, they grew to become generally known as the Queen Mom – the mom of the monarch. Queen Elizabeth, consort to George VI, the Queen’s father, grew to become synonymous with the title Queen Mom through the 50 years she held the title earlier than her dying in 2002. Clearly, this feature will not be open to Queen Camilla, as she will not be William’s mom, however it’s a query that may be answered if and when it arises.
Constitutionally, little hinges on the title of queen consort as an alternative of princess consort. Constitutional energy is vested within the monarch, not their partner. The one exception, as enshrined in Regency Acts 1937-1953, permits for counsellors of state to train powers on behalf of the monarch, ought to they be unavailable as a consequence of sickness or are abroad. However even when Charles turns into king, the regency acts will make Camilla a counsellor of state as a result of she is the partner of the sovereign, not as a result of she is queen consort.
At present, the 4 counsellors of state are Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew. Two are wanted to behave collectively. The issue is that, for very totally different causes, Prince Harry and Prince Andrew, not undertake royal duties. So ought to the necessity come up, the one possibility is for Prince Charles and Prince William to behave collectively, probably requiring them to return from an abroad tour.
Provided that Camilla will finally be queen, maybe there may be an argument to make her a counsellor of state now. If required over the following few years, this might permit the long run king and queen to deputise collectively. Certainly, the regency acts could possibly be revisited, with Charles and Camilla maybe enterprise a few of the formal roles and releasing up the Queen to undertake extra public-facing duties.
The reign of Charles and Camilla
The timing of the Queen’s announcement is a part of a course of to clean the transition to the following reign. This raises the query, what kind of Queen will Camilla be? In recent times, she has been one of the vital outspoken members of the royal household.
Throughout the pandemic, Camilla has turn out to be an more and more assured media performer, visitor enhancing radio programmes, utilizing her platform to talk movingly concerning the horrors of home violence, and talking concerning the significance of reside theatre on the Olivier Awards in 2020. Final 12 months, she appeared on the One Present to debate her Instagram based mostly guide membership, The Studying Room.
Whereas respecting the necessity for the monarchy to stay separate from social gathering politics, this exhibits that we’re more likely to have a queen consort who will do greater than lower the odd ribbon or two. By expressing her “honest want” for Queen Camilla, and praising her “loyal service”, the Queen is giving her seal of approval to the extra accessible, trendy, post-Elizabethan monarchy that’s now rising.
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Craig Prescott doesn’t work for, seek the advice of, personal shares in or obtain funding from any firm or group that will profit from this text, and has disclosed no related affiliations past their tutorial appointment.
