After months of speculation, it's been confirmed that Camilla Parker Bowles will go by the title of 'Queen Camilla' rather than 'Camilla the Queen Consort'. The first use of the royal's title in this way was pretty subtle – with it officially being used for the first time on the invitations for King Charles III's coronation – and now, Camilla's title on the Royal Family website has been updated to 'Queen Camilla' too (6 May 2023):
Explaining the change from Queen Consort to Queen, a palace source told The Times: "It made sense to refer to Her Majesty as the Queen Consort in the early months of His Majesty’s reign, to distinguish from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
But, the source went on, "The coronation is an appropriate time to start using 'Queen Camilla' in an official capacity. All former Queen Consorts have been known as 'Queen' plus their first name."
Despite being married to the former Prince of Wales for 17 years, Camilla never assumed the title of Princess of Wales, a move believed to be out of respect for King Charles' first wife, Princess Diana, who was immensely popular with the public. However, prior to Queen Elizabeth II's death in September, Her Majesty shared a heartfelt statement making it known that following her passing, her "sincere wish" was for Camilla to be known and accepted as Queen Consort.
Previously speaking about Camilla's title, The Times' history correspondent and deputy diary Editor, Jack Blackburn, tweeted: "It is interesting as to why Queen Consort stuck. I suppose the chief reason was unfamiliarity with having one. It was on the statement announcing the late Queen's death and so perhaps people thought it was proper. However, no Queen has ever had that title in their style."
Blackburn went on: "Queen Mary was Queen Empress while her husband lived, before reverting to Queen Mary. The other probable reason why it took hold was Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. This was a one-off, in order to differentiate between the two Queen Elizabeths."
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He also explained that despite Queen Elizabeth II's statement requesting for Camilla to be known as 'Queen Consort', it wasn't entirely clear as to what she meant on that front. "Did it indicate a wish that Camilla be a Queen? Or was it a statement of a preferred title which has never been used before?" Blackburn questioned, adding that a "monarch cannot bind the hands of their successor".
Head here for everything you need to know about King Charles III's coronation.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
