For people who follow the royal family and are fans of Princess Diana, few ideas are met with as much fury as the suggestion that Camilla might one day become queen.
But even if Prince Charles did become king, that wouldn’t automatically make Camilla queen. That would seem to be a safe assumption to make, but as with all things royal, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
The question of what future title she’d be eligible for has been a popular topic of debate since her engagement to Charles in 2005.
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According to an official statement released on Feb. 10, 2005, the day their engagement was announced, she would not be named queen if Charles took the throne, but The Princess Consort.
“Mrs Parker Bowles will use the title HRH The Duchess of Cornwall after marriage,” the announcement read. “It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne.”
But that hardly settled it for the public, and according to Newsweek, that statement was removed sometime before March 2018. People also added that at some point, Charles’ official website took down the question of whether or not she would be queen from the FAQ page.
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Even people closest to the family haven’t seemed to have a good read on the situation, and earlier this year Duchess Camilla’s own son, Tom Parker-Bowles, expressed uncertainty surrounding future titles.
“I honestly don’t know if Mum will be called queen,” he told The Times, according to People. “That hasn’t been decided. There are a lot of interesting Sky documentaries about that I’m sure, but I honestly don’t know if that’s true.”
As references to “Princess Consort” were quietly removed from the official websites, Charles’ feelings on the matter became more and more apparent.
“He will 100 percent insist on her being queen,” a former courtier said of Prince Charles, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. “The references to Princess Consort infuriated the Prince.”
While Charles might hope that one day his wife will be named queen, it’s a thought that — according to one expert — Prince William and Harry find repulsive.
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“Privately I discovered both brothers are absolutely sick to the back teeth of Charles trying to negotiate full Queen status for Camilla,” Historian Robert Lacey told Newsweek.
Her Majesty reportedly even once referred to Camilla as “that wicked woman,” didn’t want anything to do with her in the beginning, and did not attend her and Charles’ wedding but did go to the reception, according to Express. But it also appears that she has softened her position over time.
Camilla does have her whole-hearted supporters, including the author of her authorized biography, Penny Juror.
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“I think she should be Queen,” Juror said. “There’s no reason on earth why she shouldn’t be. They were both divorcees and the past was unfortunate. It happened. All over the world people divorce, they make mistakes and they divorce.
“She’s been married to him 16 years. She has been a superb duchess. She has slowly, slowly worked her way into the role. There’s no sense that she’s in competition with him. She’s put her name to some very brave causes.”
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British citizens do not seem to be so torn on the issue if recent poll results are to be believed. According to Newsweek, YouGov polling revealed that 41 percent think she should still be called “Princess Consort” if Charles becomes king, 28 percent think she should have no title at all and a mere 13 percent think she should take the coveted title of queen.
What do you think?
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.