Camilla to be Queen when Prince Charles becomes King: How Duchess of Cornwall will be Queen Consort

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II waves to the crowds with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at right, as they arrive by carriage on the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race meeting in Ascot, England. AP File

Queen Elizabeth II said that the Duchess of Cornwall will be Queen when Prince Charles becomes the King.

As she reached her 70th year on the throne, Elizabeth II, set out her hopes for her daughter-in-law, once a royal mistress and now certain to be called Queen and crowned at Charles’s side.

The Queen, 95, said in the written message: “I would like to express my thanks to you all for your support. I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me.”

“And when, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service,” she said.

What is a monarchy and how does it work?

According to BBC, Queen Elizabeth II has been the UK’s head of state since 1952 when her father King George VI died. She is also the head of state for 15 other Commonwealth countries.

In a monarchy, a king or queen (the monarch) is the head of state. UK has something called a constitutional monarchy – the Queen is head of state, but does not get involved in politics, and laws are made by the Houses of Parliament.

The order of succession is the line in which members of the royal family stand to take over as the monarch when the existing one dies or abdicates (steps down from the throne).

First in the line – the heir to the throne – is the monarch’s first-born child.

Prince Charles is first in line to the throne. His eldest son, Prince William, is second in line, and William’s eldest child, Prince George, is third.

What happens at a coronation?

If a monarch dies, the heir to the throne becomes king or queen immediately.

The coronation, a glittering ceremony at which the monarch is formally crowned, takes place later, following careful planning and after a period of mourning for the previous king or queen.

The main elements of the occasion have remained largely unchanged for a millennium.

The coronation is performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The monarch is anointed with holy oil, receives the orb and sceptre – which are symbols of royalty – and is crowned with the St Edward’s Crown, the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels.

How do you become a royal?

Someone who marries a royal becomes a member of the Royal Family, and they are given a title when they marry.

For example, Lady Diana Spencer became Princess of Wales when she married Prince Charles in 1981.

However, to become the monarch, you must have been born into the Royal Family.

The future King and Queen

Charles and Camilla, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall, had a highly publicised relationship that ended their previous marriages and there had been doubts over whether the public would accept her.

They married in 2005, with a royal announcement that Camilla would become known as Princess Consort due to the sensitivity of the issue, but she gradually won plaudits as the future king’s loyal wife.

Charles has always been adamant his “darling wife” should receive the title, The Times reported citing a source, with a spokesperson for the couple saying Saturday they were “touched and honoured” by the news.

At the time of their marriage, royal aides had suggested that Camilla did not want to be called queen and “intended” to be known instead as Princess Consort — a first in British history. But the careful use of the word “intend” led to the possibility of change later on.

The 95-year-old said she hoped her daughter-in-law will be known as Queen Consort when Charles accedes to the throne, in a remarkable journey to public acceptance for Camilla after being vilified for her role in the break-up of Charles’ marriage to Princess Diana.

The move is seen as an effort to safeguard a smooth transition to the future as the queen navigates the twilight of her reign.

“This is the most extraordinary message. The queen is ensuring the transition, when it comes, to her son as king is as seamless and trouble-free as possible,’’ former BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt told the Press Association. “She’s future-proofing an institution she’s served for 70 years. And for Camilla, the journey from being the third person in a marriage to queen-in-waiting is complete.”

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