Speculation that the Duchess of Cornwall will be known as Queen Consort when her husband the Prince of Wales becomes King has long been a question on royal fan's lips. At the time of their 2005 wedding, Clarence House said Camilla would be styled as Princess Consort when Prince Charles inherits the throne. But in 2018 that statement was removed from the official website, and many royal watchers saw this as confirmation that Camilla would be in fact be Queen Consort.
HELLO!'s royal correspondent Emily Nash said last year that the Duchess will legally be queen consort, even if she doesn't use the title. Emily explained: "According to legal precedent, as wife of the monarch she will be Queen Consort, even if she styles herself as Princess Consort instead - just as she is technically now the Princess of Wales but has never used the title."
"As wife of the monarch she will be Queen Consort," Emily explained
Of Camilla being styled as Princess Consort, Emily said: "At the time of her 2005 wedding to Prince Charles, Clarence House said the Duchess of Cornwall would be known as Princess Consort when her husband became King. Memories of his divorce and the tragic death of Princess Diana meant the public were not receptive to the idea of her becoming Queen at that time. There is nothing to suggest that the plan has changed, although many royal watchers are convinced that the Prince of Wales wants his wife to be Queen alongside him when he is crowned."
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Emily added: "My feeling is that courtiers will be watching the debate over whether she should become Queen Camilla with interest, and may base any decision to change her future title on public feeling. It's fair to say the Duchess has not always had an easy time in the public eye, but she has clearly made Prince Charles very happy and I think people have come to appreciate her warmth and commitment to her charities. She has done a lot to highlight some tough causes and is very well liked by the royal press pack."
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The confusion around Camilla's future title arose in 2018, when several newspapers reported that the mention of Princess Consort had been removed from Clarence House's Frequently Asked Questions section online. A spokesman for the royal household said at the time: "Our frequently asked questions are updated regularly. This is one question that Clarence House has not been asked by the public for some time, which is why it no longer features."
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