Queen Elizabeth recently issued a formal request for the Commonwealth Heads of Government to appoint her son, Prince Charles, as her successor, but one question still remains: What on earth will Camilla Parker Bowles’s title be?
Here’s what you need to know: When the couple tied the knot in 2005, Camilla earned three royal titles: Her Royal Highness, Duchess of Cornwall and Princess of Wales. The latter may come as a surprise, considering she’s never formally used the princess distinction out of respect for its previous holder, Princess Diana.
Although many royal aficionados believe Charles will go by King George VII when he takes over the throne (a new monarch can decide whether to keep their given name or choose a traditional name instead), that doesn’t mean Camilla will automatically earn the title of queen. In fact, she will technically become a princess consort, similar to how Prince Philip was a consort to the queen and not the king of England prior to his retirement.
Nevertheless, Prince Charles will have the power to upgrade his wife’s title to queen consort once he is king, so Camilla could receive a promotion somewhere down the line.
