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Camilla Parker-Bowles is married to a man that is expected to become the king of the United Kingdom, perhaps some time in 2018. If her husband, Prince Charles, does indeed become king, many are wondering if she will become queen. The answer to that question isn’t as simple as you might think.
Since Queen Elizabeth II is married to Prince Philip, who is not the king of the UK, it may seem fairly obvious that the same would go for Parker-Bowles; that she would become a princess, not a queen, when her husband takes the throne.
“The most likely scenario will be that Camilla takes the title of ‘Princess consort’ rather than ‘Queen,'” reports Yahoo Be. “The matter is raised in the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section of the Prince’s official website where the answer is crystal clear. ‘As was explained at the time of their wedding in April 2005, it is intended that The Duchess will be known as HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne.'”
Interestingly, someone with ties to the palace claims that Parker-Bowles will inherit the title of “Queen” once Prince Charles takes the throne. The way that the law is explained, Parker-Bowles would become queen if her husband is king — when a woman becomes queen and is the rightful heir to the throne, however, her husband does not become a king.
“Royal correspondent Andrew Robert disagrees, telling Sunrise this morning that, ‘technically, unless there’s a change of law or an act of parliament [Camilla] will become ‘Queen consort,’ they’d have to change the law to stop her being ‘Queen consort.’ British royal protocol dictates that when a woman marries a king, she becomes a royal and adopts the corresponding title of ‘Queen,’ but that isn’t the same for men.”
Additionally, it may come down to preference. While Parker-Bowles may be able to lay claim to the title, it’s possible that she will choose not to take it. After all, she did choose to forgo the title of “princess” after marrying Prince Charles. She is currently known as the Duchess of Cornwall.
There is also some chatter about how Parker-Bowles has been received by the public and whether or not that will play a role in what her title will be when Charles becomes king.
According to the Express UK, Parker-Bowles’ title “will not be officially confirmed until [Prince Charles’] ascension.”
