Camilla Parker Bowles Is 8th in Line of an Elite Group of Queen Consorts
Camilla Parker Bowles will be crowned queen consort alongside King Charles III. The title of queen consort is different than other royal family titles and is symbolic rather than powerful. Historically, the number of women who have held this title are very few. Why is the significance of a queen consort, and who has held the title before Camilla? Here are the details.
Camilla’s status will not change within the royal family when she is crowned queen consort
According to Express, Camilla’s title, queen consort, will not change her status within the royal family. It is a role that rests entirely on her marriage to the king. This means she will not ascend to the throne if Charles dies before her.
A consort does not share the monarch’s political or military powers unless required to act as regents. In any event, Camilla’s change of control could only happen if King Charles III were incapacitated for an extended period. Nor will her new title allow her to rank higher or on par with her husband.
If King Charles III were to die ahead of his wife, Camilla’s title would change again. Effectively, she becomes Queen Dowager. A Queen Dowager is a woman whose husband, the king, has died. However, Camilla would still have the title and importance of her former queen consort position, reported Cosmopolitan.
She is the 8th queen consort in the royal family
Happy #WorldPoetryDay!
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) March 21, 2023
To celebrate, The Queen Consort and Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho came together to discuss the joys of learning poetry.@Booktrust
Historically, Camilla Parker Bowles is only the 8th queen consort in the history of the British royal family. The regal role dates back to 1727.
The first queen consort was Caroline of Ansbach (Queen Caroline). Her husband was King George II and her coronation was held on Oct. 11, 1727 (per Town & Country).
Following was Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Queen Charlotte). She was corononated alongside her husband, King George III, on Sept. 22, 1761, and holds the title of the longest-serving consort, at 57 years.
Caroline of Brunswick became queen consort on Jan. 29, 1820, but was never crowned alongside King George IV. At the time, she was estranged from the her husband and died three weeks after her ascension.
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (Queen Adelaide) was married to King William IV and coronated on Sept. 8, 1831. She died during the reign of her niece, Queen Victoria.
Princess Alexandra of Denmark (Queen Alexandra) became queen consort alongside King Edward VII on August 9, 1902. Following, Princess Mary of Teck (Queen Mary), married King George V and reigned as queen consort beginning on June 22, 1911.
Finally, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Queen Elizabeth ), married to King George VI, ascended on May 12, 1937. She was the mother of Queen Elizabeth II, who took the throne in 1952. From that point, Queen Elizabeth was known as the Queen Mother, a title she held until her 2002 death at 101.
Camilla Parker Bowles’ crowning is a first for the royal family
Camilla Parker Bowles’ crowning places her in a different position than the queen consorts of the past. She will be the first divorcee to be crowned.
When she married Charles in 2005, the palace announced she would be known as “princess consort.” However, in February 2022, Queen Elizabeth released a statement ahead of her Platinum Jubilee, expressing the monarch’s “sincere wish” for Camilla to be known as queen consort.
Camilla Parker Bowles and King Charles III will be coronated on May 6, 2023 at Westminster Abbey. Their coronation begins a weekend of activities styled around the event through Monday, May 8.
