Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 70th reign on Sunday, and for this historic course has reserved a surprise for her subjects, expressing the wish that Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla, become queen consort when he becomes king.
In a message to the nation on Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II said, on the eve of her Platinum Jubilee, that Camilla, wife of her son Charles, should be queen consort when the prince succeeds her to the throne.Â
The 95-year-old sovereign expressed her “sincere wish” that “Camilla be appointed as queen consort” when Charles becomes king, in a message on the eve of the 70th.e anniversary of his accession to the throne.
Until now, it was accepted that Camilla, 74, the second wife of Prince Charles, aged 73, would only be princess consort.
The statement says the Queen is preparing for the future after her death and holds Camilla, who married Prince Charles in a civil ceremony, in high regard.
In December, the Queen had promoted Camilla to the Order of the Garter, the highest of Britain’s orders of chivalry, an honor to which no other spouse of her children has been entitled.
The term “consort” applies to the husband or wife of a reigning monarch. Theoretically, therefore, Camilla was to become queen, but her title had been the subject of endless controversy after her marriage in 2005 to Prince Charles, with some arguing that she should instead be known as a “princess” consort, due to the sensitivity of the subject after the death of Princess Diana.
Camilla, divorced, has long been seen as the one who broke the fairytale marriage of Prince Charles, of whom she was the mistress, with Diana.
Just last year, less than half of Britons wanted her to be crowned queen.
The Queen closed the debate on Saturday.
Elizabeth II has largely retired from public life since health problems in October. Two appearances before her Platinum Jubilee on Sunday showed her frail and walking slowly.
