Queen Camilla dropped the Consort part of her title today as she was crowned alongside her husband King Charles at Westminster Abbey.
There’s no doubting the coronation was beautiful, and I loved watching and writing about it (mostly for the Waleses to be honest). But something about calling the sovereign’s wife Queen Camilla just sticks in my throat. Yes she looked lovely, and yes they looked like they are deeply in love. But she’ll never be my Queen.
Today’s events (May 6) made me feel a deep sense of loss, for both Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and a Queen I could look up to. While the crowds on The Mall will doubtless disagree with me, I didn’t enjoy the Buckingham Palace balcony appearance as much as I usually do.
I’m not sure if it was nerves or if she actually felt smug, but something about Camilla’s expression hinted to me that it felt like, finally, she’d arrived. And there’s nothing we can do about it.
Camilla will never be my Queen
Just eight months after her passing, King Charles appears to have disregarded the wishes of his darling mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who said it was her sincere wish for Camilla to be titled Queen Consort. He’s now decided she’ll be called Queen Camilla instead.
I feel it’s wrong on a number of levels. His sons, Princes William and Harry, are both said to have objected to their dad marrying Camilla. She was the third person in his marriage to Princess Diana. So since when have we honoured adulterers – because, let’s not forget, she was married at the time too – with the highest title in all of the land?
She’ll never be my Queen – Queen Consort was bad enough!
I know there will now be calls for me to be sent to the Tower. I can almost hear the cries of “off with her head” from Charles and Camilla’s supporters. Let me point out, I am a royalist, but does that mean I have to agree with every decision they make? She’ll never be my Queen – Queen Consort was bad enough!
Of course I am happy that King Charles has a strong and steady support in Camilla. Don’t get me wrong, she seems like a nice woman, she does a lot for charity, William and Kate appear to like her and she seems like she has a lovely relationship with her step-grandchildren.
Wiping out all trace of Princess Diana
But in calling her Queen Camilla it just feels to me like we are wiping out the memories of Princess Diana. How must William and Harry feel when it was a title that was destined for their late mother?
Let me state that I haven’t sat down and asked them how they’re feeling. But I have had friends whose parents have divorced and another woman has come in and taken that place. They felt entirely rubbish about the whole situation and struggled with it. Now imagine that magnified onto a worldwide stage…
I’m not alone in my thinking that Camilla should remain Queen Consort. One look on Twitter, especially on coronation day, and there are hundreds of people in agreement with me. Some of the things are, quite frankly, unprintable. It’s clearly an emotional subject that needed to be handled with more care.
Yes he is the King and he can do what he likes – who does he have to answer to? God, I guess, if you believe there is one. It’s not like we can vote him out like a politician – not that I’m suggesting I want to. And yes, I know the haters will say that the monarch doesn’t have to explain himself to me. But didn’t he owe us all a little more than just dropping the bombshell that his one-time mistress will be known as our Queen on an invite shared on social media?
The official invitation for the Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort has been revealed.
Designed by Andrew Jamieson, the invitation features the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign.
1/7 pic.twitter.com/MpajIk0SQw
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 5, 2023
If you haven’t already guessed, I loved Diana. But my feeling around this whole Queen Camilla thing goes deeper than that. He’s gone against his mother’s wishes – and yes I know that’s something I guess we’ve all done from time to time (sorry, Mum!).
Let’s wipe the slate clean and honour Camilla – despite her affair
But what I just can’t get past is the idea, in my head at least, that Camilla had an affair with Charles, a really, really long one at that, and while she’s spent her time being vilified, we are all expected to now wipe the slate clean and welcome her with open arms just because a glitzy ceremony has taken place.
I see that Camilla can do a lot of good in this world. And she’ll doubtless be a strong support to King Charles as he navigates his way through a very tough time for the monarchy. But what kind of message does it send to those looking outside of their marriages? That it’s okay? Camilla’s done it and been given the highest title in the land. It’s sending the wrong message. And I for one will not be calling her my Queen.
Before Charles ascended the throne there were calls online to skip him altogether. I must admit, I didn’t feel like that felt very fair given that he’d waited decades to take on the role. But now, after the latest development, I have to agree.
Roll on William and Kate’s reign.
Read more: Charles and Camilla facing ‘crisis’ after her title change
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