When King Charles married wife Camilla exactly 19 years ago today, it was announced she would eventually be known as Princess Consort – but one word in the statement released that day hinted that would not always be the case
As both King Charles and the Princess of Wales receive cancer treatment, Queen Camilla appears to be leading the Royal Family from the front.
At many recent events, she’s been the most senior royal in attendance as her husband avoids public-facing duties while receiving his treatment. But at one point, the idea of Camilla,, 76, being referred to as Queen and leading the Royal Family was a huge long shot. In fact, on their wedding day exactly 19 years ago today, it was announced she would be given an unprecedented title when Charles became King – and it wasn’t Queen.
At the time of their marriage in 2005, an official statement said it was “intended” that Camilla would have been known as HRH The Princess Consort rather than Queen. That would have made Camilla the first British royal to ever use the title of Princess Consort. It came as public opinion of her was previously not favourable due to her relationship with Charles.
“Mrs Parker Bowles will use the title HRH the Duchess of Cornwall after marriage,” the statement read. “It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title the Princess Consort when the prince accedes to the throne.
But 19 years on that has all changed, with her being referred to as Queen Camilla – but it seems the palace statement on the wedding day contained one key word that hinted she would be Queen – ‘intended’. Royal expert and author Robert Jobson previously claimed that the word ‘intended’ was used in the original wording of the statement to give the public time to warm to her.
In his book Charles at 70: Thoughts, Hopes And Dreams, he writes: “The critical word in this statement, of course, was ‘intended’. What Clarence House was doing was buying time – time for a hostile public to warm to Camilla. Prince Charles, however, has always intended her to become his queen consort. According to an inside source, he’d already decided that before their wedding.”
It is unclear exactly how Charles and Camilla will spend their anniversary today. It had been reported they were expected to head to Scotland and their beloved Birkhall, close to the Balmoral estate for the big day. A return to the Scottish Highlands retreat would see the couple spend their special day in the place where they enjoyed their honeymoon almost 20 years ago after their wedding in Windsor.
Charles is currently undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer, which is said to be going well. He has continued with duties of state behind palace walls but has postponed public-facing duties. However, last weekend, he delighted well-wishers when he appeared at an Easter Sunday church service at Windsor Castle before waving at the crowds and Âchatting to those gathered outside. The King, who is having weekly treatment for the disease, shook as many hands as possible with royal fans and when one said “get well soon” he replied: “I’m doing my best.”
The move has been regarded as a positive step amid his treatment and now the monarch has reportedly told aides he’s “raring to go” for a trip to Australia later this year and is expected to travel to Birkhall next week, The Sun reports. The scheduled autumn visit Down Under is just months away, with both Charles and Camilla set to visit Australia, New Zealand and Samoa in October as part of a Commonwealth visit which would involve 21-hour flights over 20,000 miles.
While the official line from Buckingham Palace is that “nothing is ruled in or out”, sources have claimed the King and his doctors were feeling extremely optimistic following his Easter Sunday appearance which went without a hitch. “The King is raring to go after a significant amount of time off due to his cancer diagnosis,” an insider told the publication.
