When Prince Charles ascends to the throne, the current plan is for his wife, Camilla Parker-Bowles, to become Princess consort.
However, there have long been rumors that the heir apparent wants her to become Queen consort instead—rumors that royal biographer Robert Lacey has recently corroborated. What's more, apparently Prince Charles' two sons, William and Harry, are tired of their dad campaigning for Parker-Bowles to be given this higher honor.
"Privately I discovered both brothers are absolutely sick to the back teeth of Charles trying to negotiate full Queen status for Camilla," Lacey told Newsweek.
Although the wife of a king of the United Kingdom is typically afforded the title of Queen consort, there are PR issues surrounding the Waleses' marriage that mean it felt like a more prudent choice to reserve the title of Princess for Parker-Bowles for when her husband becomes King.
Namely, these PR issues are that both Charles and Camilla are divorced, and that they were having an affair with each other while they were both married to their former spouses. Prince Charles' first wife, Princess Diana, of course remains a beloved and tragic figure after her untimely death in 1997.
This is also why, although Parker-Bowles is actually Princess of Wales, she goes by the title of Duchess of Cornwall instead—out of respect for the late Diana, and because the British public is likely to prefer it that way.
Newsweek also quotes a YouGov poll that shows only 13 percent of people in the U.K. would want Camilla to be Queen consort, compared to 41 percent wanting her to be Princess consort.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Royal biographer Penny Junor, on the other hand, is all for Camilla being named Queen. "I think she should be Queen," she said. "There's no reason on earth why she shouldn't be. They were both divorcees and the past was unfortunate. It happened. All over the world people divorce, they make mistakes and they divorce.
"She's been married to him 16 years. She has been a superb duchess. She has slowly, slowly worked her way into the role. There's no sense that she's in competition with him. She's put her name to some very brave causes."
Another case of wait-and-see.
Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.
-
Princess Diana Revealed to a Royal Author the Real Reason Why Her Marriage to Prince Charles Ended Not Long Before She Died in 1997
And no, it apparently wasn’t Camilla Parker-Bowles.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Martha Louise of Norway Sets Wedding Date with Fiancé Shaman Durek Verrett After a Two Year Engagement
Already billed as “one of the most beautiful high society weddings of the year,” the celebration will last for four days.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Heidi Gardner Opens Up About Viral Moment She Broke Character During ‘Saturday Night Live’ Beavis and Butt-Head Sketch
“I just couldn’t prepare for what I saw.”
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Revealed to a Royal Author the Real Reason Why Her Marriage to Prince Charles Ended Not Long Before She Died in 1997
And no, it apparently wasn’t Camilla Parker-Bowles.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Told Queen Elizabeth Through Tears That Her Then-Husband Prince Charles Was “A Nightmare” and That She “Hated” Him, Royal Author Claims
Ingrid Seward’s new book examines the relationship between mother and son, Her late Majesty and her heir, Charles.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
British Royal Lady Gabriella Windsor's Husband Has Died at 45
Lady Gabriella is King Charles' second cousin.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Kate Middleton Gave an Honest, Eight-Word Assessment About the First Time She Met King Charles
The King and the Princess of Wales—famously close to one another—are both currently hospitalized at The London Clinic.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Princess Diana Made a Sandringham Christmas Gaffe Because She and Prince Charles Didn't "Communicate Very Well," Commentator Says
Not great.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
How Did Queen Elizabeth Really Feel About Then-Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles’ Polarizing 2005 Wedding?
This week’s final installment of ‘The Crown’ will cover the wedding as the series wraps up for good.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Camilla Parker-Bowles Gave Kate Middleton Advice on “How to Hang Onto a Prince”—But Kate Struggled to Follow It
Camilla was “on standby” to give Kate advice in her early days of dating Prince William.
By Rachel Burchfield Published
-
Queen Elizabeth and (Then) Prince Charles’ Relationship Suffered Because of His Relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, Andrew Morton Says
“He could love her, but he needed to leave her,” the Firm (and Her late Majesty) said at the time.
By Rachel Burchfield Published