What Happens to Queen Camilla’s Title if King Charles III Passes Away
The royal titles and protocols have always been a matter of keen interest and speculation, especially concerning what happens when a monarch passes away. With King Charles III now on the throne, questions have arisen about the future title of Queen Camilla should King Charles pass away before her.
As reported by People, contingencies are likely in place for such scenarios. The royal lineage, renowned for its longevity, saw Prince Philip passing away at 99 in 2021, and Queen Elizabeth II at 96 in 2022. Upon the eventual passing of King Charles, the throne will pass to Prince William, making his wife Catherine the Queen. Queen Camilla, in this scenario, would become the Queen Dowager, a title first used by Queen Adelaide after the death of her husband, King William IV, in 1837.
Queen Adelaide lived for 12 more years after her husband’s death, and the crown then passed to King William’s niece, Queen Victoria, starting the lineage leading to the current royal family.
The role and activities of Queen Camilla, should she become a widow, are subjects of much speculation. According to People, she may choose to retire privately to her countryside home, Ray Mill House, or continue her charity work, which focuses on health, literacy, the arts, and support for survivors of rape and sexual assault, The Mirror reports.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, made the choice to be actively involved in royal duties and public life long after the death of her husband, King George VI, in 1952. She became a beloved figure, known as the nation’s grandmother, and continued to attend royal events until the late 1990s, passing away in 2002 at the age of 101.
Camilla’s journey through royal titles has been quite dynamic. She initially became the Duchess of Cornwall upon marrying Charles in 2005, rather than the Princess of Wales, a title strongly associated with Princess Diana. It was initially understood that she would be known as Princess Consort when Charles ascended the throne.
However, in early 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth II expressed her wish for Camilla to be known as Queen Consort. Following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, Camilla was initially referred to as Queen Consort, but around the time of Charles’ Coronation in May 2022, she began to be simply called Queen Camilla.
The BBC notes that the early use of the Queen Consort title for Camilla was likely to differentiate her from Queen Elizabeth II, with the Coronation being a suitable moment to formally adopt the Queen title. Buckingham Palace officially updated Camilla’s biography to reflect her title as Queen on May 6, the day of the Coronation.