British Royalty Question: How did Camilla become Queen without ever being a Princess?

[AviatorTom]

Queen Camilla at her husband's Coronation

We Americans don't have Royalty (despite what the No Kings protests might imply) so we're not very good at understanding the rules.

I always thought that a woman was a Princess before becoming Queen, like Queen Elizabeth II was. Kate Middleton is Princess Katherine and will someday become Queen Consort when her husband William becomes King.

Yet, Camilla went straight from divorcée to Queen, and not even Queen Consort, never having been a Princess.

How did that happen? Did someone bend or break the rules?

Perhaps some of our UK members can explain this?

[RavVid]

Yeah it is made up as they go... to a degree.

Camilla is also Queen of Australia, Queen of Canada and a few other places not just UK. But now I think about it maybe she isn't cause our legislation refers to the Monarch. I will check this someday. We definitely have a King Charles but it might not be we have a Queen Camilla technically.

She is a queen consort. Elizabeth was queen regnant as she inherited the monarchy rather than merely married the monarch.

Princesses are daughters or grand daughters of the monarch. The oldest daughter is Princess Royal. It is not imutable because the current Monarch can change the rules. Marriage to a prince makes the wife a princess.

Lilibet became a princess not on birth but when Charles became king and the grand daughter of the monarch which she wasn't before.

Camilla was Duchess of Cornwall before being Queen. Not Princess, to avoid clashing with memories of princess Dianna.

Whilst women get matching titles e. g. Princess when marrying a Prince. It doesn't work the other way around. The husband of a Princess could be a plain Mister but possibly a title would created for him. That didn't happen with Princess Anne's husbands.

Phillip did not become king consort. He was Prince of Greece and Denmark before marriage but renounced those titles and became Duke of Edinburgh on marriage. He became Prince a few years after Elizabeth ascended to the throne. But in the past whilst Queen Mary inherited the Monarchy her husband became King William and co monarch. (But there was potentially fighting to be done with the Stuarts being overthrown and he was a proven general). Victoria's Albert was styled Prince Consort whereas Phillip was styled Prince, Duke of Edinburgh.

There is a sort of theme but not rules hard and fast

[RavVid]

Turns out that whilst Charles is King of Australia Camilla is technically not our Queen unlike Elizabeth who was Queen of Australia. Nor it seems Canada.

Although she is referred to as Queen it is purely honary title with no legal basis.

[RavVid]

Thanks a MHO.

[DryGermanGuy]

Quote:

"Upon marrying Charles, Prince of Wales, she was commonly styled "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall". In Scotland she was known as "Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Rothesay". Although Camilla was legally Princess of Wales, she adopted the feminine form of her husband's highest-ranking subsidiary title, Duke of Cornwall, because the title "Princess of Wales" had become strongly associated with Charles's first wife, Diana. She additionally bore the feminine version of her husband's other titles, including Countess of Chester, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles, and Princess of Scotland. In 2021, upon the death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Charles inherited his father's titles and Camilla thus became Duchess of Edinburgh.

When Charles succeeded his mother, Elizabeth II, Camilla automatically became queen in accordance with English common law."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_titles_and_honours_of_Queen_Camilla

[beefcakebradybatson]

Couldn't have typed it better, DryGermanGuy. Her Majesty has a horsey face, though.

[beefcakebradybatson]

If I were a Brit, would I be Handsome Older Black Lad Of The Isles?

[Screenwriter]

She can't be queen. No matter what title they use for her today. The only person who can be queen is someone who inherits that title through the deceased royal. Right now that would be King Charles's eldest son, Wiliam. Charles's wife would be called the Queen Dowager and is not in the line of succession at all because she is not related to Queen Elizabeth by blood.

I think Camilla's title as queen is only that. A name.

You can find a list of the succession online. It is completely confusing and amazingly complicated.

[purplepoppy]

Girls become princesses either through birth or marriage, it's never been a prerequisite for being a queen.

Prince/Princess is a relatively new royal title, at one time any leader could just call himself a prince.

[beefcakebradybatson]

Former MLBer Fielder was born a Prince May 9,1984, but at 5'10",324 lb. (22-inch arms, though) boy ate himself out of baseball.

[RavVid]

The thing I find funny is that King Charles is King of Australia but Camilla is not Queen of Australia. She is just a Mrs or Ms if you must.

In the UK does a consort just get Queen or Princess really as a courtesy title? If we referred to Camilla as Queen it would be purely courtesy recognition that she had shagged him for years.

[purplepoppy]

I think that's pretty much how it works

[OlderAndWiser]

I don't spend much time on UK matters. "Those" people condescendingly tell us that we are primitive for not following the metric system, but they drive on the wrong side of the road and still worship a king and queen.

[DryGermanGuy]

In all fairness, the British monarchy has been ceremonial for a long time. So, no worship is needed. 🙂

[OlderAndWiser]

@DryGermanGuy The worship is not mandatory, but they do it anyway!

[fishcake_buttie]

@DryGermanGuy The British monarchy isn't what it seems, because of its roots in yet another false religion (judaised Christianity) and is the absolute ruler of this world. It seems ceremonial but is not and I AM British and the monarchs are monsters, often wearing the clothing of angels - they literally do what they want to and have gone out of their ways for centuries to make sure that common people can't do what you people did during that period of history we aren't allowed to talk about unless we slander Germans who "Just went mad for a while".

[fishcake_buttie]

"I just do what I want" - Collective British Monarchy.

She IS "Queen Consort" but is called Queen because of her marriage to "King" Charles, it just doesn't work the other way around, the consort part is just dropped when referencing her.

[FreyaRed]

There is queen consort (King's wife) and queen regnant (High noble who gains ruling power due her heritage or will be elected by noble council). Camilla is queen consort it's unlikely she gets ruling power after her spouse dies. Queen Elizabeth wasn't a princess but she got queen ragnant title due her popularity and nobility rank.

[Bex_2]

The last sentence isn't correct. Before her father died and she became queen (as she had no brothers), Queen Elizabeth was known as Princess Elizabeth.

[Axel1969]

I would say they did whatever they wanted because just like the government they make the rules they break the rules they even bend it just too suit themselves. They make shit up just for us to pay more money whenever it suits them. What does the royal family even do but collect money right?

[Anonymous]

She was princess but also duchess and they decided that she’d go by that title instead of princess, out of respect for Diana (who had had that title) and because the people hated Camilla. So to not make peoples feelings towards her and Charles worse they used her other title officially, instead of beanding her with the same title Diana had held.

[analgesicgal]

King's wife is queen, queen's husband is king. Camilla married to then prince Charles made her princess too, she just sat out of using princess of wales title as it was more associated with Diana and avoid backlash. So she went from Duchess to Queen. But legally she has been duchess, princess, queen

[katiesmuff]

Your right we don't have a queen, what we have is a gold digging whore married to our precious KING

[jshm2]

The same way anyone can. Marry into the royals.

[Iron_Man]

That’s all a big joke, cartoon characters all that stuff I don’t respect that bunch of nonsense

[DavyJ]

She isn’t a Queen: she’s Queen Consort as Charles is her husband (and the reigning Monarch).

[AviatorTom]

Copilot AI differs...

"Camilla is now referred to as "Queen" following her husband King Charles III's coronation. Initially, she held the title of Queen Consort, but after the coronation on May 6, 2023, her title changed to simply "Queen"."

[DavyJ]

She’s effectively at Charles’s side to support him; and has no right of succession if Charles dies before her.

[Anonymous]

The Queen is just some woman who is married to the King. Unless there's no King, in which case she would be head of state, like Queen Elizabeth II.

[LiamS95]

How ever could Charles ever of prefered her to Diana?

[msc545]

She had sex with whatever his name is, and I believe he was a prince.

[exitseven]

So your question is "Who died and made her Queen?"

[douride2]

She married a man who would be king.

[loveslongnails]

I guess she married right? LOL

[Xawyx-2]

It's a mystery :D

[noohair]

Drag Queen she just dropped the drag.