Beyond what seems to be the full acceptance of the wife of Prince Charles, it shows a profound change within one of the most influential institutions in the world.
A day before completing her record 70 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth II revealed a “heartfelt wish” that appears to be part of her will: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, the wife of her son Charles, should be, in the future, the queen consort once he ascends the throne.
It appears the queen’s request was not entirely a surprise, according to renowned royal commentator Rob Jobson.
“What the queen said is what she wants, it’s kind of a blessing, that people just have to accept it now,” Jobson says.
According to ‘The Telegraph’, a monarchist newspaper, this is the first time that the queen has made such a personal request to the public.
Already in 2018, he had revealed another of his wishes for the future. During the summit of the leaders of the Commonwealth, he asked that his son Carlos remain as his successor as head of this community, which brings together countries from England to the Caribbean.
The queen’s request about Camilla is, without a doubt, very personal and also shows the beginning of a transformation of a very rigid institution that has been adapting over the years.
It is also a reflection of the change in society. In the past, it was impossible for a divorcee to enter the royal family, let alone marry the heir to the throne for a second time.
But it also seems like a vindication on a personal level with Camilla. In the past, members of the royal family itself prevented Charles from marrying her because, by then, Camilla did not meet the standards expected of a queen.
It is clear that ancient traditions do not change from one day to the next, but one of the legacies of Elizabeth II and her late husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, has been to begin to modernize the British monarchy.
Jobson explains that Camilla’s acceptance within the “royals” and in the public also reflects her work, championing, among others, the struggles of women, for example, against domestic and gender violence.
The last queen consort was Elizabeth, the mother of the current Queen Elizabeth, who received this title when her husband, King George VI, the father of Elizabeth II, ascended the throne.
In 1952, with the death of King George and the accession of Elizabeth II, she was known as the Queen Mother.
A popularity that has been improving
Camilla Rosemary Shand was born in London in 1947. In 1973 she married Tom Parker Bowles with whom she had two children.
From a young age she has been very close to the monarchy, and especially during Charles’s marriage to Diana of Wales it was a screaming secret that she was his true love.
Since then she has been one of the most unpopular “royals” among the public, but over the years, and the habit of seeing her more frequently as the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla’s image inside and outside the royal family has been improving.
The gradual acceptance of Camilla also within the public is explained by her work, most of the time silent, and by her personality, far removed from the coldness of the monarchy.
Jobson assures that, from her civil wedding with Carlos, Camilla was going to receive the title of queen consort. That announcement was to be made on the 50th anniversary of Charles’s coronation as Prince of Wales, a title she has held since 1964, but was postponed.
“Palacio playing games in terms of popularity knowing that there was a very small distance between Diana’s death and Carlos and Camila’s marriage, his popularity was in a different position,” he says.
Remember that “we are now, 17 years after marriage, in a different place.”
And it is that the also expert monarchist William Hanson assures that the role of the future queen consort has grown rapidly within the royal family.
For her part, another royal commentator said that Camila is among all the members of the royal family, the “kindest, simplest and owner of a very fine sense of humor”.
However, Camilla’s growing popularity still struggles against the shadow of the devotion that Princess Diana continues to generate.
In fact, Camilla decided not to use the title of Princess of Wales, which would correspond to her, precisely out of respect for Diana’s memory. The royal title by which she is known is Duchess of Cornwall.
Carlos and his way to the future
In the year in which Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 96th birthday and her presence is becoming less frequent at public events due to her state of health, it is inevitable to think about the future of the monarchy.
According to experts, Prince Charles wants a smaller royal family, that is, those who have royal functions and royal titles are fewer and fewer people.
Among others, for the criticism of the excessive expenses for the treasury generated by the monarchy.
In the near future, the faces of the monarchy would be those high up in the line of succession to the crown.
Expert Rob Jobson explains that, in Camilla’s case, her title of queen consort does not come with the power of a head of state.
She will only be the wife of the new king and will surely continue with her charity work and sponsoring causes with which she feels represented.
Many questions remain about the future of the world’s most famous monarchy, but Queen Elizabeth, in her own way, has begun to resolve some.
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