The ‘deal’ on the Duchess of Cornwall’s future title of Queen Consort – if indeed it can be called that – was done by the Queen and her private secretary, Sir Edward Young, along with Charles and his right-hand man, Clive Alderton. Not even Camilla herself was involved.
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One source who was intimately involved in events at the time says now: ‘I know there are some who will say it was all a lie and there was some grand master plan to make the duchess Queen Consort all along.
‘But frankly everyone was so relieved to have got through the wedding without any public demonstrations or eggs being thrown that people were very happy to park the issue to one side and just see what happened.’
A few years after the couple’s marriage at Windsor Guildhall in April 2005, the words ‘intends to be known as’ were inserted into the Princess Consort phraseology in any pronouncement on the subject. And then in 2018 the issue was erased in its entirety from the Clarence House website, with officials (rather inexplicably) saying ‘people weren’t interested in it as an issue any more’.
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It’s worth making clear that, according to every single one of my sources, the title of Queen Consort is not an honour the Duchess of Cornwall has ever pressed for, or even proffered an opinion on.
One long-term staffer says: ‘I can honestly say, hand on heart, in all the years I have known her she has never once raised this as an issue or asked, “How can we create the environment in which this can happen?”
‘If anyone raised it in her presence, because there had been a poll they thought she should be aware of, she was utterly sphinx-like. Inscrutable.
‘At a push she might raise an eyebrow and nod her head in acknowledgement. But you would never know what she thought about it. Never.’
Another agrees, adding: ‘I never discussed it with her once in all the time I worked for her. And I never heard it being discussed. It was “parked” as an issue until nearer the time [of Charles’s accession]. [...] ‘She follows the Duke of Edinburgh’s approach to the role, which is to be unselfish and supportive. This was always an issue for others to decide.’
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‘For the prince, it is less about the role itself and more about respect,’ one source close to the prince tells me. ‘He feels she deserves to be treated as any other second wife. What other woman isn’t allowed to be called “Mrs X” and have the same rights and privileges as a first wife?
‘The truth is, to deny her of it would be punitive. And if you feel like that about the future Queen Consort, then what does it say about every other woman in the country? It feels out of the step with the time.’ Another friend of the prince adds: ‘He loves his wife, he adores her. He calls her his “mehbooba” – “my beloved” [in Urdu]. How could he be a true husband and endorse a situation when she was asked to be a second-class citizen?’ I am told by several impeccably placed sources that around 2017-2018, Charles and his team had made up their minds that Camilla should become Queen Consort.
‘It was absolutely a done deal as far as Clarence House were concerned,’ said one. Indeed, in 2019 they were on the verge of actually announcing it to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Charles becoming Prince of Wales.
But at the last minute they ‘bottled it’, feeling the occasion wasn’t entirely right as it was more about him than the Queen. ‘People were still nervous of how it would be received without her endorsement,’ they said.
So what has now changed? ‘There is no doubt over the past few months the Queen has not been shy of talking about the future,’ explains one senior courtier. [...] ‘This is the Queen looking forward and addressing an issue that she thinks really needs to be addressed. Nobody puts words in the Queen’s mouth.
‘And she believes that you can’t do this sort of role without support, which requires sacrifice. It’s a partnership and the title should go with it.’ Last month, the Queen made Camilla a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter, the highest order of chivalry in England, in the New Year Honours. The writing was on the wall.
And after discussing the matter with Charles and her advisers again, she decided to use her Accession Day address to make her ‘sincere wish’ clear.
Other members of the Royal Family – including Diana’s sons – were told of her decision in advance. William is sanguine. It’s a decision above his head and he loves his father and wants him to be happy. Harry’s response can only be guessed at – maybe we will read about it in his book later this year?
