After months of speculation, it's been confirmed that Camilla Parker Bowles will go by the title of Queen rather than Queen Consort.
The announcement of the royal's title was pretty subtle, with it officially being used for the first time on the just-released invitations for King Charles III's upcoming coronation.
Based on the invite, and accompanying caption on the Royal Family's official Instagram post, Camilla will be known as the Queen Consort up until the coronation, and then Queen afterwards – this will bring her in line with centuries of wives of Kings before her.
Explaining the change from Queen Consort to Queen, a palace source told The Times: "It made sense to refer to Her Majesty as the Queen Consort in the early months of His Majesty’s reign, to distinguish from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
But, the source went on, "The coronation is an appropriate time to start using 'Queen Camilla' in an official capacity. All former Queen Consorts have been known as 'Queen' plus their first name."
Despite being married to the former Prince of Wales for 17 years, Camilla never assumed the title of Princess of Wales, a move believed to be out of respect for King Charles' first wife, Princess Diana, who was immensely popular with the public. However, prior to Queen Elizabeth II's death in September, Her Majesty shared a heartfelt statement making it known that following her passing, her "sincere wish" was for Camilla to be known and accepted as Queen Consort.
Previously speaking about Camilla's title, The Times' history correspondent and deputy diary Editor, Jack Blackburn, tweeted: "It is interesting as to why Queen Consort stuck. I suppose the chief reason was unfamiliarity with having one. It was on the statement announcing the late Queen's death and so perhaps people thought it was proper. However, no Queen has ever had that title in their style."
Blackburn went on: "Queen Mary was Queen Empress while her husband lived, before reverting to Queen Mary. The other probable reason why it took hold was Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. This was a one-off, in order to differentiate between the two Queen Elizabeths."
He also explained that despite Queen Elizabeth II's statement requesting for Camilla to be known as 'Queen Consort', it wasn't entirely clear as to what she meant on that front. "Did it indicate a wish that Camilla be a Queen? Or was it a statement of a preferred title which has never been used before?" Blackburn questioned, adding that a "monarch cannot bind the hands of their successor".
Head here for everything you need to know about King Charles III's coronation.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. Jennifer is also a published author and patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). She's a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner.
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