Current Perception of the Windsors and the Future of the Monarchy

[Robert_Hall]

It is not the syllables that  I was referring to. The siound of the name. Diana  did not sound much better, to me. But Ann is right,  the names become suprflous, as no one would refer to them  othan that  "the King", etc.

[Michael HR]

We shall have to wait and see. I think it will be the peoples view that will prevail. If they do not want her as Queen she will not use this title or be crowned but if they do then so be it. Charles I think will follow people opinion in public at least

[CHRISinUSA]

Of course, public opinion will be considered, to be sure, but that will be measured quietly by polls, not through a referendum.  I agree with you Emperor of the Dominions, there will be somewhat of a tricky PR situation if Camilla assumes the title Queen (given Charles' prior statements that Princess Consort will be used instead).

But there are many other critical issues on the table than the current whim of the British public.  Don't forget, the Queen is not only Queen of the UK, but also Queen of 15 other realms, and Head of the Commonwealth, and Head of the Church of England, and many many other legal roles.

I believe the most likely scenario is that the palace & government will keep their eyes on polls over the years to see which way the wind is blowing - in the UK and the Commonwealth Realms, and the Church of England.  When a new reign appears likely on the horizon, the government, palace and other involved parties will open quiet / private discussions about a wide range of issues related to the new reign (from the Crown Estate and Civil List agreements, to the coronation, to the Church of England establishment, Camilla's title, etc.). 

In the end, whomever is Prime Minister at that time will have to advise Charles, after having considered the global perspective.  You can't have Camilla as "Princess Consort" of the UK, if Canada or Australia don't agree and she is Queen of those realms (or the reverse!).  But if Australia or Canada have become republics in the meantime, that won't matter as much.  If Charles is going to succeed his mother (or not) as Head of the Commonwealth, that might impact the PMs advice too. 

Finally, I don't think any prime minister wants to even tackle this thorny issue until absolutely necessary, hoping to instead pass it on to his successor to handle.  So no final decision will be made until it has to be made.

[ashdean]

I am going to stick my neck out and say that Camilla should be Queen Consort. The only reason that she isn't officially Princess of Wales is sentimentality over Diana.

On a practical level, the longer the Queen continues to reign and the longer Camilla has to establish herself and demonstrate her good qualities before Charles succeeds, the better.

Ann

I completely agree with you....AND in an age where discrimmination of any kind is a crime...would it not be a crime if the wife of a King was not a Queen?!!!

[ashdean]

Well, Queen Cammila is no prize either. Does not exactly roll off the tongue

practice..

LOL

[Lucien]

Look at them?!!!What a great & loving couple!!Only good can come from that.

http://members3.boardhost.com/Warholm/msg/1271173542.html

Priceless courtesy,Barbara D,BRMB.

[mcdnab]

I have always thought that Charles and has adivsors gave an unsavoury hostage to fortune when they announced that she was to be Duchess of Cornwall and then Princess Consort. Its was done one assumes with the tacit consent of Number 10 and Buckingham Palace but its clear that a lawyer never took a decent look at it.
It is not normal practice in the UK for a woman not to share her husband's full styles and titles (if he has any) - legally she is HRH, The Princess of Wales and on his accession she will be Queen. To turn George VI's quote about Wallis Simpson on its head "If she's good enough to be a HRH then she's good enough to be Queen".

The public feeling about Diana aside there is no real reason why she shouldn't be - if the Church of England was willing to bless the marriage then there is no reason why a future Archbishop couldn't crown her.

To my mind there are numerous of these kind of issues that have been allowed to develop without any clear lead from the Palace or Number 10. If as has been traditional it is the Monarch who is the supreme arbitor of who is or isn't a member of the Royal Family then the Queen needs to start using the appropriate methods that were good enough for her father and grandfather and for her when she made her husband a Prince of Great Britain (which her father seemed to have forgotten to do in 1947).
There is the stupidity over The Earl of Wessex's children's titles - the Queen should have issued new patents governing the use and style of the HRH either to confirm all male line grandchildren as HRH with an exception for Lady Louise and Viscount Severn or new ones limiting it to the children of the sovereign and perhaps the children of the Prince of Wales (my preferred choice) with an exception for the Duke of York's daughters.
And If William marries in her lifetime she's going to have to issue new ones as if he has a daughter she won't be HRH until Charles succeeds and likewise if he has two sons only the elder will be HRH.

Princess Consort is a ludicrous title with no precedent and will put Camilla in a bizarre situation.

[Naslednik Norvezhskiy]

Princess Consort is a ludicrous title with no precedent and will put Camilla in a bizarre situation.

Of course for all pan-European royalty buffs Princess Consort (as in княгиня / Fürstin, not принцесса / Prinzessin) has wonderful shades of such morganatic princesses as Joanna Grudzińska, Julia von Hauke, Ekaterina Dolgorukaya, Sophie Chotek (initially a Princess, then a Duchess, of Hohenberg) - and perhaps most obscure, but also most equivalent: The woman who not only wasn't ebenbürtig spouse material for a King of Prussia, but also had the problematic role of succeeding the "sainted" Luise of Mecklenburg-Streliz as Queen: Auguste von Harrach, Princess of Liegnitz.  

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Margot,

I'm not a big fan of Charles & Camilla;  and I hope that The Queen lives on for quite a while.
But if charles became King any time soon, I would hope that Camilla would be styled and titled HM Queen Camilla...  As that is proper in Britain.

Also, perhaps The Queen should announce that Camilla should now be called 'Princess of Wales', which she is entitled to..
Surely, the cult of Diana is now waning, and perhaps over really...
Am I wrong in this?

Larry

[Grace]

...will put Camilla in a bizarre situation.

Again.

[Robert_Hall]

To put it bluntly, Larry- yes you are.  The ardour may  not be as hysterical, but there is still a great deal of  sympathy and admiration for Diana. It is much more sane now, but her sons are her legacy and remind everyone of her. As do her  good works. I think most are just indifferent to the Charles & Camilla show, except, of course, the royal groupies.

[Margot]

Thanks Larry! Wise words from our Canada based Sage! Unfortunately I suspect that the 'Cult' of Diana still continues!

All I can say is that  if the boys were to be asked to make a decision regarding whether they would mind their step mother using the Princess of Wales title, I would be fascinated to hear their response! Personally, I wouldn't give a hoot if Camilla did start using the Wales title! After all it is only a title! I dare to muse that Diana would probably have preferred to be remembered for the person she was and not through the title she held! Her good works were because of her person and not her title! After all, Diana was not the Princess of Wales after her divorce! The position became vacant as soon as the divorce became absolute and remained so until April 2005! Everyone knows Camilla is the Princess of Wales and that she doesn't use it because of the sensitivity and the obvious  associations the title had to Diana. As I say, William and Harry would no doubt be consulted, should the idea of Camilla ever using the Wales title officially be considered seriously! They are really the only two people who have any right to be justifiably and personally upset at the prospect! If they were to accept such an idea than I think the Diehard Diana worshippers who evidently still do carry their torches, would have to bite their lips and accept that through her legacy of her boys, the topic may be settled!

[Lindelle]

Why shouldn't Camilla have the title of POW's?
No matter who she is, there IS going to be ANOTHER one.
If William weds tomorrow or in five years time, HIS wife is going to have the title because that's what she is entitled to,as long as he's POW.
So in hindsight, the title is going to remind him either way.

[Margot]

Bravo Lindelle! Well said! I only suggested that perhaps the boys could have some say perhaps in whether Camilla start using the Wales title, merely as a ploy to hopefully neuter possible Diehard Diana Worshippers that may be lurking here, from 'going off on one' and starting a diatribe about how hurtful and awful such a thing would be! Diehards tend to use the boys as being 'wronged' and 'aggrieved' in such matters where the memory of Diana is concerned. It is like some sort of ammo in their ceaseless campaign to besmirch Camilla and idolatrise their heroine.

By the way Lucien you absolute sweetie pops! Love the photographs of Charles and Camilla...so loving and genuine! Really made me smile!

[chasmat]

I'm new here, but have been a lurker for a long time and am shocked that my first post is related to Charles and Camilla given my interest in the more historical aspects of the monarchy however, here goes. It seems like logic and law are in favor of Camilla becoming Queen, however there are two issues of tradition that may be something to consider. First, the Queen Consort has a secondary role as mother of the future monarch. Since Queen Alexandria, the Queen Mother has held a prominent role within the royal family during the life of and after the death of the current monarch as mother to the new monarch. While that is more of a 20th century innovation, it plays an important role in the royal family as mother/gradmother to the heir. Camilla can never be that and then the Queen Step mum, how awkward is that? (should she outlive Charles) Secondly, there has been a Prince Consort for more than 50 years with no awkward circumstances within the institution of the royals. People are used to that arrangement, and while a Princess Consort would be a first, it would allow Charles to keep his word and the circumstance would not be that different from his parents. The sex of the consort in today's world does not have to create different results for male vs female consorts. Having said that, Camilla probably will become Queen and that's fine too. Princess Diana will always be remembered via her boys and for her being Diana, what goes on with King Charles and Queen Camilla will be irrelevant to Diana's memory.