These days, it seems that virtually all of the news coming from the Royal Family is related to either Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s marriage or Prince William and Duchess Kate’s adorable, real-life princes and princess. Every once in a while, we might hear a story about the Queen being a total boss, but other than that, specifics from the U.K. palaces remain focused on the newest generations of royals.
It’s an interesting phenomenon, if you think about it, especially considering these young royal stars aren’t set to take the throne any time soon. In fact, there’s one man who is going to be heading up the monarchy much sooner than the others.
Can you guess who we’re talking about?!
That’s right— we’re speaking of the often-forgotten Prince Charles, a man who just hasn’t been able to rally the public support that his sons have over the years.
Of course, there are various reasons for the public’s apathy— his cheating scandal, divorce from Princess Diana, and general lack of warmth have made him fodder for British tabloids for decades now.
But, taste aside, the public will have a King Charles when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, passes. For the masses, this creates quite the quizzical situation in regards to his second wife and longtime lover, Camilla Parker Bowles.
Though Parker-Bowles has been part of the Royal Family since she and Prince Charles married in 2005, there has been quite a bit of confusion as to what her official title might be once her husband takes the throne.
You see, when the couple first married, the Queen bestowed on her a “Duchess” title, something that most new royal brides get. Most recently, Meghan Markle became a duchess, and before that, Kate Middleton did, too.
What makes her really stand out, however, is the fact that she has two other royal titles: “Her Royal Highness” and, believe it or not, “Princess of Wales.” Apparently, she likes to keep the last one under wraps out of respect for her husband’s late first wife, Princess Di.
Good call, Camilla!
But, just because Parker-Bowles has these envious titles doesn’t mean that she is going to COMPLETELY trade up when Prince Charles becomes King Charles. As it turns out, Parker-Bowles will not become Queen Camilla upon her hubby’s succession; she will simply be known as “Princess Consort.”
Awkward, we know.
This lesser-title will apparently be used because, as we mentioned, Parker Bowles is Prince Charles’ second wife. Recently, there was some confusion about where the Duchess of Cornwall stood because information about her became mysteriously erased from a royal website, but Buckingham Palace officials told the Telegraph that the detail wasn’t taken off the FAQ’s on purpose; the question just hadn’t been asked in a long time.
So, there you have it, the Duchess of Cornwall/Her Royal Highness/The Princess of Wales will be a princess consort when Prince Charles becomes King. To learn even more about the title, and to get the scoop on what Duchess Kate’s title will be when her husband becomes the king, be sure to watch the video below!