Parker Bowles In Line To Become Queen

AP/Newsday ^ | 3/22/05 | Robert Barr

[kiriath_jearim]

Parker Bowles in line to become queen

By Robert Barr Associated Press Writer

March 22, 2005

LONDON -- In the latest twist in a royal wedding saga that has been full of flip-flops, the British government revealed Monday that like it or not, Britons will have to get used to Queen Camilla.

That's because Camilla Parker Bowles will, by law, automatically become queen when Charles is crowned.

While the public has come around to supporting the marriage, opinion polls still show strong opposition to Parker Bowles taking the title of queen.

But any attempt to change the rules to bow to popular sentiment would be exceedingly difficult: It would require not only a new law in Britain, but also legislative changes in 15 nations of the Commonwealth.

Ever since Prince Charles' office announced the wedding in February, preparations have been riddled with reversals that have prompted many observers to liken the nuptials to a farce.

[mwyounce]

Forgive my ignorance, but if this is the case, why isn't Elizabeth's husband the King of England?

[austinaero]

And here I thought Charles would be the next queen.....

[Pat79thST]

By Gobs - I knew ol' Seabiscuit could do it!

[SpinnerWebb]

This is most certainly not true. She will never have the title of "Queen". At most she will be a royal consort. Even now, her title will be "Princess Consort".

[elbucko]

why isn't Elizabeth's husband the King of England?

For the same reason that Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert (not in a can), was known as "Prince Consort". By British custom. A king can make a queen, but a queen can't make a king.

[sheik yerbouty]

Would "God Save The Queen" be appropriate?

[tjwmason]

Forgive my ignorance, but if this is the case, why isn't Elizabeth's husband the King of England?

The honest answer - because Prince Albert (husband of Queen Victoria) was German and none of the British liked him.

A wife will automatically gain the rank of her husband, but not vice versa. A queen can be either a queen regnant (as is H.M. Queen Elizabeth II), or a queen consort (for example H.M. Queen Elizabeth [later the Queen Mother], wife of H.M. King George VI) the latter title being essentially a curtesy in the same order as the wife of a Duke being a Duchess &c.

There are very few cases on Queens regnant, and thus there was no perfectly clear solution. When Queen Victoria came to marry Prince Albert the only real precedent was Queen Mary I marrying King Philip of Spain (I forget his regnal number), he did become King of England too. The public (to an extent for which read the establishment) was not keen on Prince Albert gaining the dignity (and thus moral authority) of the title 'king', and therefore they created a new title for him of Prince Consort.

This was a more clear precedent than the case of Mary I (which was tied up in reformation politics), and was taken as more reasonable when H.M. the Queen came to the throne. Prince Philip already carried the British title of Duke of Edinburgh (bestowed on him by George VI at his marriage to the then Princess Elizabeth); and it was thought most sensible to keep things that way.

[bobjam]

The title of King is reserved only for a man who is Sovereign. The title of Queen may be used by either a woman who has inherited Sovereinty from a parent or sibling, or by a woman who is married to the King. In the later case, the woman holds the title of Queen so long as her husband is King.

QE2's husband isn't King for the same reason the husbands of Victoria, Anne and Mary I weren't King: they didn't inherit Sovereignty. The only case in which two people jointly held Sovereignty is in the time of William III and Mary II.

[wideawake]

The honest answer - because Prince Albert (husband of Queen Victoria) was German and none of the British liked him.

Not true. Tennyson was a huge fan.

[maestro]

??.......Will this be a 'Church' Affair again?

(Stay outta France)

[elbucko]

By Gobs - I knew ol' Seabiscuit could do it!

That's an insult to Seabiscuit, Pat.

;^)

[dead]

The long line of British royal hotties continues.

[Beowulf9]

Since you seem informed about all this I wonder if you, or anyone else for that matter, knows what Camilla's political leanings are? How, if she does become queen will she affect England?

[Quilla]

You need to get out more! ;-)

[governsleastgovernsbest]

A king can make a queen, but a queen can't make a king.

In Diana's case, apparently a lot of people could make a princess.

[L98Fiero]

"The long line of British royal hotties continues."

Egads, man! :)

[johnmilken]

As a sideline to the interminable Terri threads...isn't this one institution that should be put out of its misery?

[Michael81Dus]

DISCRIMINATION!!! OH, I forgot: discriminating white men is ok.

[tjwmason]

This is most certainly not true. She will never have the title of "Queen". At most she will be a royal consort. Even now, her title will be "Princess Consort".

Titles can be given by bestowal or by right. For example when H.R.H. Prince Edward married he received the title 'Earl of Wessex' by bestowal from the Crown. At the moment of his marriage Miss Sophie Rhys Jones received his title as of right (thus becoming Countess of Wessex). A wife automatically receives the equivalent dignity of her husband. If a woman married a Duke she becomes a Duchess, if a woman marries a King she becomes a Queen. So too if a married man becomes a Duke, his wife becomes a Duchess &c.

Upon marrying the Prince of Wales, Mrs. Parker Bowles will automatically receive all of his titles, thus she will be Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall and Duchess of Rothsay - though it has been made clear that she wishes to be known by the title Duchess of Cornwall. So too, when Prince Charles becomes King, she (as his legal wife) automatically becomes Queen; though again she wishes to be known as Princess Consort.

On one level it is like a man who has received a Ph. D. and thus is entitled to be called Dr. (actually far more logically entitled to than a physician, but there we are); but who still is known as Mr. (to prevent confusion). What ever he is commonly called does not affect for one moment his qualified status as a Doctor. So too, if we all (as we should) respect the stated wish of the Prince of Wales and Mrs. Parker Bowles, and call her Duchess of Cornwall that impacts not one jot on her position as Princess of Wales; and after accession if we call her Princess Consort, it will not make any difference to her legal position as Queen Consort.