When King George VI passed away unexpectedly in 1952, his wife, then Queen Elizabeth, became known as the Queen Mother, as she was the birth mother of the heir to the throne, Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth II’s husband, Prince Philip, preceded her in death; he died in 2021, and she died 17 months later. Now King Charles is on the throne, but some are wondering what will happen to Queen Camilla—specifically in terms of her title—if he dies before she does. She isn’t the King Mother, as she is Prince William’s stepmother. So what will she be called?
“King Charles and Queen Camilla’s teams likely prepared for every situation—including what would happen if the monarch dies first,” People reports. “Though the King has longevity in his genes—his father Prince Philip died at age 99 in 2021, just two months before his 100th birthday, and his mother Queen Elizabeth died at age 96 last September—the entire line of succession will shift when he dies someday.” William, of course, will become King; his wife Catherine will be Queen. As for Camilla, her technical title would be the Queen Dowager, The Mirror reports.
The royal title was first used by Queen Adelaide, who survived her husband, King William IV. He died in 1837, and his wife lived for another 12 years. All of the couple’s children died in infancy, and the crown passed to William’s niece, Queen Victoria—and thus began the bloodline that led us to the present day in the royal family.
“If she were to become a widow, Queen Camilla would likely be free to take on the next chapter however she felt was best,” People reports. “She might privately retire to Ray Mill House, her home in the countryside, or continue her charity work with key causes like health, literacy, the arts, and supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault.”
Charles’ grandmother Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, chose to be known by that title, and went on to become the nation’s grandmother, showing strength and support for her daughter, who took the throne at just 25 years old. Though her husband died in 1952, she attended royal events well into the late 1990s and died in 2002 at 101 years old. Her daughter described her mother’s “infectious zest for living” in a rare televised broadcast from Windsor Castle on the eve of her funeral.
“Over the years I have met many people who have had to cope with family loss, sometimes in the most tragic of circumstances,” she said. “So I count myself fortunate that my mother was blessed with a long and happy life.”
Camilla’s title has evolved over the years, from the Duchess of Cornwall (taking on Charles’ secondary title rather than the primary Princess of Wales title, as his ex-wife Princess Diana had already been so well known by that title) upon her marriage to Charles in 2005 all the way to Queen Camilla today. Upon their marriage, it was understood that Camilla would only ever be known as Princess Consort when Charles took the throne; in early 2022, Her late Majesty announced that it was her wish that Camilla be known as Queen Consort when Charles became King. She was known as Queen Consort from the time of the late Queen’s death until around the time of Charles’ Coronation last May, when the “Consort” was dropped from her styling. “Courtiers hinted that plans were in motion when the intricate invitation for the crowning was released in April,” People reports. “There, Buckingham Palace called her Queen Camilla—not Queen Consort—for the first time since Charles’ accession in September.”
The BBC reports that Camilla was likely known as Queen Consort during the beginning of Charles’ reign to distinguish her from Queen Elizabeth, and that the Coronation was an appropriate moment to instate the Queen title. To reflect this, the Palace officially updated Camilla’s biography page to reflect her Queen title on May 6, the day of the Coronation.
