Prince Charles hasn’t ascended the throne, and won’t until his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, dies. But that hasn’t stopped speculation about what the monarchy will look like in her absence. “It is strange to think about the fact that normal people work all of their lives to retire around the same time that Prince Charles and Camilla are just beginning their most significant work,” says royal expert and founder of To Di For Daily, Kinsey Schofield, exclusively to The List.
Upon Charles’ death, Prince William would automatically ascend the throne, meaning Camilla won’t be queen consort anymore. But that doesn’t mean she’ll automatically lose the styling of queen. “Camilla knows that people will be ready for change,” explains Schofield, “and she will swiftly move out of the way. We will likely only see her at major events — if at all.”
Elizabeth’s mother and grandmother both kept their styling of queen once their husbands passed. People reports that queen mother was a title used to distinguish between Elizabeth and her mother, since both shared the same name. Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, “continued public duties for many decades and remained patron of about 350 organizations” (per Wales Online). With how dedicated Camilla has been to service, it would be surprising if she stopped her work if Charles dies before her.
Ultimately, what she’ll be called falls to William, and what he decides once he becomes king. With how supportive he’s been of his father’s relationship with Camilla, her not keeping queen consort or being called queen mother would be shocking.
