Camilla's telling three-word response to title question following fierce debate
With her husband King Charles undergoing cancer treatment, Queen Camilla has been stepping up to the plate.
And in one of her biggest tasks to date, she took the reins and led the Royal Family at a memorial service for the King's close pal, the late King Constantine of Greece. The 76-year-old was the most senior royal at the service, which was attended by a large number of Constantine’s family and foreign royalty as Charles continued his cancer treatment.
But her place and title as the most senior woman in the Firm wasn't always as assured - and once she was subjected to fierce debate about whether she should even become Queen. It came as Camilla was blamed by many for playing a role in the breakdown of the marriage of Charles, then Prince of Wales, and his first wife, Princess Diana.
Camilla with Princess Anne and Queen Anne Marie of Greece (Getty Images)In 2005, almost 10 years after Charles and Diana's divorce and eight years after Diana's death, Camilla married her second husband at St George's Chapel in Windsor. At the time of the wedding, royal aides insisted that Camilla had no intention of being Queen and it was said she would be known as Princess Consort when Charles acceded to the throne.
This was despite the King's wife automatically becoming a queen consort under current laws and only a change in legislation would have changed that. However, in 2011, on a visit to a children's centre, in Wiltshire, Camilla was asked by an eight-year-old girl when she would be Queen.
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At the time, Camilla quickly replied: "You never know" - seemingly predicting what has now come to pass. Just months before the late Queen Elizabeth died in 2022, she called for her daughter-in-law to be known as 'Queen Consort' in a huge sign of support. In an official statement released by Buckingham Palace on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne, the late monarch said: "It is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service."
King Charles and Queen Camilla pictured together last year (Getty Images Europe)In the months after Charles became King, she was known as Queen Consort, but now following the Coronation, many now just refer to her as Queen Camilla. And at the ceremony yesterday at Windsor Castle, Camilla was the most senior royal there after Charles and Prince William were unable to attend.
William missed the memorial service for his late godfather because of a personal matter. Kensington Palace would not elaborate further but said the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, continues to be doing well. William called the Greek royal family to let them know he was unable to attend, and Crown Prince Pavlos stood in for the British heir to the throne who was due to give a Bible reading.
Meanwhile, Charles was missing as he continues to undergo treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer. Among those in the congregation were disgraced Prince Andrew who with ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York led the main contingent of British royals as they walked downhill from Windsor Castle to the church.
Andrew smiled as he strode ahead of Sarah followed by their daughter Princess Beatrice with husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, the Princess Royal and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Zara and Mike Tindall and the King’s cousin Lady Sarah Chatto.
Constantine II’s widow Queen Anne-Marie was joined by their children, Crown Prince Pavlos, Princess Alexia, Prince Nikolaos, Princess Theodora, Prince Philippos, and a number of their grandchildren. Former prime minister Sir John Major was also invited by the Greek royal household to the service as was ex-Formula One racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain.
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