Will Catherine be Queen?

[McClef]

I pointed out in another thread that this is no such thing as automatic abdication which required both an instrument of abdication and an act of Parliament.

It is unknown, outside of the special circumstances of Edward VIII, when there was no heir of his in any case and he had not been anointed and crowned, for this to occur. It is considered to be a sacred trust bestowed by God, upon the person who becomes, by right and inheritance, the Monarch. So sacred, that even in the case of permanent incapacity, such as that of George III, they remain the Monarch in name and position, although the duties are then discharged by a Regent.

The only nation that I know of where Monarchs do step down as a matter of course is the Netherlands.

[JohntheBiker]

As RogerWS76 said above, the reigning Queen takes the title of Queen and her husband is known as Prince... or referred to as the Queen's Consort.
Traditionally a reigning King's wife would take the title of Queen. It has been suggested that Camilla, Duchess of Rothesay might not take the title Queen when her husband becomes King because both of them have previously been married and divorced, and that she would be regarded as the King's Consort.
Whether this would set a precedent for the next generation remains to be seen. Personally I would have thought not and that Kate would take the title of Queen.

Interestingly, the Duke of Edinburgh did not automatically become a prince (of the UK) when Elizabeth was crowned. It was almost six years later that the Queen gave him the tiltle. Before that he was styled as His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh.

[McClef]

Interestingly, the Duke of Edinburgh did not automatically become a prince (of the UK) when Elizabeth was crowned. It was almost six years later that the Queen gave him the tiltle. Before that he was styled as His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Equally interesting is that an heir presumptive can never be called Princess of Wales. The Queen had no other title than HRH Princess Elizabeth until she married whereupon she took her husband's title and became HRH Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh until her accession.

[Drac]

Amy was asking wasn't Mary the Princess of Wales before Edward was born?

Jim

[McClef]

If you mean Mary of Teck, later Queen Mary, Edward's mother then yes.

However she was married to George V who was Prince of Wales from 1901-10 as his consort, she was not Princess of Wales in her own right. What I was tyring to say was that even when it was likely that a female would inherit the throne, that female does not become Princess of Wales in her own right. The title Prince of Wales is always given to the eldest son of the reigning Monarch, never to a daughter.

This could be interesting in the future, however, if a male is born to say William and Kate but is younger than an elder female of theirs. His sister would now precede him in the line of succession but would still not, as far as I am aware, be able to deny him that title.

[Drac]

Actually I think she meant Mary Tudor.

Jim

[McClef]

Mary Tudor was never Princess of Wales.

She is a classic example of how male preference primogeniture worked, however. She was the eldest legitimate child of Henry VIII who wanted a son so he kept on trying with different wives until he got one, Edward, by his third wife, having produced another daughter, Elizabeth, by his second wife. It was Edward who was Prince of Wales and first in line, not his elder sisters who would have been displaced had he lived to marry and have children of his own.

[Pleater]

I've corrected Catherine in the title.

It has been usual for the wife of a king to be titled Queen, but it would be usual for the wife of a Prince to be a princess, which in the case of Charles and Camilla has not been the case.

The mother of our present Queen was 'Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother' - not counted as a queen, but if Charles becomes King it will have to be decided then what title Camilla will use. Possibly Dowager Duchess but Charles' marriage is setting a new precedent, so the title will have to be sorted out as and when necessary.

In the course of time Catherine should take the title Queen, but she would not become monarch as she is not in the line of succession.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

[sailortats]

I think that Camilla should become queen when Charles ascends the throne. It is obvious from all the pics you see of them together that he is radiantly happy having her as his wife. If being divorced does not stop Charles from becoming king, and it certainly won't, then being divorced should not stop Camilla from becoming queen.
Just my 2 American cents

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

I've corrected Catherine in the title.

It has been usual for the wife of a king to be titled Queen, but it would be usual for the wife of a Prince to be a princess, which in the case of Charles and Camilla has not been the case.

This was a decision taken jointly by HRH Prince Charles and (as she was then) Camilla Parker-Bowles and approved by Her Majesty prior to their wedding.

The mother of our present Queen was 'Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother' - not counted as a queen...

Actually, until the death of her husband, HM King George VI, she was styled as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. On February 6, 1952, her daughter HRH Princess Elizabeth assumed the crown as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Because of the similarity of names, the former queen (now a dowager) took the title Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

...but if Charles becomes King it will have to be decided then what title Camilla will use.

She will use the title Her Majesty Queen Camilla.

Possibly Dowager Duchess but Charles' marriage is setting a new precedent, so the title will have to be sorted out as and when necessary.

A "dowager" is the widow of a deceased titled nobleman, ie: the dowager Marchioness of Brighton; this is a rather archaic distinction and not often encountered in common modern usage. As far as sorting out HRH The Duchess of Cornwall's title when her husband becomes king, these things were well and truly sorted out before they were married in the unlikely event that Her Majesty should die either before or immediately after her son's marriage.

In the course of time Catherine should take the title Queen, but she would not become monarch as she is not in the line of succession.

Anne the Pleater :ootd:

Quite correct. Her step-son William would (presumably) ascend the throne as His Majesty King William V, and his wife would become Her Majesty Queen Catherine. Her Majesty Queen Camilla would retain both the style (HM) and title (queen) that she enjoyed during the lifetime of her husband, the late king.