When marrying into the royal family, you reach a level of fame you likely never knew existed, and it hasn’t always been easy for the royal women.
It’s not quite the celebrity-type of fame where you’re either admired or not talked about. Rather, it’s a balance of admiration and criticism, with the press publishing anything they believe will get eyes on it.
Katherine, the Princess of Wales, has been known by a number of formal titles during her time in the royal family, but there’s one that both she and Prince William were keen on—which ultimately wasn’t granted.
Meanwhile, Camilla Parker Bowles wasn’t always thrilled with the idea of one day becoming queen and would tell King Charles, “Can’t we get away from all this protocol? It’s all bollocks!”
Before their grand 2011 nuptials, there was much speculation about the titles the Cambridge couple would receive. At the time, a source reported that Prince William wished to retain his birth name instead of taking on a dukedom, with a courtier reportedly informing the paper, “He says he was born Prince William and wants to continue to be known as that.”
Moreover, the prince had a specific title in mind for Catherine, expressing that he wanted her to become Princess Catherine. Yet, this proposal did not align with the late Queen’s stance, as traditionally, princess titles are inherited by birth rather than marriage.
Although the Queen had made exceptions before, it seemed improbable for Catherine. Katherine was a commoner and could not be known as Princess Kate. However, it was ultimately up to the Queen to decide what title she would grant her.
There had been one or two exceptions in the past. When Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, passed away, the Queen bestowed upon the Duchess of Gloucester the title Princess Alice as a token of appreciation for her many years of dedicated service.
If Catherine had been named Princess Catherine right after marrying into the royal family, it might have set a precedent for other royals to seek similar title adjustments.
According to Birmingham Live, “If this happened, I am pretty certain that Princess Michael of Kent, for example, would ask to become Princess Marie Christine. I should think that there will be some pressure put on William not to change the system.”
Following their majestic wedding ceremony, Katherine adopted the title Princess William of Wales, reflecting her status as the female counterpart to her husband’s designation. Additionally, she received the duchess title and was commonly referred to as the Duchess of Cambridge.
Elsewhere, royal expert Tom Quinn revealed that 77-year-old Camilla hated the idea of being queen. Charles, who dislikes swearing, would demurely reply, “You’re doing it—becoming queen for me, darling, in the fullness of time.”
In a February 2022 letter, Queen Elizabeth wrote, “I know you will give my son Charles and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me, and it is my sincere wish that when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”
Camilla officially became Queen Consort when Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022. The late monarch was 96 years old at the time of her death. However, a source claimed that opinions within the palace suggested “Queen Consort” was cumbersome and that it might be simpler for Camilla to be known just as the Queen when the time was right.
“Prince Philip was Prince Consort officially, but he wasn’t known as Prince Consort,” the source continued. “The Queen would, of course, still be Queen Consort, but the palace wouldn’t stop anyone from calling Her Majesty that if they so chose.”
Recently, King Charles III and Queen Camilla made headlines during their latest outing in London. The 76-year-old King seemingly angered his beloved wife as he left her alone for a while during their visit to an Indian restaurant on Wednesday.
In a week marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan for millions of Muslims across the globe, the King and Queen celebrated the creativity and contributions of Muslim women during an event at Darjeeling Express, an Indian restaurant.
The Queen appeared tense due to the King’s sudden disappearance. “I think my husband is supposed to be doing this,” she remarked, unable to hide her emotions. She then reminded Charles, “Gentlemen, we are waiting.”
When the King didn’t respond, Camilla waved at him and coughed loudly to get his attention. Charles eventually turned to her and, with a smile, responded, “Relax, Camilla.”
The two soon returned to their cheerful spirits and expressed their happiness in the kitchen.
