Prince Charles Wants This For Camilla's Future

Prince Charles' marriage with Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, had a notoriously rocky start. While the two met and dated in the early 1970s, their relationship was not met with approval from the British royal family, per Town & Country. In 1973, Camilla married army cavalry officer Andrew Parker Bowles and, in 1981, Charles married Lady Diana Spencer, later known as Princess Diana. Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage would soon become marked by Charles' affair with Camilla, with whom he was still in love. In a 1995 BBC interview, Diana famously declared, "There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."

Following Charles and Camilla's respective divorces, and Diana's tragic death, they were free to see one another again and slowly reintroduced their relationship to the public. In 2005, they finally tied the knot and have been married ever since. The Duchess of Cornwall may have officially joined the royal family, but not everyone has been supportive of the union — including members of the royal family. A 2020 YouGov Royal Favourability poll found that the public is just as torn over their opinion of Camilla, with 44% of respondents answering that they view her positively and 43% responding the opposite (via the Daily Express). Despite this, Charles has worked hard to change both public opinion and the opinions of those close to him. However, there is one desire Prince Charles has for his wife that still goes firmly against public opinion.

Family dynamics are always complicated, but even more so when it comes to the British royal family. With all the rules, titles, and politics that surround the various members of the royal family, it can be difficult to keep track of who does what and who is entitled to which roles. Prince Charles, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, is next in line for the throne. When his turn comes, he will be known as king, leaving his prince title in the past. However, things get a bit trickier when it comes to his wife, Camilla. Many wonder if she will automatically become queen consort as the wife of the king. Unfortunately for Charles, the answer is no.

Newsweek reported, that while the Prince of Wales wants nothing more than for his wife to hold the title of queen one day, a YouGov poll found that a mere 13% of the public feel that Camilla deserves the title. Prince Charles' sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, are also firmly planted in the camp of not allowing Camilla the title of queen. Royal biographer Penny Junor spoke with the Daily Express on the subject, revealing that Charles is "very grateful" and "very proud" of his wife and that denying her the title of queen consort "would just be at odds with everything." However, as of now, there are no indications that Camilla will be allowed to assume the title when Charles becomes king.