Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

King Charles and Queen Camilla

381 replies

LoveInTokyo · 16/05/2018 07:36

AIBU to wonder why so many people seem to think this will not happen?

I can understand why a lot of people abroad seem to think it’s likely that Prince Charles will just hand over the crown straight to William because he’s younger and more popular. Most countries don’t have royal families, and in some European monarchies routine abdication is something that actually happens.

But I was reading some of the completely mental royal wedding threads on here and was surprised by the number of similar comments. I particularly enjoyed one Daily Express reader’s person’s comment about how the public would never accept Camilla as queen.

I don’t think most people give a shiny shit whether Camilla is Queen or not, but those that do have an issue with it will have to get used to the idea. Prince Charles didn’t have to give up his place in the line of succession when he married her, therefore unless the Queen outlives Charles, he will be king and Camilla will be queen!

OP posts:
AsAProfessionalFekko · 16/05/2018 07:38

Will he use the name Charles? Do they they sometimes take a new 'king' name?

Original poster
LoveInTokyo · 16/05/2018 08:18

No idea. I think from watching The Crown that it used to be normal to take a new name when becoming monarch, but Elizabeth didn’t. I imagine it would be weird calling yourself something else if you’ve been Prince Charles for 70+ years.

OP posts:
ADarkandStormyKnight · 16/05/2018 08:20

Can you really see Charles handing over to William? He's waited his whole life.

SoapOnARoap · 16/05/2018 08:21

I don’t think he’ll be called King Charles. Think he’ll be George VII

AllyMcBeagle · 16/05/2018 08:22

I think there's a chance the Queen might outlive Charles, but otherwise he'll definitely be king.

Almostfifty · 16/05/2018 08:22

Because she had an affair with Charles when he was still married to Diana. That made a generation of people hate her and a lot of them still do.

BMW6 · 16/05/2018 08:22

I have thought for many years that Charles may die before his mother. Shame if he does, because I think he is really underrated. I just have a feeling that his destiny will be unfulfilled.
But if I am wrong (which I hope) I have read somewhere that he would take the name George as king.

LakieLady · 16/05/2018 08:23

No way will he abdicate in favour of William, unless he's in poor health when Betty goes.

He wants to be king, I'm bloody sure of it.

Luisa27 · 16/05/2018 08:25

I have a lot of time for Charles, really like him. Agree with BMW that he’s hugely underrated.

honeysucklejasmine · 16/05/2018 08:26

My mum is in the generation of people who are supposed to hate her. She doesn't, not even remotely. When it was all being whipped up in the press (when they got married) she just sighed and said he should have been allowed to marry her in the first place.

I was only 11 when Diana died, so I have no opinions on Camilla at all other than she's the second wife. Infidelity is very run of the mill. If people say they won't accept Camilla because of it, they are an absolute hypocrite for accepting Charles. Hate them both or hate neither.

QueenDaisy · 16/05/2018 08:26

Prince Charles should step aside & let William be King, I don’t think he will, he comes across as a very selfish man & his wife should never be called Queen, just my opinion, not that it matters to anyone Grin

QueenEdith · 16/05/2018 08:27

It was reported a while ago that he's choose a new regal name, but that's never been confirmed (and indeed it never seemed well sourced in the first place). It's be up to the monarch to decide the title for his consort. He could create her a princess, she could be made a new royal duchess or she could be queen consort.

The latter was unthinkable a couple of decades ago, but who knows what people will think or whether they will care in another decade's time?

PetulantPolecat · 16/05/2018 08:28

I don’t know if he wants to, but if you’ve lived your entire life being told you must do this, you must marry this woman, you can’t be with that one... because you are the next king of England... that’s a lifetime of compromise all because you’re destined to be the next king. Plus there’s gran banging on about the evils of abdication your entire life...

AnguaResurgam · 16/05/2018 08:29

"No way will he abdicate in favour of William, unless he's in poor health when Betty goes."

He wouldn't need to abdicate. He could be like George III, with William as Prince Regent

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 16/05/2018 08:30

If we, as a society accept the concept of monarchy, with all it's protocols, then we (and they) don't get to cherry pick. The wife of the king is the queen. Them's the rules!
They may well agree to her being called something else but legally she will be queen.

PhoenixJasmine · 16/05/2018 08:31

Grin Betty. Her nickname was Lillibet as a child, wasn’t it?

I agree, he wouldn’t abdicate. Camilla will be a Queen Consort, assuming Charles outlives his Mum.

Here’s a question - if Charles dies before the Queen, so the throne passes straight to William, but Camilla is still alive, what is her title then? Would she just remain Duchess of Cornwall? If Diana was still alive, she’d have become Queen Diana the Queen Mother I believe? but Camilla isn’t William’s mother so that won’t happen.

Caselgarcia · 16/05/2018 08:31

It's a shame he's going to be an elderly monarch if he takes the throne. I think William with his young family has much more appeal as the next Monarch. He also seems more in tune with the people having done a 'real job'. I think Charles' reign will be short and unremarkable.

JenBarber · 16/05/2018 08:32

I think he should keep his name.

Elizabeth kept her name (according to The Crown), Charles is a nice name and we've got King Georges coming out of our ears.

I think he should be King Charles.

You listening, Charlie? I

No oppinion on Queen Camilla. Although it does sound l ike a fancy brand of cat food.

BossWitch · 16/05/2018 08:32

I think if he had become king much younger he'd have been more likely to change his name. King Charles does have bad history! But now I think it's just too late, he would be King Whatever for a much shorter length of time than he will have been Prince Charles, no-one would have time to get used to it.

I think Camilla will be queen. I hope so. Yes, affairs, but Diana was having them too! I don't think that the protocol of what to call the wife of the king should be changed because some of the public dislike her for something she did 30+ years ago (by the time Elizabeth pops her clogs!).

DontDrinkDontSmoke · 16/05/2018 08:34

Because she had an affair with Charles when he was still married to Diana. That made a generation of people hate her and a lot of them still do.

People can hate Camilla as much as they choose. That doesn’t change the constitution.

I always think of massively ignorant Brexit types, who still love their queen of hearts, who come out with drivel about Charles passing it on to William...though that’s just the perception I have of those people, not stating it as fact.

Glumglowworm · 16/05/2018 08:35

YANBU

He’s spent almost all his life in waiting. He seems to take his role extremely seriously. Plus I don’t think William is in any rush at all to be king, especially while he has young children. So I don’t think for a second that Charles would ever abdicate. The only way it would skip straight from the queen to William would be if Charles dies before she does.

QueenEdith · 16/05/2018 08:37

"Here’s a question - if Charles dies before the Queen, so the throne passes straight to William, but Camilla is still alive, what is her title then? Would she just remain Duchess of Cornwall?"

Yes, but in full she would be the Dowager Duchess, because the Cornwall Duchy goes with the Princedom of Wales, Iwhich would be conferred on Prince George of Cambridge at some point,

"f Diana was still alive, she’d have become Queen Diana the Queen Mother I believe? but Camilla isn’t William’s mother so that won’t happen"

No she wouldn't have, unless William had married a Diana and there was need to distinguish between the Dowager Queen (Queen Mother is simply and alternate name for that) and the Regnant or Consort Queen. At the time Princess Elizabeth acceded, there was already a Queen Elizabeth (and a Queen Mary). Hence need for a different style for the Dowager Queen, and she chose the rare one of Queen Mother.

After her divorce, Diana would never have been Queen (consort) so even if William had married a Diana, she still wouldn't have been Queen Mother as she would never have been a queen.

PiggyPlumPie · 16/05/2018 08:38

I might be wrong but I understood that if Charles wanted to abdicate then he removes his whole family line and so William would be removed as well. That would leave us with Andrew Confused.

I guess the only way it would work is to have William as regent. I seriously doubt that would ever happen. Charles will be King and Camilla will be Queen.

JenBarber · 16/05/2018 08:39

Wasn't Charles and Diana an arranged marriage and Charles was always in love with Camilla?

I find that really touching, that their relationship survived that kind of royal batshit craziness.

She looks like a nice lady.

tillytrotter1 · 16/05/2018 08:40

If Charles dies before the queen then I believe that the form is that his widow retains her title but uses Dowager, Camilla,the Dowager Duchess of Cornwall, ditto all their other titles, except Princess of Wales, which Camilla is whether the Dianistas like it or not. As the wife of the heir then probably that would go to Catherine.

Swipe left for the next trending thread