Philip, the husband of the recently deceased queen, remained Prince Philip until the end of his life. Why then is Camilla, wife of the present King Charles III, called the queen? Let's take a look at the rules and exceptions to the title of the British monarchy, and the obligations incumbent on royal spouses.
British law distinguishes between the titles of male and female spouses in the royal family. Simply put: a woman takes the title from her husband, and the man does not take the title of his wife. That is why the husbands of the queens of Elizabeth, and earlier Victoria, were married princes. The British government even objected to the attempt by Queen Victoria to confer on Albert the royal title.
In addition to the accepted title of prince consort, the husbands of queens bore titles conferred upon them in various ways. This was the case with Filip, who on the day of his wedding to Elizabeth became, inter alia, Duke of Edinburgh.
By the same law of Camillus, the second wife of the present King Charles III is the queen consort. However, we remember that it was not obvious. Later this year, in February, Queen Elizabeth emphasized that she would like her daughter-in-law to bear this title. (Coughlan S., 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60274816, accessed 09/16/2022) In this way, she dispelled doubts that appeared in the press. Due to the specific history of Charles' marriage and concerns about public reaction, it was suggested that Camilla could exceptionally be elected a princess consort. The queen's decision was made otherwise.
On the other hand, the history of Filip's titles is more complicated.
Filip was born as a full prince, although he spent the first years of his life wandering with his family. He came from a Danish-Greek royal family with the ancestral title of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, he was the grandson of King George I of Greece and the nephew of George II - the last king of Greece. He was also a distant cousin of Elizabeth. In 1922-35, Greece became a republic, and the royal family was in exile for life with just one-year-old Philip and his four older sisters. For this reason, Filip was educated and lived in various European countries, and his family lived on borrowed money. Nevertheless, he was a prince.
In order to marry Elizabeth, he had to take citizenship, renounce his family name and titles inherited from the Danish-Greek royal line, and convert from Orthodoxy to Anglicanism. Two years earlier, the war had ended and the emphasis on ties to the German family (although the Windsors were also descended from it) would not be well received by the British. Especially since Philip's sisters had husbands who were actually connected with the Nazi regime. (cf. Parker J., 1992: pp. 4-5)
On November 20, 1947, the wedding of the princely couple took place. On that day the king appointed his son-in-law Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Marioneth, and Baron of Greenwich. Officially, he did not even gain the title of prince consort until 1957.
When speaking of titles in the British Royal Family, we must not forget that not all are granted on a permanent basis. With the death of the old queen and the taking over of the throne by the current Prince of Wales, there were shifts in the title of the royal family. Charles is now King of Great Britain as Charles III, his wife being the Queen consort. However, the title of Prince of Wales is awarded personally by the ruler, therefore Charles must confirm it in relation to his eldest son William. This title is tantamount to having priority in inheriting the throne. Charles and Diana's second son, Harry remains Duke of Sussex.
An additional curiosity concerns the title of Camilla herself. The current king's spouse is not officially called the Queen like the deceased queen. When writing about or addressing her, the term queen consort should be used. It is possible, however, that in the future the royal family will consider changing the titles, and in this case.
Titles are one thing, but standing at the British court has specific roles. Philip, who was neither king nor heir to the throne (in case he survived the queen), did not, for example, have access to certain state documents that Charles had access to. He himself was very pleased with this situation, and he said that it allowed him to remain politically neutral.
The role of the royal spouse is officially to support the monarch or monarch, accompany the ceremony and represent him in his absence. It can also provide advice on state matters. Philip performed this role quite well. In joint ceremonies and travels, he primarily protected his wife from, for example, too intrusive journalists or relieved tension in social conversations. At home, he was said to have always been the first head of the family, and this was where his strong, leadership temperament was realized.
The royal spouse has the same duties. How he will fulfill them - time will tell.
Many British people see the monarchy as a symbol of the strength and unity of their state. However, there are voices, especially on the left, that it is time to change the political system. Apparently, Prince Philip himself once expressed the opinion that the monarchy does not have to be eternal. How will the decline in trust in the old structures visible everywhere in the world affect the future of the royal family and the British monarchy? Hard to say. For now, the new royal couple is following the procedure and getting ready for the tasks ahead.
Bibliography:
- John Parker, Prince Philip: a critical biography, Leicester 1992
- Sean Caughan, Queen back Camilla to be Queen Consort on Jubilee, in: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60274816, accessed on 16/09/2022
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