Camilla WILL become Queen: Her Majesty, 95, uses Platinum Jubilee to end years of uncertainty

3.8k

View
comments

Camilla will be crowned Queen Consort when Charles becomes King, it has been confirmed for the first time.

The Queen assured the Duchess of Cornwall’s future status in an historic Platinum Jubilee statement issued late last night, ending years of uncertainty over the issue.

In her surprise announcement, Her Majesty declared it was her ‘sincere wish’ for her daughter-in-law to be fully acknowledged when Charles succeeds her.

The Queen issued the message, shoring up her support for her heir and his wife, as she today marks a milestone 70 years on the Throne.

The statement also quashed speculation that the 95-year-old Monarch might abdicate, as she reiterated her Coronation pledge. She told her subjects ‘my life will always be devoted to your service’ – and that she would continue to honour that ‘with all my heart’.

In her message to the nation – signed ‘Your Servant, Elizabeth R’ – the Queen said: ‘When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.’

Charles and Camilla were ‘touched and honoured’ by the Queen’s gesture, Clarence House said.

The prince will make his own public declaration on Sunday celebrating his mother’s Jubilee.

A spokesman for the couple said: ‘The Prince of Wales will be issuing a statement of congratulation to the Queen on Accession Day. He and the Duchess of Cornwall are touched and honoured by Her Majesty’s words.’ 

It is the clearest sign yet not just of the Queen’s unswerving support for her daughter-in-law but proof of her enduring affection for the woman who has secured her eldest son’s happiness.

Crucially, the official statement, written in Sandringham, overturns previous Palace guidance that Camilla would only ever be known as ‘Princess Consort’.

Announcing the Prince of Wales’s engagement in February 2005, two months before their wedding in Windsor’s Guildhall, a Palace statement said: ‘It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to the Throne.’

Princess Diana would have automatically been granted the title Queen Consort had she lived and the couple stayed married. But it was never certain that, as his second wife, Camilla would receive the same title.

The Queen has always been keen to sanction the union and gave a warm speech on Charles and Camilla’s wedding day, telling guests: ‘My son is home and dry with the woman he loves.’

Camilla’s biographer Penny Junor said the Queen’s endorsement was ‘a hugely significant moment’ for the Duchess.

‘This is brilliant news because if this is the Queen’s wish, then I don’t think people will question it,’ she said.

‘The Duchess of Cornwall thoroughly deserves the title. She will not overshadow Charles when he becomes King but she will be the strength behind the throne, giving him the confidence and courage he needs.’

And Royal historian Hugo Vickers said: ‘Making it clear that Camilla should be Queen is not just a wise and generous decision, it is a masterstroke and typical of a thoughtful sovereign. The timing has great symbolism. This is an important moment for the Monarchy.’

Yesterday’s message was released after the Queen appeared at her first public event since October. She laughed and chatted to guests as she hosted a tea party in the ballroom at Sandringham for community groups.

Today, however, will be a moment of ‘private reflection’, according to Palace sources. She will remember not only her father, George VI, who died at Sandringham on this day in 1952, but also mourn the Duke of Edinburgh, who died last April, in the 74th year of their marriage.

The Queen famously referred to Prince Philip as her ‘strength and stay’ and is now said to feel that it is only right for her son’s wife to receive the proper recognition for Camilla’s future role as Consort to the King.

She is said to have been impressed by the hard work shown by her daughter-in-law and the support she has shown Prince Charles. Similarly, as she remembers her father, she recognises the role her mother played in supporting him as King.

Her statement noted: ‘I am fortunate to have had the steadfast and loving support of my family. I was blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it. It is a role I saw my own mother perform during my father’s reign.’

She also thanked all those people who had shown her goodwill and support over the years, writing: ‘I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me.’

Due to her age, the Queen has increasingly relied on Charles and Camilla to shoulder some of the burden of the head of state.

In recognition of this, Buckingham Palace last year announced that Camilla was to be made a Royal Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, the oldest and most senior order of chivalry in Britain.

But there have been other signs of Camilla’s elevation in status. In 2016 she was promoted to the Privy Council, a role which will ensure that she is by Charles’s side when he is officially sworn in as King. 

In vowing her continued service, the Queen was echoing sentiments she expressed on her 21st birthday.

Four years before she became Queen, she said: ‘I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.’

Her message last night concluded with the hope her Jubilee celebrations might bring people together ‘after some difficult times for so many of us… to reflect on the positive developments in our day-to-day lives that have so happily coincided with my reign’.

On the eve of her Platinum Jubilee,The Queen made guests laugh as she joked about cutting a cake during a special reception for the historic milestone – with attendees saying she was on ‘sparkling’ form.

The monarch joined members of the local community in the ballroom of Sandringham House in Norfolk as she just hours away from becoming the first British sovereign to reach a historic 70 years on the throne.

She cut a Jubilee cake, met members of the local Women’s Institute and chatted to former cookery school student Angela Wood who helped to perfect the famous coronation chicken dish served to guests after her 1953 Coronation ceremony.

Wearing an Angela Kelly wedgwood blue crepe with white brocade dress, the Queen, who beamed with delight throughout, used a wooden walking stick to rest on and also carried her trademark black handbag. 

The Queen was aptly wearing glittering platinum jewellery – The Nizam of Hyderabad Rose brooches – given to her as part of a diamond tiara set when she married Philip in 1947.

During the event, her Majesty was presented with a locally-baked cake and a large knife and was invited to cut the first slice.

Plunging the blade in, she made guests laugh when she joked: ‘I think I might just put the knife in it… someone else can do the rest.’

Yvonne Browne, vice-president and chairman of the Sandringham WI, described the Queen as being on ‘sparkling’ form.

In her message, the Queen also reflected on the sad anniversary of the death of her father.

‘It is a day that, even after 70 years, I still remember as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign,’ she said.

The Queen, who signed the message ‘Your servant Elizabeth R’, pledged to continue to ‘serve you with all my heart’.

She spoke of looking forward to the rest of her Jubilee year, writing: ‘As I look ahead with a sense of hope and optimism to the year of my Platinum Jubilee, I am reminded of how much we can be thankful for.

‘These last seven decades have seen extraordinary progress socially, technologically and culturally that have benefitted us all; and I am confident that the future will offer similar opportunities to us and especially to the younger generations in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth.’

She acknowledged the challenges faced by the nation during the pandemic, saying she hoped the Jubilee would ‘bring together families and friends, neighbours and communities – after some difficult times for so many of us’.

The Jubilee is the Queen’s first without her consort Philip – her ‘strength and stay’- who died just 10 months ago at the age of 99.

Today’s celebration followed the release of official photos yesterday, kicking off a series of Jubilee celebrations.

The images showed the Queen looking at her Platinum Jubilee cards and memorabilia from the Golden Jubilee in the Oak Room at Windsor Castle.

Her Majesty made sure to pay a touching tribute to her beloved ‘Papa’, George VI, wearing the aquamarine and diamond clip brooches he gifted her for her 18th birthday in April 1944.

National celebrations to mark the Jubilee are being held on a special four-day bank holiday weekend in June, with festivities including a pop concert at the Palace, a service of thanksgiving and a pageant on The Mall. 

There have also been calls to make the extra public holiday permanent, as a ‘Thank Holiday’ in recognition of the Queen‘s extraordinary 70 years of service. 

It is understood Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie are ‘highly supportive of the idea’, which would require a change in the law.

Elsewhere, baking royalty Dame Mary Berry is set to judge a Platinum Pudding competition to find a ‘classic’ dessert that fits the Queen’s reign. Entries closed yesterday, with the first judging round starting on Monday.

Her Majesty is currently staying at Prince Philips’s beloved Wood Farm cottage on the Sandringham estate where she is expected to spend Accession Day, on February 6, with her family.  

The monarch usually spends the festive period at Sandringham, but has remained at Windsor Castle since the autumn as a Covid precaution and held muted Christmas celebrations with Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex.

In preparation for the anniversary of her father George VI on February 6, 1952, the Queen made a special trip by helicopter followed by a short drive by car to Norfolk last month.

A source told the Mail on Sunday: ‘Everything is being put in order for the Queen’s visit. 

‘We’ve been told that she will stay at Wood Farm, rather than the main house, which is nice as that always had a special place in his heart.’

It started at the Ritz: Charles’ 22-year campaign to win the public over to the ‘non-negotiable’ woman in his life 

ByIan Gallagher Chief Reporter For The Mail On Sunday

How different it all was on that cold Thursday night outside The Ritz more than 20 years ago. It was Charles and Camilla’s coming out, a fleeting but scrupulously choreographed appearance before the world’s press.

Charles’s natural inclination had been to go public with Camilla at a royal event which, in his eyes, would have lent a certain dignity, but the Queen – yet to be won over by Mrs Parker Bowles – was having none of it.

And so here they were, this middle-aged man and woman, in a dark side street in Mayfair at just before midnight.

The couple had spent the evening at a 50th birthday party and as they stepped from the hotel on to the pavement – Charles sheepish, Camilla petrified – a blizzard of camera flashes froze them in time.

Later the British Epilepsy Association would urge broadcasters not to use the footage on TV, lest it trigger seizures.

This appearance in 1999 was the apex of the finely tuned strategy to win the British people round to the idea of the ‘non-negotiable’ woman in Prince Charles’s life.

Everyone knew about Camilla at this juncture of course, but she had always remained out of sight – and for good reason.

Princess Diana was universally adored and cast a long shadow. For many, when Charles confessed to adultery, Camilla was public enemy No 1, irredeemably the other woman.

Now the couple were dipping their toes into uncharted water and while it wasn’t exactly warm, neither was it icy. Still, there was a long road ahead.

In truth, Campaign Camilla – the name given to the operation to endear her to the public – had begun 18 months earlier. In June 1997 invitations started appearing: come and join Camilla Parker Bowles for a party in aid of her charity, the National Osteoporosis Society.

Newspaper editors and a sprinkling of celebrities and publishers were sure to attend. The idea was to present Camilla in a new, softer light. But then Diana died, and the party was abandoned.

The campaign was led by Mark Bolland, the controversial PR executive hired by Prince Charles in 1996 as an assistant private secretary.

From then on, he took every opportunity to show Charles as a loving father and concerned single parent, while trying to win public acceptance for Mrs Parker Bowles.

Nine months after the crash in Paris that claimed Diana’s life, Camilla met Prince William at St James’s Palace.

At first, it was said to be a chance meeting, but this was untrue. In fact, William requested the meeting so he could ask her personally to help him organise a surprise early 50th birthday party for his father.

After the Ritz appearance, the campaign gained fresh momentum. Suddenly Camilla was everywhere. She and Charles were together on the yacht of a Greek businessman with four close friends.

Then came the series of parties to mark the Prince’s half century, the highlight of which was the one Camilla arranged for 300 guests at Charles’s Gloucestershire home, Highgrove.

By this time it was being quietly leaked that she was spending more and more nights with Charles both at Highgrove and at St James’s Palace.

Nothing, though, could alter the perception that the relationship between the Queen and Camilla was as frosty as ever.

Yet behind the scenes, Mr Bolland was working tirelessly and still had a few tricks up his sleeve. Charles and Camilla had taken an official trip to Scotland, staying at the Queen’s Edinburgh residence, the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The key moment came in 2000 when the Queen met Camilla at Highgrove during a party thrown to mark the 60th birthday of former King Constantine of Greece.

It was their first ‘public’ meeting and, chiefly due to the efforts of Mr Bolland, could scarcely have been more high-profile.

Sometimes, though, his ploys – mischievously spreading stories detrimental to senior royals to make Camilla look good in comparison – backfired.

But, as the years passed, Camilla learned to go her own way and quietly, steadily, it paid off and she began to find a place in Britain’s heart.

If there were any lingering doubts about her acceptance by the court of public opinion, they were dispelled by the Queen’s ringing endorsement yesterday.

These days Camilla is admired for her charity work, taking on issues such as rape and sexual abuse, domestic violence, literacy and medical issues including juvenile diabetes and muscular dystrophy.

Detractors have accused her of laziness, but even if she does not pack in as many engagements as some royals, she connects effortlessly with the public.

Warm and witty with an infectiously throaty laugh, she does so without sacrificing dignity or upstaging her husband.

Which is why, it seems, that the Queen is confident that she’ll make the perfect consort when her husband ascends the throne.

‘I’ll just put a knife in it…someone else can do the rest!’: The Queen marks 70 years on the throne with cake, flowers – and lots of laughs

ByKate Mansey Assistant Editor For The Mail On Sunday 

The Queen laughed and joked with guests at a Sandringham tea party yesterday to mark the start of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

In her first public engagement for more than three months, Her Majesty met estate workers, volunteers and members of the local Women’s Institute – and plunged a knife into a celebratory cake.

‘I’ll put the knife in, see if it works,’ she joked, before leaving the cutting to an aide. ‘Somebody else can finish it off.’

Today she celebrates a landmark 70 years on the Throne.

Although yesterday was a joyful occasion, the Queen paid a discreet tribute to her late husband Prince Philip by wearing two Nizam of Hyderabad rose brooches, which had been wedding presents.

She was also seen carrying Philip’s trusty wooden walking stick but, despite recent health fears, was largely walking unaided.

The Queen was on ‘sparkling’ form according to Yvonne Browne, vice-president of the Sandringham branch of the Women’s Institute, which has counted Her Majesty as a member since 1943.

The Monarch was introduced to one cook who helped create the original recipe for Coronation Chicken, devised to mark the day she was crowned in 1953.

The Queen laughed as Angela Wood, 88, told her that it took ‘days and days’ to perfect the dish that includes chicken, freshly-ground curry spices, apricot puree and mayonnaise.

She told the Queen: ‘It’s probably changed because in those days we did some things quite differently.’ Yesterday guests were invited to try a modern variation in the form of bite-sized Coronation Chicken tartlets.

The Queen raised a laugh when she told guests: ‘I’ll go away. You can tell me [what you think] when I come back.’

Her Majesty will spend today in a ‘sombre’ mood, remembering her beloved father, George VI, who died in Sandringham at the age of just 56.

She has been staying at Wood Farm, the cottage on the edge of the Norfolk estate that Prince Philip called home.

Yesterday, the Queen stopped to chat to a group of former estate workers about the cottage, saying that the Duke had ‘loved it’ because ‘the sea was so close’.

Reminiscing about the devastating floods that hit Norfolk and the surrounding counties in 1953 she said: ‘I remember sitting at dinner, the fire alarm went off – no fire, the sea was coming in.

‘It’s a very nasty experience, you go to the top of the [sea] wall and it’s there.’ She then raised her hand to her face as if indicating the level of the sea.

Teresa Thompson, 70, a former housekeeper of Wood Farm, said after chatting to the Queen: ‘All the Royal Family love Wood Farm, because it’s out of the way, it’s small, It’s intimate.

‘You haven’t got lots of officials and household, it’s just the close staff. And they can relax in the family house.

‘It’s wonderful. I had a wonderful 22 years down there. It was the best time of my life without a doubt.’

The Queen was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a written ‘loyal address’ from primary school children from West Norfolk, which read: ‘You have shown a caring manner, determination, and dedication to help other people. We think you’re doing a great job! We are very lucky to have had you as our Queen for so long.’

After reading it, the Queen gave her candid verdict: ‘Most addresses are usually pompous,’ she observed. ‘This is so much nicer.’