Why was Queen Camilla not known as the Princess Of Wales?

Since her debut into British aristocratic cycles in the early 1970s, Queen Camilla has been a controversial figure, who some consider the one who destroyed the fairytale romance of the now-King Charles III and his first wife, Princess Diana. Almost 20 years since the former Mrs. Parker Bowles and the then-Prince of Wales tied the knot in 2005, she is still despised by many. She even took a different title upon marrying her second husband. According to a recent YouGov poll, the consort’s approval rating is 49%, making her the 9th most popular British royal. She sits between her brother-in-law, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

Many still believe Princess Diana should be sitting at Charles' side as Queen, even though they were ill-suited with nothing in common. Regardless of your view on the love triangle between the reigning king and his current and former wives, no one can deny that the consort has worked hard to gain the public’s approval.

Upon becoming Charles' fiancée in February 2005, it was announced that upon the Prince of Wales' accession, Camilla’s title would be Princess Consort, according to Britannica. This was an odd move considering that the title is not used in Britain. Though, it is used in Monaco or Jordan. If it had been used, it would be a first.

During the festivities of The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, Her Majesty announced that she “sincerely wished” for her daughter-in-law to be named Queen upon Charles' accession, as per the BBC.

Camilla: The Second Wife Of The Prince Of Wales

Upon marrying Charles, Camilla became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall, rather than The Princess of Wales.

Technically, Camilla was the Princess of Wales. Her husband was the Prince of Wales. There were a few behind-the-scenes factors as to why she never used it.

Factor one was public perception. Princess Diana had been deceased for seven and a half years when Charles and Camilla married on April 9, 2005. No one would ever replace her influence on the British people. The wounds of the 1996 divorce and the princess' death in '97 were still fresh, especially for her sons, William and Harry, who were both in their twenties.

Camilla was the one who had to shoulder the blame. The press did everything in its power to ruin her and Charles, by painting her as ‘the other woman.’ The Duchess of Cornwall did not complain. She understood that if she kept her head down, things would improve. They did, and she has proven herself capable of honoring the family she married into.

The second factor was Her Majesty The Queen. While she never let her true feelings towards her son's mistress-turned-wife be known publicly, it is believed, as per Newsweek, that she "always detested" Camilla. This comment came from American royal commentator Christopher Andersen in November 2022, after Her Majesty's death.

Katie Nicholl had a similar sentiment. As per Business Insider, the monarch saw the now Queen as “that wicked woman.”

Due to her faith, the Queen forgave and eventually warmed to Camilla.

Diana Knew She Would Never Become Queen

In a September 2023 New York Post article, Andrew Morton, who wrote the tell-all, Diana: Her True Story, revealed that in the tapes the princess sent him in the early 1990s she knew she would never be queen. Interestingly, she spoke about Camilla.

What many don’t want to hear is that Diana was an incredibly flawed person. She came from a broken home. Her parents divorced when she was young, her father married someone she and her three siblings couldn’t stand, and she had an eating disorder. She also struggled with mental health, as evident when she allegedly threw herself down the stairs during her first pregnancy.

Diana’s Opinions On Camilla

There has long been speculation regarding how Diana felt about Camilla. Some claim the princess hated her eventual successor. Others say her opinion was mixed.

According to Cosmopolitan, it’s alleged Diana felt Camilla "deserved recognition." This was concerning whether her ex-husband's mistress would be a good queen. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond told OK! magazine that the late princess could see that Camilla was loyal.

Rise Of A Queen

Reuters discussed Camilla’s rise to queendom after Her Majesty The Queen's death in September 2022. They were talking about how Camilla went from being “the Rottweiler” to becoming the consort her predecessor knew she'd [Diana] never be. There was also a reference to how the Queen Consort was one of the most hated women in Britain.

Camilla knew there’d be a revolt if she were known as "Camilla, The Princess of Wales." She was entitled to use the title since she married the then-Prince of Wales. Instead, she chose the second most senior moniker.

Every title that Camilla held as the Duchess of Cornwall was also held by Diana when she was married to Charles. Now they're all held by Catherine.

Villifying Of Camilla

Before taking shots at his stepmother in his 2023 memoir Spare, Prince Harry said in a 2005 interview on the BBC that he and Prince William “loved her [Camilla] to bits." He changed his tune in Spare, insinuating that Camilla would "willingly sacrifice him, and William, to her PR altar."

What he doesn't reference is any real "crime.” The incident he was referring to was allegedly her first meeting with William which was leaked to the press in 1998. Camilla told her private secretary, who resigned after the story blew up. It is alleged that the aide had told her husband before it ended up in the media by accident. The details were supposed to stay private. Camilla did not intend for the information to leak.

Harry fails to mention that the palace PR offices for each household try to prevent negative stories. For example, Dan Wootton explained to The Royal News Network that he had exclusives about Megxit that the Sussexes’ household tried to stop being published.

Meanwhile, William hasn't made his opinions on his stepmother known publicly. Harry mentions in Spare that while they liked Camilla, they didn’t want their father to marry her. This is merely the Duke of Sussex’s opinion. Therefore, he is offering his view on what William thought of Camilla.

It’s no secret that both the boys are staunch supporters of their mother. However, William doesn’t hold a grudge against Camilla. He understands that Diana was flawed and that his parents’ marriage was troubled long before he and Harry came along.

People who know Camilla personally or have met her paint a very different picture of what has been claimed in Spare. As per a feature in Vanity Fair, she is known for her down-to-earth and open personality. Author Kate Mosse is quoted as meeting Camilla in 2004 at a party for Tom Parker Bowles. She was in line waiting to go to the bathroom when she started talking to a lady in the line, unaware of who she’d been chatting with.

While we don't know what William's relationship with Camilla is like behind closed doors, it is evident that she has a bond with his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales.

Comfort

People magazine reported that before Queen Elizabeth's passing, Camilla served as guest editor of Country Life magazine. She asked Catherine, the Princess of Wales, to take the photos. She wanted someone familiar for the shoot and the Duchess of Cambridge, as the princess was known, was happy to contribute.

According to Newsweek, Catherine became involved in the photo shoot by recommendation. Camilla had spoken to the editor Mark Hedge, and she allegedly said, “Oh, I’d quite like Catherine to do it” when they were arranging the project.

It took the editor a moment to realize who Camilla was talking about.

Toxicity From People Wanting To Bring Her Down

The toxicity of turning royal women against each other has existed forever. The Queen Mother hated Wallis Simpson for the role she played in her husband King George VI’s premature death. Diana was allegedly pitted against Sarah Ferguson, Sophie Rhys-Jones and Camilla at separate times.

Tabloid stories of Catherine being pitted against Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have existed for years. Even Camilla has been thrown into the mix.

Camilla has dealt with much negativity and has come out the other side. This more than proves she is capable. Therefore, her actions such as inviting Catherine to take her Country Life photos show no ill-will towards her.

Also, she treats William and Catherine’s children like her own grandchildren.

During the Diana days, the media and the public loved calling Camilla a homewrecker. They were not privy that she was undergoing turmoil with her then-husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, cheating on her with several of her friends. Biographer Penny Junor mentioned this in her book,

Conclusion

Camilla didn’t take the Princess of Wales title upon marrying the then-Prince Charles out of respect for her predecessor and those who admired Diana. Moreover, she understood the backlash it would cause if she chose otherwise.

Charles and Diana's marriage wasn't the fairytale it was made to be. Camilla wasn’t squeezy clean either and she’d admit that. People had a right to be upset about the demise of the Wales marriage. But it has been almost 30 years since the Princess' passing. She wouldn’t want people going after the woman who now sits on a throne she’d [Diana] knew she’d never occupy.

Camilla has been happily married to Charles for almost twenty years. She has worked tirelessly to rebuild her tattered reputation. The public has come to respect her.