by
CNN
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Buckingham Palace released the invitation to King Charles’ coronation on Tuesday, in which his wife was titled Queen Camilla for the first time.
The intricate invitation, which is printed on recycled card and includes an illustrated border of wildflowers and the green man from British folklore, was titled: ‘The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla’.
Camilla assumed the title of Queen Consort following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband’s accession to the throne.
“It made sense to refer to Her Majesty as the Queen Consort in the early months of Her Majesty’s reign, to distinguish her from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” a royal source said as quoted by PA Media.
“‘Queen Camilla’ is the appropriate title to contrast with ‘King Charles’ on the invitation,” the royal source added. “The coronation is an appropriate time to start using ‘Queen Camilla’ in an official capacity. All former Queen Consorts have been known as ‘Queen’ plus their first name.”
The invitation will be sent to the “2,000 guests who will form the congregation at Westminster Abbey” for the May 6 service, according to a press release from the palace.
Prince George, Charles’s grandson and heir to the throne, will be one of eight boys chosen to “attend Their Majesties during the Coronation Service”, the statement read. The group includes three of Camilla’s grandchildren, according to the statement.
A new portrait of the couple was also released by the palace on Tuesday, taken last month at Buckingham Palace by British photographer Hugo Burnand, who took their wedding photos in 2005.
Camilla’s title change on the invite marks her long journey through the court of public opinion.
Since she and Charles got married, Camilla has worked hard as a senior royal, standing by Charles and championing charities helping women and children. But many people find it hard to forget or forgive their long-standing affair and the pain it caused Charles’ first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
Speculation has swirled over the years about what title she would take when Charles acceded to the throne. In 2005, Clarence House released a statement saying she would be known as the “Princess Consort” when Charles ascended the throne. Some in the palace at the time felt the public was not ready for Camilla to take on the title of queen which was intended for Diana.
But attitudes towards Camilla have softened over the years. In 2015, a CNN poll found that one in four Britons liked her more and more, and fewer people objected to her being known as Queen.
Then, in February 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth used the historic milestone of her Platinum Jubilee to give him her blessing, saying that when Charles acceded to the throne, the Duchess of Cornwall would be known “as Queen Consort then that it continues its own loyal services. ”
The coronation will see three days of celebrations across the country in which the public will be invited to participate.
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden would skip the coronation.
According to a White House reading of the call between Biden and King Charles, the president said first lady Jill Biden would attend the coronation on behalf of the United States and congratulated Charles on the upcoming event.
Biden also “expressed his desire to meet the King in the UK at a later date,” according to the reading.
US officials noted that Biden was following precedent because no former US president had attended the coronation of a British monarch.
