A quiet royal revolution
Camilla could drop ‘Consort’ from title after Coronation Louis being considered for next Duke of Edinburgh Charles would STILL welcome Harry back into the fold
JuST three days before Christmas, a rather unlikely figure could been seen bopping in the aisles at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the hottest gig in town. Amazingly, none of the thousands of fans crammed in to watch Abba Voyage — which features the Swedish band’s holographic avatars performing live — realised that our very own ‘dancing Queen’ Consort was having the time of her life, taking her five grandchildren to the must-see concert as a festive treat.
The outing in East London is a perfect example of how our King and his wife have taken the demands of their new roles in their stride, respecting old traditions while embracing the new — and keeping family (well, most of them) close.
It’s already clear that the new ‘Carolean era’ will represent a more modern monarchy than ever before. And while it has not been without the odd bump — more of which later — courtiers are quietly pleased at how well Charles’s first 100 or so days as King have gone.
‘Everything His Majesty has done has hit the right tone,’ his former communications chief, Kristina Kyriacou, tells me.
‘Both the King and Queen Consort have just got on with things and are taking care of business. The King has really come across as the elder statesman and seems to have grown in stature. He has always been a fantastic listener and convener.
‘But what we have seen during his first 100 days is him convening everybody in a more statesmanlike way. All the King cares about is serving the British public. He just wants to do the job he sees as his destiny.’
Another well-placed insider says: ‘It’s definitely been a very strong start. The King has not been afraid to address head-on the concerns that people had about him [as regards his alleged political “meddling”].
‘He has proved his respect for the constitutional guidelines that come with being monarch, emphasised the importance of us living in a multicultural world and promoted religious tolerance.
He’s referenced the family when important — such as mentioning Harry and Meghan in his first speech as King — but has simply got on with the job in hand when they have risked becoming a distraction.’
And, of course, Charles has done all of this while privately grieving the loss of his mother. ‘It has been a very emotional time for the King,’ says one who knows the 74-year-old sovereign well.
‘He and his wife have also launched themselves into a physically demanding programme at a time when many of their age are slowing down. The stakes are higher and the scrutiny greater than ever before. But they know how to pace themselves and the Queen Consort, in particular, is very good at getting her husband to take a step back at times.’
Indeed, there’s no doubt that Camilla, 75, is proving, much like the duke of Edinburgh before her, to be the monarch’s ‘strength and stay’. She has become a ‘wise sounding board’, says one senior aide, and is also ‘just a great companion’.
Another family friend remarks: ‘They genuinely have a wonderful relationship and are a great team, but they don’t live in each other’s pockets. She is also one of the few people who is prepared to stand up to him when the circumstances are right. Plus she has this fantastically close family with teenage grandchildren of her own, which is rather grounding. It’s taken quite a while to get there, but I think many people who once thought that Camilla was the problem have come to see that she is actually part of the solution.’
The couple, I am told, will continue to use their own homes (Highgrove for him, Ray Mill for her) as well as royal residences including Windsor and Sandringham. But it is Birkhall in Scotland — all ‘muddy wellies, wet dogs and afternoon teas’ — that they see as their ‘marital home’, according to one source.
The question of whether the King’s wife will drop the ‘Consort’ from her title and become known simply as Queen Camilla has yet to be decided. But many in palace circles think this will just happen ‘organically’, probably after the Coronation.
OnE source says: ‘Some have dropped the “Consort” already — it’s worth noting that she now has “Queen’s Companions” instead of ladies-inwaiting — but there’s no fixed plan. I think people will just find themselves saying it naturally.’ The distribution of other family titles is also on the back burner, I understand.
I am told that the King has no immediate plans to hand out the dukedom of Edinburgh that reverted after the death of his father to Queen Elizabeth, and now to him. The late Queen intended for it to be given to the Earl of Wessex, her youngest son, who does a great deal, along with his wife Sophie, for the late Prince Philip’s eponymous awards scheme.
It could yet go to Prince Edward, but the current thinking is that such a senior title — particularly one associated with Scotland — should not go to the 13th in line to the throne (and descending).
While some have suggested it will go to seven-year-old Princess Charlotte — one of a number of options on the table — others feel little Prince Louis, four, is a more likely future inheritor.
More troubling is the issue of the