A royal act of kindness

The Queen has marked her Platinum Jubilee by expressing her wish that when “Charles becomes king… Camilla will be known as Queen Consort”. This is a hugely significant announcement, and one that is greatly welcome. It means that the couple will someday be referred to as king and queen – a situation we have not known in Britain since 1952, when George VI was on the throne – and the present Duchess of Cornwall as Her Majesty. The Queen is undoubtedly right that public opinion is now ready for Queen Camilla.

A long tradition will be reasserted, albeit in a modern context. King George’s death on February 6 1952 recalled his daughter back to England from Kenya; she arrived to be greeted by Winston Churchill and a long line of privy councillors, venerable men in black. Since then, the country has changed enormously, and the monarchy with it. It has become more tangible and familiar, as egalitarian as a hereditary institution can be.

The Queen, however, has remained our rock, devoted to public service. As head of the Commonwealth, she has helped bring together around a third of the world’s population; as supreme governor of the Church of England, she is perhaps the most prominent Christian in modern Britain. She has always tried to lead by example, as we saw when she sat alone in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, last year, during the funeral of her beloved husband, Prince Philip.

This act towards the Duchess of Cornwall guarantees continuity and stability for the future – it is also deeply kind, and will be enormously valued by the couple. It ensures that the institution, of which Elizabeth II is an exemplary custodian, will continue to thrive.