Steph Deschamps / February 6, 2022
Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 70th birthday on Sunday, and for this historic milestone, reserved a surprise for her subjects, expressing the wish that Prince Charles' wife, Camilla, become Queen Consort when he becomes King.
In a message written on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, a milestone that no British monarch had ever reached before, the 95-year-old queen expressed her sincere wish that Camilla be known as Queen Consort when Prince Charles, 73, accedes to the throne. Until now, she had never said anything on the subject, which has been the subject of endless controversy for years. Charles and Camilla said according to a spokesman touched and honored by the words of the queen, who also stressed the loyal work of the Duchess of Cornwall.
Camilla, 74 years old, whose simplicity is appreciated by the British, has become an essential part of the monarchy, with many commitments. The term consort applies to the husband or wife of a reigning monarch. Theoretically then, Camilla was to become queen, but her title had been the subject of endless controversy after her marriage in 2005 to Prince Charles, some arguing that she should rather be known as princess consort, because of the sensitivity of the subject after the death of Princess Diana. Camilla, a divorcee, has long been perceived as the one who broke up the fairy tale marriage of Prince Charles, whose mistress she was, with Diana. As recently as last year, less than half of Britons wanted her to be crowned queen. The Queen closed the debate on Saturday. Elizabeth II has largely withdrawn from public life since suffering health problems in October.
Two appearances before her Platinum Jubilee on Sunday showed her frail and walking slowly. Traditionally, February 6 is a bittersweet day of private contemplation for her at the royal estate of Sandringham. For it is both the date of her accession to the throne in 1952 at age 25, but also that of the death of her father King George VI, to whom she was very attached, of lung cancer at age 56.
This year is also her first anniversary of reign without her beloved husband Prince Philip, who died in April 2021 at 99 years, while the monarchy is living a tormented period between the accusations of sexual assault aimed at his son Andrew and the installation in the United States of his grandson Harry with his wife Meghan. Before joining Sandringham, the queen had examined, at Windsor Castle, objects and messages that had been addressed to her for her previous jubilees. A video showed her smiling, looking at a card made of bottle caps and the recipe for a perfect queen imagined by a little girl, with 500 ml of royal blood, a little bit of jewelry and a dash of loyalty. A double brooch of diamonds and aquamarines given to her by her father was pinned to her blue dress, she also admired a fan that belonged to Queen Victoria and got a glimpse of the first desserts created in a competition launched for the Platinum Jubilee.
On Saturday, she hosted a reception in Sandringham for members of the local community and associations, as well as a woman who helped create the British classic coronation chicken for the coronation banquet in 1953.
In Parliament this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked the tireless dedication of Elizabeth II, who remains extremely popular. For the Jubilee, commemorative coins have been minted and eight stamps issued, depicting her at different times during her reign. Her portrait will be shown briefly on Sunday on giant screens in several cities across the country, including Piccadilly in London. On Monday, a 42-gun salute will be fired in the center of the capital. Four days of festivities, joyfully awaited by the British, are planned for early June. They will start with Trooping the Colour, the parade that officially celebrates its anniversary every year. A big concert is also planned as well as a historical re-enactment of the 70 years of reign of a queen who has lived through times and crises, and thousands of popular lunches.