“Honouring the memory of Diana”: What Queen Camilla’s title will be when Will & Kate take to the throne
Many of us are still adjusting to a change of monarch after Queen Elizabeth II’s record-breaking 70 year rule, so it’s hard to imagine a world where the reign will change again. However, at some point in the future, it will be the Prince and Princess of Wales’ turn to step up as the new King and Queen, which will mean a reshuffle of the family order. While the roles of all the senior royals will shift to varying degrees, the biggest change will likely be for Queen Camilla. So, what will happen to the current Queen in the next royal era?
‘She’ll still legally retain her Queenly title, much like the Queen Mother,’ says royal expert Victoria Howard. ‘Although that could be used, I don’t foresee it. She’s not actually William’s mother and with the memory of Diana, I don’t see her doing that. I think the palace will formally refer to her as something like Dowager Queen Camilla.’
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Queen Camilla on Coronation Day.
The next question which remains for Queen Camilla, is what her role will be within the fold when she’s no longer reigning Queen. Throughout her royal career, Queen Camilla has been a dedicated supporter of a number of causes, and Victoria predicts that she’ll continue much of that work.
‘She’s an intrinsic part of the family that William and Catherine get along fairly well with,’ says Victoria. ‘Unless there’s any kind of health reasons or age-related reasons perhaps that she can no longer continue to support the Royal Family, she will do some engagements.’
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Victoria believes that King Charles would want her to ‘continue doing her bit and supporting William and Catherine.’ She adds, ‘that’s the way the family operates. They’re there for one another in a working capacity, absolutely, when they need to be.’
Working is also likely to be a personal choice for Queen Camilla, who will want to continue to support organisations she has a long history with. ‘She’s passionate about many of her causes; osteoporosis, domestic violence, literacy, so I can’t see her abandoning her entire set of patronages.’
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Queen Camilla in discussion about the positive impact of reading on mental health, with people supported by local domestic violence charity The Elm Foundation during the Queen’s Reading Room Festival in 2025.
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King Charles and Queen Camilla inside Clarence House.
Victoria also foresees Queen Camilla remaining at the residence she’s lived in with King Charles. ‘I imagine she might stay at Clarence House. The couple are still there now, even though they’re King and Queen and they formally should be moving into Buckingham Palace,’ she explains. ‘Because William has no attachment to Clarence House, I don’t imagine he’ll ask her to leave.’
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