What does a Queen Consort do?

 

Camilla's new title, explained: What's the difference between queen and 'Queen Consort'?

King Charles III now presides over the British monarchy. And by his side: Queen Camilla.

Wait a second. When Queen Elizabeth II, who died Thursday, reigned for her 70 years, her better half wasn't King Philip but rather HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As with many things royal, it's complicated.

Camilla's new title was set in motion last February, when Elizabeth decreed during festivities marking her seven decades on the throne that the Duchess of Cornwall should be known as Queen Consort, as opposed to Princess Consort, when Charles ascended to the throne.

"Queen Consort" is the fancy name for the wife of a reigning king, which the United Kingdom has not had since 1952, when King George VI died and his widow, Queen Elizabeth, became the Queen Mother. 

Confused? You're not alone. We shall endeavor to explain.

What is a queen consort?

All previous wives of British or English kings were queen consorts (that includes all six of Henry VIII's wives, at least while they were married to him). In the 20th century, there were two: Queen Mary, wife of King George V, and Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII (Queen Elizabeth II's grandmother and great-grandmother, respectively).

Handy hint: Here's how you can tell the difference between the two Elizabeths: Queen Elizabeth II had a Roman numeral after her name, signifying her as the second sovereign of that name, not a consort.

Also for the record, there have been only six British or English reigning queens among the 41 monarchs since 1066 – Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne, Victoria, Elizabeth II – so it's easier to tell them apart. 

What does a Queen Consort do?

As with the first lady of the United States, there's no job description, no official duties and no salary. But there's high visibility, high pressure and high expectations from the public whose taxes pay for the monarchy.

In general, a queen consort's job is to support the king in any way she can. Job No. 1 is to birth heirs, but that isn't an issue for Charles, 73, and Camilla, 75, who each have children from their previous marriages. The royal succession is set for three more generations: After Charles comes his elder son, Prince William, 40, and after that William's elder son, Prince George, 9.

As the wife of the Prince of Wales for the past 17 years, Camilla has already been doing what a queen consort would do: She is a royal patron to scores of charities and good causes, accompanies her husband on royal tours, meets thousands of people every year, and is gracious and charming with everyone. 

One no-no: getting involved in political matters.

Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, who became queen consort after her brother-in-law King Edward VIII abdicated in 1936, helped save the British monarchy by steeling her husband, who was nearly undone by the pressures of being an unexpected king, especially during World War II.

She went with him everywhere, visiting bombed-out Londoners in the East End and spreading her brand of royal magic that people remembered fondly many decades later. When Buckingham Palace was bombed in 1940 and the king and queen narrowly escaped harm, she said she was glad because it "makes me feel I can look the East End in the face."