Dispute over ‘Queen Camilla’ rumbles on

THE row over whether Camilla Parker Bowles will take the title Queen of Britain when Prince Charles succeeds to the throne continued yesterday.

Royal aides insisted that she will be known as the princess consort when the prince takes the throne. Charles’s communications secretary Paddy Harverson firmly denied claims that the household had misled the public and said the matter had been made clear from the beginning.

“Mrs Parker Bowles’s wishes have been made clear from the start that she does not wish to take the title of queen and the prince is in full agreement.”

The British government yesterday confirmed Ms Parker Bowles would automatically become queen when Prince Charles accedes unless there was a change in legislation.

But Mr Harverson said that Charles’s office and the government agreed she could choose to take on the title princess consort without a change in the law.

He said: “The implication of some of today’s media reporting is that Mrs Parker Bowles would have to be called queen unless there is legislation. This is incorrect and not in accordance with the government’s advice.”

The announcement that legislation would be needed to prevent Ms Parker Bowles becoming queen came in response to a parliamentary question from backbench Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay.

Mr Mackinlay denounced the latest statement as “wrong and arrogant”.

“We are being asked to accept that the law is what they say it is,” he said. “I don’t accept that.

“They have missed the point. This is not a matter for them, it is matter for parliament. Parliament is the custodian of the constitution,” he said.

“The government’s advice has never been published and it should be.”