A princess consort is the female equivalent to a prince consort. It is a title or more informal designation normally given to a princess who is the wife of a sovereign prince. It may also be given to the spouse of a king, if the designation queen consort is not used, or more informally, may even describe the family position of any woman who marries into certain royalty, as long as she has obtained her own title of Princess.
Currently, there is only one princess consort of a head of state in Europe - Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein.
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United Kingdom and Commonwealth Realms
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It has been announced that the title will be given to Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, as an alternative to queen consort if and when Charles, Prince of Wales, becomes King of the United Kingdom.[1] This is due to the somewhat controversial nature of the Prince's relationship with her, as both have previously been married and divorced, and they have been partners for many years. Since her wedding, the former Camilla Parker Bowles has used the style Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. If and when Charles ascends to the throne she would be known in the United Kingdom as Her Royal Highness The Princess Consort. Although she may not be known as Queen Camilla, barring an Act of Parliament, she will legally become queen consort the moment Charles ascends the throne.
Previously, all women married to English, Scottish and British kings regnant (except Mary II who was a joint-sovereign) have become queens consort. In addition Mary I's husband, Phillip was made king consort. The creation of the title princess consort may be seen as a modern version of the tradition of morganatic marriage,[2] which was used in Europe in earlier centuries when a royal personage wished to marry a person whose rank was too low for them to be granted full royal status under the social values of the time. The morganatic spouse would not receive his or her spouse's full title, although he or she might be granted a lower title, and the children of the marriage would not be in the line of succession to the throne. However, the issue in this case is not the prior rank of the Duchess of Cornwall, as few people would now object to an heir to the throne marrying a 'commoner' (although she is from an aristocratic family), but the personal histories involved. Morganatic marriage was proposed but dismissed as a possibility for Wallis Simpson, who married the former King Edward VIII after his abdication.
Morocco
The consort of King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Princess Lalla Salma, is styled as HRH the Princess Consort; the case is rather the reverse of that of Camilla, as Princess Lalla Salma is the first Moroccan royal consort to receive any title.
References
- ^ "Official website of the British Monarchy". http://www.royal.gov.uk/ThecurrentRoyalFamily/ThePrinceofWales/ThePrinceofWales.aspx. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
- ^ Varin, Andra (15 February 2005). "'HRH' -- Camilla Is Getting Those Magic Initials". ABC News International. http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=490071&page=1. Retrieved 2007-03-05.
See also
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