London (CNN) — Buckingham Palace on Tuesday released the invitation for the coronation of King Charles of England, in which his wife was titled Queen Camilla for the first time.
The intricate invitation, which is printed on recycled card stock and includes an illustrated border of wildflowers and the Green Man from British folklore, was headlined with the text: “The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.”
Camilla assumed the title of Queen Consort upon the death of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband’s accession to the throne.
Buckingham Palace made public this Tuesday the invitation to the coronation of King Charles III, in which his wife was titled Queen Camilla for the first time.
“It made sense to refer to Her Majesty as the Queen Consort in the early months of Her Majesty’s reign, to distinguish herself from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II,” a royal source told CNN.
“‘Queen Camilla’ is the appropriate title to contrast ‘King Charles’ on the invitation. The coronation is the appropriate time to start using ‘Queen Camilla’ in an official capacity,” the source added. “All previous queen consorts were known as ‘queen’ plus their given names.”
The invitation will go out to “2,000 guests who will form the congregation at Westminster Abbey” for the May 6 service, according to a palace news release.
Prince George, Charles’s grandson and heir to the throne, will be one of eight children chosen to “assist Their Majesties during the coronation service,” according to the statement. The group includes Camilla’s three grandchildren, according to the statement.
Change of actitud
Camilla’s title change on the invitation marks her long journey through the court of public opinion.
Since marrying Carlos, Camilla has worked hard as a royal, standing by Carlos’s side and championing charities that help women and children. But many people find it hard to forget, or forgive, their long affair and the pain it caused Charles’s first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
The palace also released a new portrait of the couple on Tuesday, taken last month at Buckingham Palace by British photographer Hugo Burnand, who shot their wedding photos in 2005.
Throughout the years there has been speculation about the title that he would take when Carlos acceded to the throne. In 2005, Clarence House issued a statement saying that she would be known as “Princess Consort” when Charles ascended the throne. Some in the palace thought then that the public was not ready for Camilla to take the title of queen that had been destined for Diana.
But attitudes toward Camilla have softened over the years. In 2015, a CNN poll revealed that one in four Britons had increased their sympathy for her and fewer opposed her being known as her queen.
Then, in February 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth used the milestone of her Platinum Jubilee to give her blessing, saying that when Charles acceded to the throne, the Duchess of Cornwall would be known “as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.” .”
The coronation will feature three days of celebrations throughout the country in which the public will be invited to participate.
The White House confirmed this Tuesday that the president of the United States, Joe Biden, will not attend the coronation. According to a White House readout of a call between Biden and King Carlos, the president said that the first celebrity, Jill Biden, will attend the coronation on behalf of the US and congratulated Carlos on the upcoming event.
Biden also “conveyed his wish to meet the King in the UK at a future date,” according to the reading.
US officials noted that Biden follows precedent, as no previous US president attended the coronation of a British monarch.
Phil Mattingly and Jesse Gretener contributed to this report.