LONDON (REUTERS) - Britain's Prince Charles has thanked his mother Queen Elizabeth for publicly stating her desire that his wife Camilla becomes Queen Consort when he becomes king, acknowledging the honour on the 70th anniversary of her accession to the British throne.
The request - a blessing that will likely remove the need for any discussion about future titles - follows an earlier era when Camilla was vilified by the tabloid press for the breakdown of Charles' marriage to his first wife, the late Princess Diana.
The 95-year-old queen said it was her "sincere wish" that when the day comes, Camilla would be known as Queen Consort.
Charles made his response on Sunday (Feb 6) when he led tributes from world and religious leaders to the monarch as she passed a milestone never reached by any of her predecessors in nearly 1,000 years of a line that traces its origin back to Norman King William I and his 1066 conquest of England.
"We are deeply conscious of the honour represented by my mother's wish," Charles said in a statement. "As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout."
The long-time lovers were married in 2005, enabling Camilla to gradually take on a more prominent role. With a current title of Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla is now a popular member of the royal family and regularly appears at official duties alongside the queen, Charles and his son, William, and wife Kate.
Diana, the mother of Princes William and Harry, died in a Paris car crash in 1997.
The statement on the future of the monarchy comes as the country celebrates the queen's role over the last 70 years. Britain will hold four days of national events in June to mark her platinum jubilee.
Charles was joined by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the White House, the Archbishop of Canterbury and other politicians in praising the queen for her dedication to public service.
"Throughout the past 70 years, she has strengthened the ties of friendship, shared ideals, and faith in democracy that forever unite our countries," the White House of US President Joe Biden said.
