Coronation of King Charles: The word “Queen Camilla” is officially used for the first time in a coronation invitation

London (CNN) Buckingham Palace on Tuesday issued King Charles’ coronation invitation, in which his wife was titled Queen Camilla for the first time.

The intricate invitation, which was printed on recycled card and includes a pictorial frame of wildflowers and green men from British folklore, was titled: “The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla.”

Camilla was given the title Queen Consort after the death of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband’s accession to the throne.

A royal source told CNN: “It would have been sensible to refer to Her Majesty as The Queen’s Queen in the early months of His Majesty’s reign, to differentiate from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

The source added, “Queen Camilla is the appropriate title to be set against ‘King Charles’ in the invitation. The coronation is the right time to start using ‘Queen Camilla’ in an official capacity.” “All previous Queen’s escorts have been known as ‘The Queen’ plus their given name.”

The invitation will be sent to the “2,000 guests who will make up the congregation at Westminster Abbey” for Service on May 6thAccording to a press release issued by the palace.

The statement wrote that Prince George, Charles’s grandson and heir to the throne, will be one of eight boys chosen “to attend Their Majesty during the coronation service.” The group includes three of Camilla’s grandchildren, according to the statement.

And the palace released a new photo of the couple on Tuesday, taken last month at Buckingham Palace by British photographer Hugo Bernand, who took their wedding photos in 2005.

change positions

Camila’s change of address on the invitation marks her long journey through the court of public opinion.

Since she and Charles married, Camilla has worked hard as a senior royal, standing by Charles and championing charities that help women and children. But many people find it hard to forget, Or forgive them, their long-running relationship and the pain caused by Charles’ first wife, the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

Speculation has mounted over the years as to what title she would have when Charles succeeded to the throne. In 2005, Clarence House issued a statement saying that she would be known as “Princess Consort” when Charles took the throne. Some in the palace felt at the time that the public wasn’t ready for Camilla to take the title of queen that was destined for Diana.

But attitudes towards Camila have softened over the years. In 2015, a CNN poll found that one in four Britons had grown to like her more and more opposed her becoming queen.

Then, in February 2022, the late Queen Elizabeth used a Platinum Jubilee milestone to give her blessing, saying that when Charles ascends to the throne, the Duchess of Cornwall will be known “as The Queen Consort while continuing her loyal service.”

The coronation will witness three days of festivities across the country to which the public will be invited to participate.

The White House on Tuesday confirmed this US President Joe Biden will miss the coronation ceremony. According to a White House readout of a call between Biden and King Charles, the president said First Lady Jill Biden would attend the coronation ceremony on behalf of the United States and congratulated Charles on the upcoming event.

The statement added that Biden “expressed his desire to meet the king in the United Kingdom at a later date.”

US officials note that Biden is following a precedent where no previous US president attended the British monarch’s coronation.

Phil Mattingly and Jesse Gretner contributed to this report.