Surprise after 70 years: Queen sends a strong signal

Created: 2/6/2022Updated: 2/6/2022 4:58 am

According to the Queen, Duchess Camilla should one day become queen alongside the heir to the throne, Prince Charles.

(Archive image) © Chris Jackson/PA Wire/dpa

70 years on the throne - and the Queen still doesn't think about quitting.

For her anniversary, she has a surprise in store for the British that will outlast her own death.

Sandringham/London - It is rare for Queen Elizabeth II to address her people directly.

Especially on February 6, the anniversary of her father's death and thus the anniversary of her accession to the throne, she likes it quiet and secluded.

But this year is different.

The Queen is again spending the day at her country estate in East England, Sandringham.

But what Buckingham Palace is sending out into the world on the eve of its 70th anniversary has it all: Camilla, the wife of Prince Charles, is to be called Queen one day at the express wish of the monarch.

Also, with rare clarity, Elizabeth II makes a new promise to her people.

Elizabeth's father George VI

died February 6, 1952, making his eldest daughter Queen.

No monarch has been on the throne of the United Kingdom longer than she.

Charles and Camilla 'touched and honored'

"It is my sincere wish that when the time comes, Camilla will be known as the 'Queen Consort,'" Elizabeth II wrote in her statement released Saturday night.

Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla reacted "touched and honored".

That the wives of kings are crowned as "Queen Consort" is actually the rule.

This was also the case with the mother and grandmother of the current Queen.

However, in the case of Camilla, who was blamed for breaking up Prince Charles and Princess Diana decades ago, the issue has long been moot.

Around Charles' and Camilla's wedding 17 years ago, there was a heated public debate about whether Camilla should one day bear the title or not.

According to insiders, Camilla herself has long planned to call herself "Princess Consort" when her husband succeeds to the throne.

According to experts, the Duchess of Cornwall - according to her current official title - would have become the legal queen anyway if a corresponding change in the law had not been introduced beforehand to prevent this.

Camilla has established herself

With her public statement, Queen Elizabeth II has now taken Camilla's position in the British royal family to a new level.

In recent years, it has become increasingly popular with the British people and has established itself as a prominent member of the Royal Family.

The 74-year-old is considered approachable in public appearances, down-to-earth and humorous.

Former BBC Royal Correspondent Peter Hunt called the Queen's message extraordinary.

It makes the monarchy future-proof.

And.

"Camilla's journey from third person in marriage to Queen-to-be is complete."

Also extraordinary is the promise that the Queen - so clearly for the first time in more than seven decades - gives to her people.

"It gives me joy to renew the promise I made in 1947 that my life would always be dedicated to service," she wrote.

For decades, the statement made by the Queen in 1947, before the start of her reign, has been seen as a promise that she would not abdicate before the end of her life.

The then princess said in a speech: "I declare that my whole life, be it short or long, should be devoted to service."

Abuse scandal overshadows anniversary

The anniversary weekend was once again overshadowed by the abuse scandal involving the second oldest son of Queen Prince Andrew.

According to media reports, the Royal is to be questioned under oath in London in March on the allegations of abuse.

There has long been concern that the upcoming trial in the USA could overshadow the year in which the monarchy actually wanted to be celebrated extensively.

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The record anniversary is to be celebrated across the country for several days at the beginning of June.

But the Queen couldn't do without celebrations in Sandringham this weekend either.

At a reception with volunteers and local residents, she cut a cake on Saturday.

The fact that the emblem on the cake was upside down for her - perfectly aligned in the direction of the press photographers - didn't bother the queen much.

"I don't count," was her amused comment.

dpa