It's the dawn of a new era.
Following the Sept. 8 death of Queen Elizabeth II, Buckingham Palace announced that her eldest son, Charles, is officially the King of the United Kingdom. As such, his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, has been given the title Queen Consort, as confirmed by the palace in their statement.
For some, this may come as a surprise, as Clarence House previously stated in 2005 that Camilla would be referred to as Princess Consort when Charles assumed the throne.
However, in February 2022, Queen Elizabeth shared that she would like the former Duchess of Cornwall to be called the Queen Consort. "When, in the fullness of time, my son Charles becomes King, I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me," she said during her Jubilee celebrations, "and it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service."
As royal expert Jonathan Sacerdoti told E! News, this was a sign of the Queen's confidence in the King and his wife of more than a decade. "There was always some doubt over whether she would be called Queen Consort," he said, "And I think the Queen has now made it clear that she would like her to be known as that."
But Sacerdoti noted that little else will change for Camilla, adding, "It's really a symbol of acceptance."
As it stands, Camilla already performs many royal duties on the family's behalf, appearing at ceremonies and participating in charitable events, like the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Ireland and Canada. And while she will likely partake in more events following a period of mourning, Camilla's role will largely look the same.
Nonetheless, Camilla's title change is worth noting, as she was previously dubbed the Duchess of Cornwall instead of the Princess of Wales upon her 2005 marriage to Charles due to poor public sentiment over the nuptials.
However, Sacerdoti is optimistic that the people will come to love their new Queen Consort. "I do think that it will be hard, but I think over the years they've worked really hard to achieve that and they're getting there," he said. "She's one of the hardest working members of the working royal family, they say, and she's championed causes that are important to people."