Seventy years ago, in classrooms and public venues in the UK and Commonwealth, people sang God Save the Queen for the first time in 51 years. On February 6, 1952, Queen Elizabeth came to the throne. Queen Victoria had died on January 22, 1901.
In the half century between, it had been God Save the King. Victoria was followed by her son Edward VII (1901-1910). He by his son George V (1910-1936). Then he by his sons, Edward VIII (1936) then George VI (1936-1952).
Victoria and Elizabeth II are the two longest reigning monarchs in British history, nearly 64 years and 70 years respectively. They are queens regnant, monarchs in their own right. Wives of kings, also called Queen, are queens consort. Short form for both: Queen.
Queens and King
That’s why, in 1952, the British royal family had three queens. Elizabeth II was the reigning monarch. Her mother, also Queen Elizabeth, became a dowager queen and queen mother. Her grandmother Queen Mary, widow of George V, was also a dowager queen and queen mother.
While there can be more than one queen, there is only one king at a time. The title of king outranks queen and so is given only to a reigning male monarch. Elizabeth gave her husband Philip the next highest title, Prince. Victoria named Albert, her husband, Prince Consort. Only twice was the husband of a British queen regnant given the title of King (Queens Mary I and II) and, both times, the husbands acted as if they were the predominant monarch. So it hasn’t been done again in over 300 years.
When Elizabeth’s father took the throne in 1936, the year itself was worthy of commemorative plates and tea towels. King George VI was the third king that year. That had happened only twice before: in 1066 when William the Conqueror vied with two other contenders for the throne and in 1483 during the War of the Roses.
Half a millennium later, in January 1936, George V died. His eldest son took the throne as Edward VIII, then abdicated in December to marry Wallis Simpson. Edward had no children, so his younger brother became George VI. His heirs were his daughters, the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.
God Save the King – and Consort
If Elizabeth’s heirs live good long lives, it will be a long time before anyone again sings God Save the Queen. Charles, William and George – all future kings. Charles and William already have their future queens.
But would Charles’ wife be Queen Camilla? The circumstances of their 2005 marriage had busied the royal problem solvers. The solution was announced by Buckingham Palace: when Charles becomes king, Camilla would be called HRH The Princess Consort. A brand new title, designed specifically for her.
The need for this was due both to protocol and optics. The Church of England did not permit divorced people to remarry. Camilla was divorced from Andrew Parker Bowles. Charles, technically a widower by that time, had also been divorced. This already slippery ground for the Church was further made impossible by appearances.
Charles’ first wife had been Diana. Her life, marriage and death played out on the public stage. Camilla was the co-star of the show. So, just as it was deemed unseemly for Camilla to use the title by which Diana was known, the Princess of Wales, it was deemed unseemly for her to take the title which would have been Diana’s in a different future, Queen.
“My sincere wish…”
Since then, however, speculation has been that Charles wants Camilla to be called Queen Consort when he comes to the throne. Yesterday, in her Accession Day message, Queen Elizabeth ended the speculation. She wrote “it is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort.” So, a hope that time has lessened the controversy? I doubt the Queen’s wish will be denied, so it’s Camilla, Queen Consort or Queen Camilla.
With William and Kate, assuming they continue as they’ve been, there is no reason for debate over her titles. She will be Princess of Wales, then Queen Catherine. A queen consort.
God Save the Queen
Meanwhile, “long to reign over us, God save the Queen.” The metal to mark a 70th anniversary is platinum. The alternate metal for it is iron. Rarity and strength – both emblematic of Queen Elizabeth II.
- My King George VI has more on this day, and The King and Us discusses the abdication of Edward VIII. Queen Elizabeth II shows her life in my mother’s scrapbooks.
- See The Four Marriages of Philip II of Spain for more about Mary Tudor and husband Philip. Here is more on William III and Mary II.
