Prince George to be Page of Honour at Coronation when Camilla will become known as 'The Queen'

King Charles and the Queen Consort. Credit: PA

The Queen Consort will be known as Queen Camilla from the time of the Coronation in May.

With a month to go until the historic service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May, Buckingham Palace has released details of the invitations along with a new photograph of the King and Queen and details of the Pages of Honour who will carry the robes.

Prince George, himself a future King, will be one of the eight Pages of Honour.

The invitations “by Command of the King”, will be released shortly to the 2,000 guests who will sit in Westminster Abbey and states it is for “The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla”.

The wife, or consort, of a King has always been referred to as “The Queen” but Buckingham Palace has always referred to Camilla as the Queen Consort since the Accession last year.

The hand drawn invitation to the coronation. Credit: Buckingham Palace

Royal sources say it was intended to “distinguish her from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II” during the “early months” of the King's reign.

It’s been decided that Camilla will become “Queen Camilla” as the appropriate title set against “King Charles”, or simply “The Queen”.

That was how the Queen Mother was referred to during King George VI’s reign.

Similarly, King George V’s consort, Mary, and King Edward VII’s, Alexandra, were also known as “The Queen”.

The title Camilla would use when Charles ascended to the throne was a very controversial subject for many years, following his divorce from Princess Diana in 1996.

It was a subject no courtier would dare go near.

But the late Queen announced last year, on the day she marked her 70-year reign, that she would like her daughter-in-law to be known as the Queen Consort when the time came.

The new photograph was taken last month in the Blue Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace by photographer Hugo Brunand.

There will be eight Pages of Honour throughout the Coronation Service who will carry the robes.

Prince George will be a Page of Honour. Credit: PA

King Charles’ four Pages, who will form part of the procession through the Nave of Westminster Abbey, include his grandson, Prince George of Wales.

Others include Lord Oliver Cholmondeley, Nicholas Barclay and Ralph Tollemache.

The Queen Consort’s four Pages of Honour will be her grandsons, Gus and Louis Lopes and Freddy Parker Bowles, plus her great-nephew, Arthur Elliot.

The artwork on the Coronation invitations was originally hand-painted in watercolour and will be printed on recycled card, in keeping with the King’s passion for the environment.

A motif of the Green Man appears at the bottom of the card, a figure from British folklore which symbolises spring and rebirth to celebrate the new reign of Charles III.


Listen to the latest episode of the Royal Rota podcast


Flowers appear in groupings of three, signifying The King becoming the third monarch of his name, Charles.

The design, by heraldic artist, Andrew Jamieson, includes a British wildflower meadow on the borders featuring lily of the valley, cornflowers, wild strawberries, dog roses, bluebells, and a sprig of rosemary for remembrance.

The wildlife includes a butterfly, a ladybird, a wren and a robin.

A lion, a unicorn and a boar are among the flowers and have been taken from the coats of arms of Their Majesties.

Buckingham Palace is releasing more details of the Coronation Service next month, which includes an additional Bank Holiday on 8 May.