While King Charles III had some pretty standard things to share in his first speech as Britain's
monarch, there’s one part that irked fans everywhere – and it had to do with Queen
Consort Camilla Parker Bowles.
"I count, on the loving help of my darling wife, Camilla."
In his address, Charles said he counts on her to continue his charity work and that
her role as he becomes king will change.
His highlight on her new role, struck a chord with fans who believe Camilla’s not worthy
of such a title as…
"My queen consort."
Fans made it clear that they still support Princess Diana, King Charles' former wife
who tragically died 25 years ago.
Diana never got the chance to be called queen, given her untimely death, and even then, she
had already separated from Charles due to his not-so-secret affair with Camilla.
One Diana fan on Twitter said:
"Charles really cheated on Princess Diana for Rottweiler Camilla.
Like it's not even making sense.
The bar is so low.
And no one's even gonna respect nor acknowledge her as queen consort but just a mistress.
I mean can they just skip Charles?"
Another Diana fan staunchly added on the same site, tweeting:
"Elizabeth is dead.
Charles now sits on the throne.
It's not right that Camilla gets to be the queen consort.
That title will always belong to the beautiful queen of our hearts, Princess Diana!"
Even though Camilla's popularity has improved over the years, it's quite clear there are
still people who found her affair with Charles unforgivable.
King Charles III and Princess Diana's previous marriage was anything but a fairytale.
The couple famously married in July 1981, but their relationship was doomed from the
start.
Charles had already been in love with Camilla Parker Bowles, as the two had dated before
he married Diana, but they didn't end up together because it was known that she already had
quote, "experiences" with other men, per Biography.
Camilla ended up marrying Andrew Parker Bowles, while Charles was betrothed to Diana.
However, in the middle of their marriage, Charles struck up an extramarital affair with
Camilla, and Diana was privy to it all.
In 1995, Diana directly addressed the issue in an interview with BBC One's Panorama, saying:
"Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
Diana also reportedly confronted Camilla, per The Telegraph, saying in an audiotape
made for her biographer:
"I know what's going on between you and Charles and I just want you to know that.
I do know what's going on.
Don't treat me like an idiot.'"
In 1993, the Mirror published a transcript of Charles and Camilla's phone call from 1989,
where they spoke about the intimate nature of their relationship.
It had been a huge scandal then, and Charles didn't address it until a year later when
he admitted to the affair.
When he was asked if he was loyal to Diana, he confessed:
"Yes, until it became irretrievably broken down."
Come 1996, he and Diana finalized their divorce.
It's worth noting that Camilla Parker Bowles' queen consort title has nothing to do with
any official roles in the royal family.
As USA Today describes it, the title is just a fancy term for the wife of a reigning king,
and its function is akin to being the first lady of the United States.
While there's high visibility and pressure, there is essentially no job description, and
she's only expected to support the king to her fullest capacity.
It's hard to imagine she who was once the quote, "most hated woman in Britain" according
to The Independent, and is now queen consort.
She was also called all sorts of names in the media up until Queen Elizabeth II publicly
acknowledged her in her Diamond Jubilee speech, saying:
"I know you will give him and his wife Camilla the same support that you have given me; 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."
Over the years, the palace also made strides in turning Camilla's image around, which seems
to have helped considerably.
According to a YouGov poll, 39% of the public accepts her queen consort title, while 20%
think she should be an actual queen.
Then again, there's still the 23% who believe Camilla should not have any title at all,
perhaps out of respect to the late Diana.