Camilla gets Diana's title
2005-04-03 08:42
London - Camilla Parker Bowles will be given the title Princess of Wales, the one most associated with the late Princess Diana, when she marries Britain's Prince Charles on Friday, a newspaper said on Sunday.
The title will be confirmed in a parliamentary statement in response to a question from Andrew MacKinlay, a member of parliament from the governing Labour Party, the Sunday Times said.
The title will likely anger supporters of the late princess, who blamed Parker Bowles for the breakup of her marriage to Prince Charles, it said.
As a sop to public opinion, Parker Bowles has made it known she wants to be called Duchess of Cornwall, taking another of Charles's titles, after her wedding.
She would change it to Princess Consort on his succession to the throne, rather than be called queen.
However, Chris Leslie, the constitutional affairs minister, will confirm on Monday that she will be given all her husband's titles, the Sunday Times said.
The list includes Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Earl of Chester, Lord of the Isles and Great Steward of Scotland, the newspaper said.
Senior government officials said it would take an act of parliament to change the law for Parker Bowles not to accept the titles, the newspaper said.
MacKinlay believes parliament is the custodian of the constitution and it is not the place of senior royal household members to tell the country what they would like people to be called, the newspaper said.