Camilla to Become Queen Consort, Prince William and Catherine React

Prince William and his wife Catherine have publicly reacted to the Queen's statement that she wishes her daughter-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, to become Queen Consort when her eldest son Prince Charles takes over the throne.

The statement was made over the weekend to mark the Queen's 70th year on the throne, making her the first British monarch to ever reach the impressive milestone.

To celebrate the special occasion, Her Majesty shared a rare message with fans in which she thanked them for their support throughout the last seven decades.

She also took the opportunity to thank her late husband Prince Philip for the unselfish sacrifices he had made in the role of consort.

And it was on that topic that the Queen made an important request, asking members of the public to accept her son's wife Camilla as Queen Consort when the time comes.

In her statement posted on the Royal Family's official website and social media pages, the 95-year-old monarch said that, “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.

And it's my sincere wish that when the time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service.”

While royal tradition states that the wife of a British monarch be given the title Queen Consort, the Queen's decision to allow Camilla to take it on was not always a certainty.

Over the years, royal reporters have speculated the title Camilla would take on when the time came for Prince Charles to ascend the throne.

Due to her highly publicised affair with Charles and the nation's love and admiration for the late Princess Diana, many believed Camilla would become Princess Consort instead of Queen Consort.

This decision would have been similar to the one taken in 2005 when Camilla married Charles and did not take on the title of Princess of Wales.

Instead, Camilla became the Duchess of Cornwall, a decision thought to be made as a sign of respect for the late Diana.

Her Majesty's request for Camilla to become Queen Consort when Prince Charles takes the throne came as somewhat of a surprise to royal fans, as seen in the comments section on the Royal Family's official Instagram account, where many royal fans expressed their unhappiness with the idea of Camilla becoming Queen Consort.

“Diana, the real Queen forever,” wrote one royalist, while another commented, “Diana, the one and only.”

But it seems others were quite pleased with the Queen's request, including Prince William and Catherine, who responded publicly by liking the Queen's statement on Instagram via their own Duke and Duchess of Cambridge account.

The Queen's announcement meant it was likely that, when Charles does become King, his wife Camilla will be known as Queen Consort.

At this time, Prince William will take on the title of Prince of Wales, meaning Catherine will be known as the Princess of Wales, a title that hasn't been used since Diana's tragic death in 1997.

“I'm sure it'll be a bit of a bittersweet moment,” a source told the Telegraph.