Coronation Special: How to be a queen

As this magazine reaches your doormats, the anticipation of King Charles III coronation on 6 May will be reaching fever pitch. The last coronation of a king, Charles’ grandfather, George VI was nearly a century ago, on 12 May 1937.

King George VI was 42, and his wife, Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, 37 when they became king and queen. Charles and Camilla will be 74 and 75 respectively at the coronation, taking up their new roles when most of their contemporaries will be relaxing into retirement.

While all eyes will be on the king, what does it mean for Camilla? The expression “behind every great man is a great woman” is perhaps applicable here. Camilla’s role is to support the King, feeding into his emotional strength, support and wellbeing.  

Journey to becoming a queen

Camilla Parker Bowles married into the royal family in 2005, when she was 57, and has been Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall since then. Her engagement ring once belonged to the Queen Mother.

Camilla’s life shows us that you don’t have to have led a perfect life to be a queen. Her relationship with Charles did not start well – their love blossomed as an extra-marital affair. 

We know that they chose sin, and hurt many people as a result (someone recently called an affair a cluster bomb – because of the vast reaches of people who are hurt by it). But we can recall how the repentant David experienced mercy (as well as difficult consequences) after his affair with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11–12). And in the story of the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1–11) Jesus told the teachers of the law, who were about to stone her, that the one without sin should cast the first stone. After they had left, he told the woman to go and sin no more.

Camilla’s role is to support the King, feeding into his emotional strength, support and wellbeing

Our future queen, Camilla was also caught in adultery and has been shown mercy and forgiveness. She will, along with her husband, be crowned and anointed under God as Queen Consort.

What does a queen do?

Camilla’s role of Queen Consort is, at its most fundamental, no different to that of any wife. It is primarily to provide companionship and moral and practical support to her husband (who happens to also be the monarch). Interestingly, the name Camilla means ‘helper to the priest’, which was the role Eve was given right back in Genesis 2:18, when God said he would make a “helper suitable” for Adam. The Hebrew phrase for this is ezer knegdow. The word knegdow is most translated as ‘suitable’, and refers to an exactly corresponding counterpart. Literally, it means ‘standing opposite to’.

Camilla’s role as queen is to be a wife to her husband, to stand opposite, support and help. This is not about being ‘ruled over’ or taking a submissive role because of being female. On the contrary, it is a powerful role – and the power comes in the same way as Jesus taught us…by serving others. 

Spiritual advice for a queen

If Camilla wanted some spiritual advice on how to be a queen, she could find it in Proverbs 31. The verses were written by a queen mother, to her son, King Lemuel about the type of woman he should look for as queen. Many scholars have suggested Lemuel was King Solomon, taking this advice from his mother, Bathsheba.

Verse 10 starts with “A wife of noble character who can find?” and the woman described in the subsequent verses is industrious. She opens her arms to the poor and needy. Since marrying, Camilla has already become patron or president of more than 90 charities and part of her work includes supporting survivors of rape and sexual assault.

Royalty is not about being high and mighty, too special to be concerned with others. Being a queen is looking to help those around you. Bringing it closer to home: what does it look like for each one of us to be outward looking?

King Lemuel’s mother wraps up her advice with words we can all take to heart: “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised” (v30).

How can Camilla be a success as queen? She should start with a fear of the Lord.