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| COUPLE: Charles and Camilla |
(Basseterre; St. Kitts) CAMILLA Parker Bowles will become Queen when Prince Charles succeeds to the throne, according to the Government of Britain yesterday which was quoted on the Mirror UK website.
Only new laws in the Federation, Britain and 15 other countries including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, the Cook Islands, Bahamas, Belize, St Lucia, Jamaica, Tuvalu, Papua New Guinea, Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, Solomon Islands, Grenada, St Vincent & The Grenadines where the British monarch is head of state could stop it happening.
The Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay had raised the issue with Constitutional Affairs Minister Christopher Leslie.
He asked if the April 8 marriage was "morganatic" - the wife not sharing her husband's titles. Mr Leslie said "No." The MP said: "This is unequivocal...Camilla is Queen."
Clarence House said it was unclear.
The new laws will be needed to stop Camilla Parker Bowles eventually becoming Queen, however Prince Charles's partner, insists she does not want the title.
But Mackinlay, who has raised the issue with the Government, says that when Charles succeeds to the throne, Camilla will automatically be Queen.
Yesterday - adding to the continuing farce surrounding the Windsor wedding - he said legislation would be required to prevent this. Later the Prime Minister's official spokesman said he was "not disputing" the MP's verdict.
Mackinlay said: "I'm perfectly happy for the Prince of Wales to marry whoever he likes, but altering the constitution is Parliament's business and this does require an alteration to the constitution. It shouldn't be done for one man and one man alone."
The backbencher, who represents Thurrock in Essex, had questioned Constitutional Affairs Minister Christopher Leslie.
He asked whether the proposed marriage was "morganatic" - where the wife does not automatically share her husband's titles. In a Commons written reply, Mr Leslie said: "No."
The MP said yesterday: "This is absolutely unequivocal that she automatically becomes Queen when he becomes King."
Declaring that only a legal overhaul could alter the situation, Mackinlay said 17 parliaments, where the monarch is head of state, would need to take action.
In February, when Charles, 56, and Camilla, 57, got engaged, it was said she would be Princess Consort when he became King.
Immediately after the marriage, Camilla will be known as HRH the Duchess of Cornwall. Government sources have already hinted that legislation may be needed to "comply with her wishes not to become Queen".
Last night Clarence House said: "The advice we have is that the wife of the King is known as Queen only by convention not legal statute.
"There will be differing views on whether legislation is required. What will matter is the view of lawyers, of the people, at the time on whether legislation is required.
"Therefore it is possible for the Duchess of Cornwall to choose to be known as the Princess Consort rather than Queen."
The couple, at church in Gloucestershire on Sunday, had hoped to wed at Windsor Castle.
Licence problems meant a switch to the Guildhall. It then emerged that the Queen and Prince Philip would miss the civil ceremony.
