Queen Elizabeth Sincerely Wishes Camilla Become 'Queen Consort' When Charles Ascends the Throne

Queen Elizabeth II has expressed her sincerest wishes on the eve of Accession Day, making it crystal clear that she wants Camilla to become "Queen Consort" when Prince Charles ascends the throne.

Her Majesty made the remarks Saturday on the same day she hosted a reception at Sandringham House, which marked her first in-person public appearance in three months. 

"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 is my sincere wish that, when that time comes, Camilla will be known as Queen Consort as she continues her own loyal service," said the queen in her message to mark her Platinum Jubilee.

"I was blessed that in Prince Philip I had a partner willing to carry out the role of consort and unselfishly make the sacrifices that go with it," the queen continued. "It is a role I saw my own mother perform during my father’s reign."

Following the queen's remarks, a spokesman for the Prince of Wales said Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall are "touched and honored by Her Majesty's words."

Looking ahead, Elizabeth said she's ecstatic about the planned festivities.

"So as I look forward to continuing to serve you with all my heart, I hope this Jubilee will bring together families and friends, neighbours and communities – after some difficult times for so many of us – in order to enjoy the celebrations and to reflect on the positive developments in our day-to-day lives that have so happily coincided with my reign," she said.

Some of the 95-year-old's guests on Saturday included a former cookery student, who helped create the original recipe for Coronation chicken in 1953. A local official at the event also presented Elizabeth with a Platinum Jubilee Mosaic created by school children from across West Norfolk.

The queen put her sense of humor on display, after taking a stab at the cake provided in her honor. The cake was prepared by a local resident, which featured the Platinum Jubilee emblem. On her way out, Elizabeth was gifted flowers that formed part of the queen’s Coronation bouquet in 1953, such as lily of the valley. The soiree was a prelude to Elizabeth becoming the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.

Earlier this week, Elizabeth viewed a selected collection of homemade cards and artwork sent in by local children and other members of the public from her 2002 Golden Jubilee. The special mementos were shown to the queen at Windsor Castle before she traveled north to her Sandringham Estate for the weekend. 

The queen had not been seen since October, when she held a reception at Windsor Castle for guests attending the Global Investment Summit, which included Bill Gates. She had suffered several health setbacks since then and, due to the widespread coronavirus omicron variant, the queen additionally canceled her family's annual pre-Christmas lunch and opted for significantly scaled down holiday plans.  

But now, Elizabeth looks delighted being back on her feet and mingling with the public. The official Platinum Jubilee celebrations will take place in the U.K. in June.  

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