Masculine Equivalent
The wife of a king is always a queen, and is usually so called. However, the husband of a queen regnant is not termed "king".
Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert, was called "Prince Consort".
However, after the engagement of Charles, Prince of Wales to Camilla Parker-Bowles was announced on 10 February 2005 the official website of the British Monarch and the online FAQ of the Prince of Wales stated, "It is intended that The Duchess of Cornwall will use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to The Throne." Whether that remains the case when the Prince of Wales does become king will depend upon public opinion at that time. When asked in an interview by Brian Williams, whether his wife would become queen when he becomes king, the Prince hesitantly replied, "That's, well ... We'll see won't we? That could be."
Unlike the historic monarchies of Europe, the modern British monarchy is a purely statutory institution in which only the monarch him or herself has a formal constitutional role. Such dignities as may be afforded the spouse of the sovereign are matters of custom, not law, although a Statute from the reign of Edward III (1327–1377), makes it high treason to encompass the rape or murder of the king's wife. Under present legislation, the wife of a future British king will legally become queen (consort) upon his accession, regardless of the title by which she might actually be known in public, just as the Duchess of Cornwall is currently actually the Princess of Wales, by virtue of being married to the Prince of Wales, although she does not use the title.
Read more about this topic: Queen Consort
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