# Piper Cub thinks there's something hinky going on at Buckingham Palace **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 3, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433 "2016-06-03T23:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/1 "2016-06-03T23:01:26Z")
Driving somewhere the other day, and the Cub suddenly says from the back seat: “What’s the name of our Queen, Dad?” “Elizabeth”, I reply, wondering where this one is going. “And who’s she married to?” “Prince Philip.” “A _Prince_? You’re wrong, Dad. Queens marry Kings, not princes.” “No, the Queen’s husband is a Prince. He’s never been a King.” I follow that with a five minute dissertation on the quirks of the British monarchy. “_Princesses_ marry princes, Dad,” Piper Cub says with the pitying tone of voice he uses to explain things to his 6 year old buddy. Then the clincher: “And if she’s not married to a King, there’s _something wrong_”! ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/2 "2016-06-04T00:12:01Z")
This guy agrees: [http://www.thelocal.dk/20150220/prince-henrik-i-should-be-king](http://www.thelocal.dk/20150220/prince-henrik-i-should-be-king) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/3 "2016-06-04T00:15:21Z")
I can’t say I disagree with her. Kings have queens consort; it’s a relic of sexism that regnal queens can’t have a king as a spouse. There’s no reason the UK parliament couldn’t invent the title of “King Consort” if they wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/4 "2016-06-04T00:25:03Z")
But didn’t Elizabeth marry Phillip when she was a princess? (Checks Wiki, they married in 1947) There. Everything is alright. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/5 "2016-06-04T00:30:21Z")
Thank you. I will point that out to him. I doubt that it will take. He tends to have firm views. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/6 "2016-06-04T01:01:24Z")
If/ when Charles becomes King, does Camilla become Queen? She was never royalty. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/7 "2016-06-04T01:08:54Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If/ when Charles becomes King, does Camilla become Queen? She was never royalty. She becomes Queen consort, like the present Queen’s mother was. Which would still upset a lot of people who don’t like her. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/8 "2016-06-04T01:18:28Z")
Plus remember he’s officially the Duke of Edinburgh. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/9 "2016-06-04T01:23:22Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > But didn’t Elizabeth marry Phillip when she was a princess? Elizabeth got promoted. Philip just needs to apply himself. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/10 "2016-06-04T01:32:44Z")
Didn’t a Queen Consort get to use the title Queen? (Officially? Unofficially maybe?) Wasn’t George’s wife called Queen Elizabeth (even though she didn’t get the dignity of having a number, thus the current Queen being Elizabeth II)? Whereas, as I thought I’ve understood it, a regnal queen’s husband was _never_ called King. Note also, a regnal queen is Queen for Life, but Queen Elizabeth (if in fact she had that title) lost that title when George died. She sort of made up the later title “Queen Mother” herself, I think. Is that more-or-less correct? ANYWAY: I wonder how this all has changed (or will change soon) now that Parliament has officially and legally done away with male primogeniture. Can the position of King Consort be far behind? Hey, we’re _this close_ to having a First Gentleman in the United States! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/11 "2016-06-04T01:36:30Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Hey, we’re _this close_ to having a First Gentleman in the United States! First Laddie. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/12 "2016-06-04T01:58:02Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > But didn’t Elizabeth marry Phillip when she was a princess? > > (Checks Wiki, they married in 1947) > > There. Everything is alright. She was a princess, but he wasn’t a prince when they got married. He was born a prince of Denmark and Greece but he gave up those titles when they got engaged several months before the wedding. He wasn’t make a prince of the UK until ten years after the wedding. (I wonder who he had to sleep with to get that). On his wedding day his highest title was Duke of Edinburgh, a position which he had held for all of one day. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/13 "2016-06-04T02:01:28Z")
> [@bibliophage](#): > > She was a princess, but he wasn’t a prince when they got married. He was born a prince of Denmark and Greece but he gave up those titles when they got engaged several months before the wedding. He wasn’t make a prince of the UK until ten years after the wedding. (I wonder who he had to sleep with to get that). On his wedding day his highest title was Duke of Edinburgh, a position which he had held for all of one day. His dukedom is higher than his prince-dom. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/14 "2016-06-04T03:57:37Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If/ when Charles becomes King, does Camilla become Queen? She was never royalty. Yes, but the current official line is that they won’t call her that, and she’ll be called “Princess Consort” instead. But that was decided eleven years ago, and the reasons for that have faded quite a bit, so maybe they’ll reassess at some point. (I’m not saying she’s wildly popular, but the idea that she’s a wicked temptress who destroyed the rightful future queen’s marriage and ultimately her life doesn’t seem nearly as salient.) > [@Senegoid](#): > > Whereas, as I thought I’ve understood it, a regnal queen’s husband was _never_ called King. Mary I’s husband was, but that was when they were just getting used to the idea of women monarchs. They also gave him some actual powers, unlike a queen consort, because hey, he _was_ the man. He might be part of why they never really considered doing it again. He did not have the best relationship with England after Mary died. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/15 "2016-06-04T10:05:16Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > If/ when Charles becomes King, does Camilla become Queen? She was never royalty. > [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Yes, but the current official line is that they won’t call her that, and she’ll be called “Princess Consort” instead. But that was decided eleven years ago, and the reasons for that have faded quite a bit, so maybe they’ll reassess at some point. (I’m not saying she’s wildly popular, but the idea that she’s a wicked temptress who destroyed the rightful future queen’s marriage and ultimately her life doesn’t seem nearly as salient.) The reason I hope that the succession passes to William and Catherine is that I detest the way Charles behaved. If he wanted to marry Camilla, he should have done so immediately (even resigning as Heir to the throne), not had a adulterous marriage with Diana. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/16 "2016-06-04T10:18:51Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Whereas, as I thought I’ve understood it, a regnal queen’s husband was _never_ called King. > [@Lord\_Feldon](#): > > Mary I’s husband was, but that was when they were just getting used to the idea of women monarchs. They also gave him some actual powers, unlike a queen consort, because hey, he _was_ the man. > > He might be part of why they never really considered doing it again. He did not have the best relationship with England after Mary died. Mary’s husband was Phillip II of Spain, already a king in his own right. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/17 "2016-06-04T11:00:09Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Note also, a regnal queen is Queen for Life, but Queen Elizabeth (if in fact she had that title) lost that title when George died. She sort of made up the later title “Queen Mother” herself, I think. Is that more-or-less correct? She remained Queen Elizabeth, like her mother-in-law remained Queen Mary after George V died. Both became dowager queens rather than queens consort. The Queen Mother title was popularly used to distinguish the two Queens Elizabeth. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/18 "2016-06-04T11:14:02Z")
> [@glee](#): > > The reason I hope that the succession passes to William and Catherine is that I detest the way Charles behaved. > If he wanted to marry Camilla, he should have done so immediately (even resigning as Heir to the throne), not had a adulterous marriage with Diana. Bah humbug. If you start disqualifying monarchs on the basis that they had an affair, how many have you got left? ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/19 "2016-06-05T06:00:19Z")
It’s simple people. Husbands of queen regnants are not called King because in the forever sexist world we have all been born into, King trumps Queen in hierarchy. That’s really all there is too it. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2016, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433/20 "2016-06-05T06:02:02Z")
> [@glee](#): > > The reason I hope that the succession passes to William and Catherine is that I detest the way Charles behaved. > > If he wanted to marry Camilla, he should have done so immediately (even resigning as Heir to the throne), not had a adulterous marriage with Diana. A) you really need to let it go, everyone else in the UK has, and B) that’s not how the succession works. Charles will be King. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piper-cub-thinks-theres-something-hinky-going-on-at-buckingham-palace/756433.md?page=2)