with a request that her daughter-in-law Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, be known as queen consort when her son Charles succeeds her as king.

“And 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,” she wrote in the statement to mark her 70 years on the throne, “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.”This is the first time the queen has publicly addressed her daughter-in-law’s role in the future monarchy.

In response to the queen’s remarks, a spokesman for Prince Charles and Camilla told ABC News they are “touched and honoured by Her Majesty’s words,” adding that the Prince of Wales will issue his own statement congratulating the queen on her milestone Sunday.

When Charles and Camilla married in 2005 there was some debate as to what title Camilla, a divorcee, would take when Charles became King. At the time of their wedding a spokesperson for the couple suggested she would take the title Princess Consort.