Queen consort

A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king.

Related Topics:
Wife - Consort - King

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In contrast the husband of a reigning queen is usually not called "king consort," although this was more common in the past; rather, he is popularly called "prince consort". In the British system, a male consort does not automatically receive the title of "prince" until he is so created by the sovereign.

Related Topics:
King consort - Prince consort

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In general the consorts of monarchs have no constitutional status or power; they have merely the title, though many do have influence over their husband or wife, whether their power is official or not.

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There are a few cases in which a married couple ruled a kingdom jointly: Ferdinand II of Aragon and his wife Isabella, in her own right Isabella I of Castile, ruled their kingdoms as one dominion. Ferdinand was also called Ferdinand V of Castile. However, the two kingdoms would not be de jure united until the monarchs' grandson Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, acceded to both thrones as Charles I of Spain.

Related Topics:
Ferdinand II of Aragon - Isabella I of Castile - Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor

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The daughter of James II of England, Queen Mary II, married William of Orange; although Mary was the heiress to the throne, she and William chose to reign together and were made co-monarchs by Parliament, with William becoming king.

Related Topics:
James II of England - Mary II - William of Orange

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There have also been a number of cases when the queen consort of a deceased king (the Queen Dowager or Queen Mother) had served as regent while her child, the heir to the throne, was still a minor—for example, Catherine de Medici and Marie de Medici in France, or, more recently, Queen Maria Christina of Spain.

Related Topics:
Queen Dowager - Queen Mother - Regent - Catherine de Medici - Marie de Medici - Queen Maria Christina

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Besides these examples, there have been many cases of queen consorts being shrewd stateswomen and, albeit unofficially, being among the king's major advisors. In some cases, the queen consort has been the chief power behind the throne; example Henrietta Maria.

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A notable exception to this rule is that of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. It was announced that, in the event of Charles's ascent to the British throne, Camilla would assume the title of Princess Consort, not Queen Consort (although the legality of this under existing statutes has been called into question).

Related Topics:
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - Charles, Prince of Wales - Princess Consort

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Similarly, the wife of an emperor is an empress consort. Apart from being higher in rank than a queen consort (since an emperor precedes a king), it is much the same position - an empress consort is still an empress by virtue of marriage alone, does not hold any concrete constitutional power, and becomes an empress dowager or empress mother should her husband die before her, just as a queen consort would become queen dowager or queen mother. The wife of a King-Emperor is a queen-empress consort - again, apart from status, her role does not differ from that of an empress consort or queen consort.

Related Topics:
Queen dowager - Queen mother - King-Emperor

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