A royal consort is the spouse of a ruling monarch. Consorts of monarchs in the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg and its predecessor states had no constitutional status or power, but many had significant influence over their spouse.
From the elevation of the County of Oldenburg to a Duchy and later a Grand Duchy, the monarchy of Oldenburg had four royal consorts: one duchess and three grand duchesses. Although their husbands were the rulers of the Oldenburg territory, they were not the heads of the House of Oldenburg; that honor lies with the Oldenburg Kings of Denmark and later the Glücksburg Dukes of Schleswig-Holstein, descended from Count Christian VI. The Queen consorts of Denmark held the title of Countess (later Duchess) of Oldenburg, but it wasn't until 1667 to 1773 that Denmark controlled Oldenburg. Then it was passed to the Russians, who were ruled by another scion of the House of Oldenburg.
All female consorts have had the right to and have held the title of countess, duchess, or grand duchess consort, depending on the years. As all rulers of Oldenburg had to be male due to the Salic law of male succession and total exclusion of female succession, there was never a male consort of Oldeburg. Consorts held the titles, Countess consort of Oldenburg (1088-1774), Duchess of consort Oldenburg (1774-1815/1829), and last of all, Grand Duchess consort of Oldenburg (1815/1829-1918). Had their existed a consort from 1815 to 1829, they would have been in the awkward situation of being a Duchess consort reigning in a Grand duchy. Oldenburg had been elevated to a Grand Duchy in 1815 after the Napoleonic War, but William and Peter I never used the title of Grand Duke of Oldenburg. But William and Peter I had no wives living during that period. Not all wives of monarchs have become consorts, as they may have died, been divorced, had their marriage declared invalid prior to their husbands' ascending the throne, or married after abdication. Such cases include:
From 1774 to the end of the monarchy in 1918, only William, Duke of Oldenburg and Peter I, Duke of Oldenburg have reigned without spouses.
After the Grand Duchy was abolished in 1918, the spouse of the head of the old Grand Ducal family of Oldenburg is the titular Grand Duchess consort of Oldenburg. The current titular grand duchess is Princess Ameli of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, the wife of Anton-Günther, Duke of Oldenburg, the head of the grand ducal family of Oldenburg.
If Duke Christian of Oldenburg, Anton-Günther's son and heir, ascends to the role of Head of the Grand Ducal Family of Oldenburg, his wife, Countess Caroline zu Rantzau, will become the titular Grand Duchess of Oldenburg.
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became Countess | Ceased to be Countess | Death | Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richenza of Elsdorf | Dedo, Count of Godesck, husband of Ida von Elsdorf (Godseck) | 1044 | ? | 1088 husband's accession | 1108/12 husband's death | ? | Elimar I | |
| Eilika of Werl-Rietberg | Henry, Count of Rietberg (Rietberg) | ? | before 1102 | 1108 husband's accession | 1142 husband's death | ? | Elimar II | |
| Kunigunde of Versfleth | Gerbert, Count of Versfleth (Versfleht) | ? | before 1102 | 1142 husband's accession | 1169 husband's death | ? | Christian I | |
| Salome of Hostaden-Wickrath | Otto II, Count of Wickrath (Wickrath) | ? | before 1145 | 1169 husband's accession | 1209/11 husband's death | ? | Maurice I | |
| Mechthild of Woldenberg | Hoier I, Count of Wöltingerode-Woldenberg (Wöltingerode-Woldenberg) | ? | ? | 1209/11 husband's accession | 1251 husband's death | ? | Otto I | |
| Agnes of Altena-Isenberg | Arnold, Count of Altena (Berg) | ? | before 1204 | 1209/11 husband's accession | 1238 husband's death | ? | Christian II | |
| Richeza of Hoya-Stumpenhausen | Henry II, Count of Hoya (Hoya) | ? | before 1250 | 1238 husband's accession | 1272 husband's death | ? | John I | |
| Hedwig of Oldenburg-Wildeshausen | Henry IV, Count of Oldenburg-Wildeshausen (Oldenburg-Wildeshausen) | ? | ? | 1272 husband's accession | ? | Christian III | ||
| Jutta of Bentheim-Tecklenburg | Otto II, Count of Bentheim-Tecklenburg (Holland) | ? | ? | 1278 husband's abdication | before 1287 | |||
| Elisabeth of Lüneburg | John of Brunswick, Duke of Lüneburg (Lüneburg-Celle) | ? | 1294 | 1294/1298 | John II (aka IX) | |||
| Hedwig of Diepholz | Conrad, Count of Diepholz (Diepholz) | ? | ? | 1305 husband's abdication | ? | |||
| Hedwig of Altbruchhausen | Hildebold, Count of Altbruchausen (Oldenburg-Wildeshausen) | ? | ? | 1305 husband's accession | 1324 husband's death | 1348 | Christian IV | |
| Mechthild of Bronckhorst | Gijsbert IV, Lord of Bronckhorst (Bronckhorst) | ? | ? | 1305 husband's accession | 1338 | John XI | ||
| Ingeborg of Itzehoe | Gerhard IV, Count of Holstein-Itzehoe-Plön (Schauenburg) | ? | ? | 1344 husband's accession | 1368 husband's death | ? | Conrad I | |
| Kunigunde of Diepholz | ? (Diepholz) | ? | ? | 1368 husband's accession | 1386 husband's abdication | ? | Conrad II | |
| Elisabeth of Brunswick-Lüneburg | Magnus II, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Brunswick) | 1368 | 1391 | 1398 husband's abdication | 1420 | Maurice III or IV | ||
| Agnes of Hohnstein-Heiringen | Dietrich V, Count of Hohnstein (Hohnstein) | ? | 1360 | 1398 husband's accession | 1404 | Christian V | ||
| Hedvig of Schleswig and Holstein | Gerhard VI, Count of Holstein-Rendsborg, Duke of Schleswig (Schauenburg) | 1398 | 23 November 1423 | 1436 | Dietrich | |||
| Adelheid of Tecklenburg | Otto VIII, Count of Tecklenburg (Schwerin) | 1435 | 1453 | 2 March 1477 | Gerhard VI | |||
| Anna of Anhalt-Zerbst | George I, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst (Ascania) | ? | 20 June 1498 | 10 February 1526 husband's abdication | 10 October 1531 | John V (aka XIV) | ||
| Sofie of Saxe-Lauenburg | Magnus I, Duke of Saxe-Lauenburg (Ascania) | 1521 | 1 January 1537 | 1566 husband's accession | 13 May 1571 | Anthony I | ||
| Elisabeth of Schwarzburg-Blankenburg | Gunther XI, Count of Schwarzburg (Schwarzburg) | 13 April 1541 | 1576 | 12 November 1603 husband's death | 26 December 1612 | John VII | ||
| Sophie Katharina of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg | Alexander, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg (Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg) | 28 June 1617 | 1635 | 19 June 1667 husband's death | 22 November 1696 | Anthony Günther | ||
| Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg | George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Brunswick-Lüneburg) | 24 March 1628 | 1 October 1643 | 1667 Oldenburg passed to Denmark | 9 February 1670 husband's death | 20 February 1685 | Frederick III of Denmark | |
| Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel | William VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel (Hesse-Kassel) | 27 April 1650 | 25 June 1667 | 9 February 1670 husband's accession | 25 August 1699 husband's death | 27 March 1714 | Christian V of Denmark | |
| Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow | Gustav Adolf, Duke of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (Mecklenburg-Güstrow) | 28 August 1667 | 5 December 1695 | 25 August 1699 husband's accession | 15 March 1721 | Frederick IV of Denmark | ||
| Anne Sophie von Reventlow | Conrad, Count of Reventlow (Reventlow) | 16 April 1693 | 4 April 1721 | 12 October 1730 husband's death | 7 January 1743 | |||
| Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach | Christian Heinrich of Brandenburg-Bayreuth-Kulmbach (Hohenzollern) | 28 November 1700 | 7 August 1721 | 12 October 1730 husband's accession | 6 August 1746 husband's death | 27 May 1770 | Christian VI of Denmark | |
| Louise of Great Britain | George II of Great Britain (Hanover) | 7 December 1724 | 11 December 1743 | 6 August 1746 husband's accession | 19 December 1751 | Frederick V of Denmark | ||
| Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | Ferdinand Albert II, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (Brunswick-Bevern) | 4 September 1729 | 8 July 1752 | 13 January 1766 husband's death | 10 October 1796 | |||
| Caroline Matilda of Great Britain | Frederick, Prince of Wales (Hanover) | 11 July 1751 | 8 November 1766 | 1773 Oldenburg passed to Russia | 10 May 1775 | Christian VII of Denmark | ||
| Wilhelmina Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt | Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (Hesse-Darmstadt) | 25 June 1755 | 29 September 1773 | 1773 ceased to be countess | 15 April 1776 | Paul I of Russia | ||
| Ulrike Friederike Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel | Landgrave Maximilian of Hesse-Kassel (Hesse-Kassel) | 31 October 1722 | 21 November 1752 | 1773 husband's accession | 1774 became Duchess | 28 February 1787 | Frederick Augustus I | |
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became Grand Duchess | Ceased to be Grand Duchess | Death | Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cecilia of Sweden | Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (Holstein-Gottorp) | 22 June 1807 | 5 May 1831 | 27 January 1844 | Augustus I | |||
| Elisabeth of Saxe-Altenburg | Joseph, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg (Saxe-Altenburg) | 26 March 1826 | 10 February 1852 | 27 February 1853 husband's accession | 2 February 1896 | Peter II | ||
| Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin | Frederick Francis II, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (Mecklenburg-Schwerin) | 10 August 1869 | 24 October 1896 | 13 June 1900 husband's accession | 11 November 1918 husband's abdication | 3 September 1955 | Frederick Augustus II | |