List of British royal consorts explained
A royal consort is the spouse of a reigning monarch. Consorts of British monarchs have no constitutional status or power but many have had significant influence, and support the sovereign in his/her duties.[1] There have been 11 royal consorts since Britain's union of the crowns in 1707, eight women and three men.
Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, is the longest-serving and oldest-ever consort, and served for nearly 70 years until his death in 2021. Since the accession of Charles III on 8 September 2022, his wife Camilla has held the position of queen consort.[2]
History
Since the union of England and Scotland in 1707, there have been eleven consorts of the British monarch.[3] Queens between 1727 and 1814 were also Electress of Hanover, as their husbands all held the title of Elector of Hanover.[4] Between 1814 and 1837, queens held the title as Queen of Hanover, as their husbands were kings of Hanover.[5] The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 on the accession of Queen Victoria because the succession laws (Salic Law) in Hanover prevented a female inheriting the title if there was any surviving male heir (in the United Kingdom, a male took precedence over only his own sisters, until the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which removed male primogeniture).[6] In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia and became the Province of Hanover.[7]
Not all wives of monarchs have become consorts, as they may have died, been divorced before their husbands' acceding to the throne, or married after abdication. Such cases include Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle, wife of George, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later King George I); Wallis Warfield, wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (the former King Edward VIII); and Lady Diana Spencer, wife of Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III).
Only George I and Edward VIII were unmarried throughout their reigns.[8]
Since 1937, the sovereign's consort and the first four individuals in the line of succession who are over 21 may be appointed counsellors of state. Counsellors of state perform some of the sovereign's duties in the United Kingdom while the sovereign is out of the country or temporarily incapacitated.[9]
Style
Female consorts
The wife of the reigning king as his consort is styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" during her husband's reign and "Her Majesty Queen [first name]" upon her husband's death. The Queen is referred to as "Her Majesty" and addressed as "Your Majesty". Since her coronation in 2023, the current royal consort, Queen Camilla, has also been styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" per tradition. Camilla was styled as "Her Majesty The Queen Consort" preceding the coronation to distinguish her from her then recently deceased mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, who as a queen regnant was also styled as "Her Majesty The Queen".[10] [11]
Male consorts
The husband of a reigning queen does not share the regal title and style of his wife, and the three men who served as consort held various titles. The title of "Prince Consort" has only been held by Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert.
- Prince George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne, never received an official style as the consort, his princely title being Danish, but was raised to the peerage of England as the Duke of Cumberland in 1689, several years before his wife's accession in 1702.
- Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria, did not take a British peerage title but was granted the title of Prince Consort as a distinct title in 1857, the only male consort of the United Kingdom or its predecessor realms to have held the title. Victoria wished to style him as King Consort, but the government would not allow it.
- Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was raised to the peerage as Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, five years before his wife's accession, and was made a prince of the United Kingdom in 1957.
Coronation
Queens consort participate in the coronation ceremony, undertaking many of the same ceremonies as the monarch. Queens traditionally wear elaborate robes and walk in the procession under a canopy. They have also been anointed with holy oil and been crowned. Traditionally, male consorts are not crowned or anointed during the coronation ceremony.[12]
An unusual case was Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who had separated from her husband, George IV, before his accession, became queen consort by law but had no position at court and was forcibly barred from attending his coronation and being crowned.[13]
Regalia
The earliest surviving consort's crown is that created in 1685 for Mary of Modena. In the early-20th century, new crowns were created for each queen consort in turn. However, Queen Camilla did not have a new crown created for her coronation in 2023 and she was crowned using the 1911 Crown of Queen Mary.[14]
The Queen Consort's Ring was first created for the coronation of Queen Adelaide in 1831, and has been used by queens consort ever since.[14]
The Queen Consort's Rod with Dove represents 'equity and mercy' and the dove, with its folded wings, is symbolic of the Holy Ghost. The Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross, originally made for the coronation of Mary of Modena in 1685, is inlaid with rock crystals.[14]
List of consorts
| Picture | Name | Arms | Birth | Marriage | Became consort | Coronation | Ceased to be consort | Death | Grave site | Tenure | Spouse |
|---|
| George of Denmark and Norway | | 2 April 1653
Son of
Frederick III of Denmark and Norway
and
Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Calenberg | 28 July 1683 | 1 May 1707
Creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain; became consort to the monarch of England and Scotland upon spouse's accession 8 March 1702 | Not crowned | 28 October 1708
| Westminster Abbey | | Anne |
| Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach | | 1 March 1683
Daughter of
John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
and
Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach | 22 August 1705 | 11 June 1727
Spouse's accession | 11 October 1727 | 20 November 1737
| | George II |
| Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz |
| 19 May 1744
Daughter of
Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prince of Mirow
and
Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen | 8 September 1761
Marriage to the monarch | 22 September 1761 | 17 November 1818
| St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle | | George III |
| Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel | | 17 May 1768
Daughter of
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
and
Augusta of Great Britain | 8 April 1795 | 29 January 1820
Spouse's accession | Not crowned | 7 August 1821
| Brunswick Cathedral | | George IV |
| Adelaide Amelia Louise Theresa Caroline of Saxe-Meiningen | | 13 August 1792
Daughter of
Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
and
Louise Eleanore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg | 13 July 1818 | 26 June 1830
Spouse's accession | 8 September 1831 | 20 June 1837
Spouse's death | 2 December 1849
| St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle | | William IV |
| Francis Augustus Charles Albert Emmanuel of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | | 26 August 1819
Son of
Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
and
Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg | 10 February 1840
Marriage to the monarch | Not crowned | 14 December 1861
| St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, then Frogmore Royal Mausoleum | | Victoria |
| Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia of Denmark | | 1 December 1844
Daughter of
Christian IX of Denmark
and
Louise of Hesse-Kassel | 10 March 1863 | 22 January 1901
Spouse's accession | 9 August 1902 | 6 May 1910
Spouse's death | 20 November 1925
| St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle | | Edward VII |
| Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck | | 26 May 1867
Daughter of
Francis, Duke of Teck
and
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge | 6 July 1893 | 6 May 1910
Spouse's accession | 22 June 1911 | 20 January 1936
Spouse's death | 24 March 1953
| | George V |
| Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon | | 4 August 1900
Daughter of
Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
and
Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck | 26 April 1923 | 11 December 1936
Spouse's accession | 12 May 1937 | 6 February 1952
Spouse's death | 30 March 2002
| | George VI |
| Philip of Greece and Denmark | | 10 June 1921
Son of
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
and
Princess Alice of Battenberg | 20 November 1947 | 6 February 1952
Spouse's accession | Not crowned | 9 April 2021
| | Elizabeth II |
| Camilla Rosemary Shand | | 17 July 1947
Daughter of
Bruce Shand
and
The Honourable Rosalind Cubitt | 9 April 2005 | 8 September 2022
Spouse's accession | 6 May 2023 | Incumbent
Age: | Living | | Charles III | |
External links
Notes and References
- Book: Tudor and Stuart consorts : power, influence, and dynasty . 2022 . Aidan Norrie . 978-3-030-95197-9 . Cham, Switzerland . 1336986822.
- Book: Bogdanor, Vernon . The monarchy and the constitution . 1995 . Clarendon Press . 978-0-19-152089-1 . Oxford . 344061919. ; Book: Queens & power in medieval and early modern England . 2009 . University of Nebraska Press . Carole Levin, R. O. Bucholz . 978-0-8032-2278-6 . Lincoln . 316765760.
- News: 8 June 2023 . Camilla, the new Queen Consort . BBC News.
- Web site: Monarch award, Consort category . 2 November 2022 . Merry Christmas . en.
- Web site: Kirsty.Oram . 30 December 2015 . The Hanoverians . 2 November 2022 . The Royal Family . en.
- Web site: Marie, Queen of Hanover. She was the wife of King George V of... . 2 November 2022 . Getty Images . 9 April 2004 . en-gb.
- Web site: Emma.Goodey . 17 March 2016 . Succession . 2 November 2022 . The Royal Family . en.
- Web site: Kingdom of Hannover . 2 November 2022 . www.globalsecurity.org.
- Web site: Why was Edward VIII still unmarried at 42 years old? At that time wasn't it customary for royal parents to arrange an engagement or urge ... . 2 November 2022 . Quora . en.
- Web site: Counsellors of State. The Royal Family. 13 June 2023.
- Web site: 6 May 2023 . The Queen . 13 May 2023 . The Royal Family.
- Web site: Is Camilla now Queen Camilla?. Constitution Unit. 9 August 2018 .
- Web site: Royal Collection Trust. What is a queen consort?. 24 May 2023.
- Web site: 17 March 2022 . Why Was Queen Caroline Barred From Her Husband's Coronation? . 2 November 2022 . TheCollector . en.
- Web site: The Royal Family. The Coronation Regalia. 9 April 2023.
