Royal Consorts of the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England

A royal consort is the spouse of a ruling king or queen. Consorts of monarchs in the United Kingdom and its predecessors have no constitutional status or power but many have significant influence over their husband or wife.

Since 1066, the Kingdom of England, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have collectively had forty-two or forty-three royal consorts: thirty-nine female and three or four male. (The status of Lord Guilford Dudley as a consort is debatable as the status of Lady Jane Grey as a Queen of England is also subject to debate.) All female consorts have had the right to and have held the title of Queen Consort. However, male consorts do not automatically have the right to the title of King Consort and instead are usually made peers (ex. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh). King Phillip, however, was made King Consort upon his marriage to Mary I, and he later became King of Spain in his own right. Also, since 1066 there have been six kings and queens without consorts: William II, Edward V, Edward VI, Elizabeth I, George I (divorced before becoming king) and Edward VIII (married Wallis Simpson after his abdication).

In the case of Mary II, her husband, William III, was made sovereign alongside her and continued to reign even after her death. It was the only such case in British history.

If Charles, Prince of Wales ascends the throne, his wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, will automatically take on the title of Queen Consort but will be known as Princess Consort unless legislation is passed to the contrary.

Consorts of the United Kingdom

Picture Name Year of Birth Year of Death Spouse
House of Windsor
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh 1921 Present Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon 1900 2002 George VI of the United Kingdom
Mary of Teck 1867 1953 George V of the United Kingdom
House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Alexandra of Denmark 1844 1925 Edward VII of the United Kingdom
House of Hanover
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1819 1861 Victoria of the United Kingdom
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen 1792 1849 William IV of the United Kingdom
Caroline of Brunswick 1768 1821 George IV of the United Kingdom

Consorts of Great Britain

Picture Name Year of Birth Year of Death Spouse
House of Hanover
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 1744 1818 George III of Great Britain
Caroline of Ansbach 1683 1737 George II of Great Britain
House of Stuart
Prince George of Denmark 1653 1708 Anne of Great Britain

Consorts of England

Picture Name Year of Birth Year of Death Spouse
House of Stuart
Mary of Modena 1658 1718 James II of England VII of Scotland
Catherine of Braganza 1638 1705 Charles II of England and Scotland
Henrietta Maria of France 1669 1609 Charles I of England and Scotland
Anne of Denmark 1574 1619 James I of England and VI Scotland
House of Tudor
Philip II of Spain (King of Spain in his own right) 1527 1598 Mary I of England
- Lord Guilford Dudley (disputed) 1536 1554 Lady Jane Grey (disputed)
Catherine Parr 1512/1517 1548 Henry VIII of England
Catherine Howard 1520/1525 1542 Henry VIII of England
Anne of Cleves 1515 1557 Henry VIII of England
Jane Seymour 1508/1509 1537 Henry VIII of England
Anne Boleyn 1501/1507 1536 Henry VIII of England
Catherine of Aragon 1485 1536 Henry VIII of England
Elizabeth of York 1466 1503 Henry VII of England
House of York
- Anne Neville 1456 1485 Richard III of England
Elizabeth Woodville 1437 1492 Edward IV of England
House of Lancaster
Margaret of Anjou 1429 1482 Henry VI of England
Catherine of Valois 1401 1437 Henry V of England
Joanna of Navarre 1370 1437 Henry IV of England
House of Plantagenet
- Isabella of Valois 1387 1410 Richard II of England
- Anne of Bohemia 1366 1394 Richard II of England
Philippa of Hainault 1314 1369 Edward III of England
- Isabella of France 1295 1358 Edward II of England
- Marguerite of France 1282 1317 Edward I of England
Eleanor of Castile 1241 1290 Edward I of England
- Eleanor of Provence 1223 1291 Henry III of England
Isabella of Angoulême 1187 1246 John of England
- Berengaria of Navarre 1165/1170 1230 Richard I of England
Eleanor of Aquitaine 1124 1204 Henry II of England
Normans
- Matilda of Boulogne 1105 1152 Stephen of England
- Adeliza of Louvain 1103 1151 Henry I of England
- Edith of Scotland 1080 1118 Henry I of England
- Matilda of Flanders 1031 1083 William I of England


References

  • www.royalty.nu

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