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
References
- www.royalty.nu