List of British royal consorts
Spouses of British monarchs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 their duties.[1] There have been 11 royal consorts since the Acts of Union in 1707, eight women and three men.
Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was the longest-serving consort, whilst his mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was the longest-lived consort. Since the accession of King Charles III on 8 September 2022, his wife Queen 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 Electresses 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]
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.[8]
Style
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".[9][10]
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.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13]
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.[13]
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.[13]
List
| Picture | Name | Arms | Father (House by birth) |
Birth | Marriage | Became consort | Coronation | Ceased to be consort | Death | Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
_-_Prince_George_of_Denmark_(1653–1708)_-_533846_-_National_Trust.jpg) |
George of Denmark |  |
Frederick III, King of Denmark | 2 April 1653 | 28 July 1683 | 1 May 1707 Creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain |
Not crowned | 28 October 1708 55 years, 209 days |
Anne | |
 |
Caroline of Ansbach |  |
John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach | 1 March 1683 | 22 August 1705 | 11 June 1727 Spouse's accession |
11 October 1727 | 20 November 1737 54 years, 172 days |
George II | |
_-_Queen_Charlotte_of_Mecklenburg-Strelitz_(1744–1818)_-_138274_-_National_Trust.jpg) |
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | .svg) .svg) .svg) |
Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz | 19 May 1744 | 8 September 1761 Marriage to the monarch |
22 September 1761 | 17 November 1818 74 years, 126 days |
George III | ||
_-_Caroline_of_Brunswick_(1768–1821),_Consort_of_George_IV_-_90_-_Guildhall_Art_Gallery.jpg) |
Caroline of Brunswick |  |
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick | 17 May 1768 | 8 April 1795 | 29 January 1820 Spouse's accession |
Not crowned | 7 August 1821 53 years, 72 days |
George IV | |
 |
Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen |  |
George I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen | 13 August 1792 | 13 July 1818 | 26 June 1830 Spouse's accession |
8 September 1831 | 20 June 1837 Spouse's death |
2 December 1849 56 years, 311 days |
William IV |
 |
Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha |  |
Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha | 26 August 1819 | 10 February 1840 Marriage to the monarch |
Not crowned | 14 December 1861 42 years, 110 days |
Victoria | ||
_-_Queen_Alexandra_(1844-1925)_-_RCIN_404554_-_Royal_Collection.jpg) |
Alexandra of Denmark |  |
Christian IX, King of Denmark | 1 December 1844 | 10 March 1863 | 22 January 1901 Spouse's accession |
9 August 1902 | 6 May 1910 Spouse's death |
20 November 1925 80 years, 354 days |
Edward VII |
 |
Mary of Teck |  |
Francis, Duke of Teck
(Teck) |
26 May 1867 | 6 July 1893 | 6 May 1910 Spouse's accession |
22 June 1911 | 20 January 1936 Spouse's death |
24 March 1953 85 years, 302 days |
George V |
 |
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon |  |
Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne | 4 August 1900 | 26 April 1923 | 11 December 1936 Spouse's accession |
12 May 1937 | 6 February 1952 Spouse's death |
30 March 2002 101 years, 238 days |
George VI |
.jpg) |
Philip of Greece and Denmark |  |
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark | 10 June 1921 | 20 November 1947 | 6 February 1952 Spouse's accession |
Not crowned | 9 April 2021 99 years, 303 days |
Elizabeth II | |
_(cropped,_Camilla).jpg) |
Camilla Shand |  |
Bruce Shand | 17 July 1947 | 9 April 2005 | 8 September 2022 Spouse's accession |
6 May 2023 | Incumbent Age: 79 years, 50 days |
Charles III | |
Timeline
