List of British royal consorts

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See also: List of British monarchs

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For the royal consorts of the predecessor realms of Scotland, England and Ireland, see List of Scottish royal consorts, List of English royal consorts and List of Irish royal consorts.
File:Charles and Camilla (cropped).jpg
Charles III with the current queen consort, Camilla (pictured in 2019)
Elizabeth II with her consort Philip, Duke of Edinburgh after her coronation

A royal consort is the spouse of a reigning king or queen. Consorts of monarchs of the United Kingdom and its predecessors have no constitutional status or power but many have had significant influence.[1] There have been 11 royal consorts since Britain's union of the crowns in 1707, eight women, and three men.

Prince Philip, the longest-served and oldest-ever consort, died aged 99 after having served for nearly 70 years. His mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, who died aged 101, lived longer than any other royal consort, but at the time of her death she did not hold the position of consort, as her husband King George VI had died 50 years before her.[2]

After the death of Prince Philip, the position of royal consort was vacant until the death of Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022. Camilla became the queen consort upon the accession of Elizabeth II's eldest son, Charles III, as King.[3]

History

Since the union of England and Scotland in 1707, there have been eleven consorts of the British monarch.[4] Queens between 1727 and 1814 were also Electress of Hanover, as their husbands all held the title of Elector of Hanover.[5] Between 1814 and 1837, queens held the title as Queen of Hanover, as their husbands were Kings of Hanover.[6] 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).[7] In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia and became the Province of Hanover.[8]

Style

The wife of the reigning King has typically been styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" and is addressed as "Her Majesty" or "Your Majesty" (When addressing directly). While upon Charles III's accession to the throne Camilla became "The Queen",[9] she has been styled "The Queen Consort".[10] Buckingham Palace has stated that whether Camilla will eventually be known as "The Queen", as queen consorts traditionally are, is "a question for the future".[11]

The husband of a reigning Queen is addressed according to the style he has either been given upon marriage, or prior to marriage - he does not automatically share the same titles, style and honour of his wife.

Exceptions

Not all wives of monarchs have become consorts, as they may have died, been divorced prior to their husbands' ascending the throne, or married after abdication. Such cases include:

Divorced before spouse became monarch

1. Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle, wife of George, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (the future King George I), married 22 November 1682, divorced 28 December 1694, died 13 November 1726.

2. Lady Diana Spencer, wife of Charles, Prince of Wales (the future King Charles III), married 29 July 1981, divorced 28 August 1996, died 31 August 1997.

Married after spouse abdicated

Wallis Warfield, wife of Edward, Duke of Windsor (the former King Edward VIII), married 3 June 1937, widowed 28 May 1972, died 24 April 1986.

Other cases

An unusual case was Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, who had separated from her husband George IV prior to his accession, became queen consort by law but had no position at court and was forcibly barred from attending George IV's coronation and being crowned.[12]

Only George I and Edward VIII were unmarried throughout their reigns.[13]

Male consorts

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is the only male consort to be awarded the title of Prince Consort.

While all British female consorts were automatically styled as queen, the titles of the three male consorts were inconsistent.

Future consorts

Charles III ascended the throne following the death of his mother, Elizabeth II. His heir apparent is William, Prince of Wales, whose wife Catherine, Princess of Wales is presumed to become the next queen consort.

List of consorts

Picture Name Arms Birth Marriage Became consort Coronation Ceased to be consort Death Resting place Tenure Spouse
125px Prince George of Denmark and Norway Coat of Arms of George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland.svg 2 April 1653
Son of Frederick III of Denmark and Norway
and Duchess Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg		 28 July 1683 1 May 1707

Creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain; previously English royal consort since spouse's accession 8 March 1702		 Not crowned 28 October 1708

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125px Princess Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach Coat of Arms of Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach.svg 1 March 1683
Daughter of John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
and Princess Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach		 22 August 1705 11 June 1727

Spouse's accession		 11 October 1727 20 November 1737

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125px Princess Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 100px
100px
100px		 19 May 1744
Daughter of Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg, Prince of Mirow
and Princess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen		 8 September 1761 8 September 1761

Marriage to the monarch		 22 September 1761 17 November 1818

Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value).		 St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). George III
125px Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Coat of Arms of Caroline of Brunswick.svg 17 May 1768
Daughter of Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
and Princess Augusta of Great Britain		 8 April 1795 29 January 1820

Spouse's accession		 Not crowned 7 August 1821

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125px Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen File:Coat of Arms of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.svg 13 August 1792
Daughter of Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
and Princess 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

Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value).		 St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). William IV
125px Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Coat of Arms of Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.svg 26 August 1819
Son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
and Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg		 10 February 1840 10 February 1840

Marriage to the monarch		 Not crowned 14 December 1861

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QueenAlexandra.jpg Princess Alexandra of Denmark Coat of Arms of Alexandra of Denmark.svg 1 December 1844
Daughter of Christian IX of Denmark
and Princess 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

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125px Princess Victoria Mary of Teck Coat of Arms of Mary of Teck.svg 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

Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value).		 Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). George V
125px Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Coat of Arms of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.svg 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

Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value).		 Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). George VI
125px Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark Coat of Arms of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.svg 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

Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value).		 Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). Elizabeth II
125px Camilla Shand 106x106px 17 July 1947
Daughter of Bruce Shand
and The Hon. Rosalind Cubitt		 9 April 2005 8 September 2022

Spouse's accession		 6 May 2023 Incumbent

 Age: Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value).		 Living Lua error in Module:Age at line 846: attempt to call method 'subtract' (a nil value). Charles III

References

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External links

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