A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...

of a king. In the case of the widow of an

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

, the title of

empress dowager Empress dowager (also dowager empress or empress mother; ) is the English language translation of the title given to the mother or widow of a monarch, especially in regards to Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese monarchs in the Chines ...

is used. Its full meaning is clear from the two words from which it is composed: queen indicates someone who served as

queen consort A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social Imperial, royal and noble ranks, rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but hi ...

(i.e. wife of a king), while

dowager A dowager is a widow or widower who holds a title or property – a "dower" – derived from her or his deceased spouse. As an adjective, ''dowager'' usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles. In popular usage, the n ...

indicates a woman who continues to hold the title from her deceased husband (a queen who reigns in her own right is a

queen regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns ''suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning ...

). A

queen mother A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the monarch, reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. It arises in hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also ...

is a former queen consort, often a dowager queen, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. there are four queens dowager: Kesang Choden of

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

(who is the only living queen grandmother worldwide), Norodom Monineath of

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

(who is also queen mother), Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) of

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

, and Sirikit Kitiyakara of

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

(who is also queen mother).

Status

A queen dowager has an important royal position (whether or not she is the mother of the reigning sovereign) but does not normally have any rights to succeed a king as monarch on his death unless she happens to be next in line to the throne (one possibility would be if the king and queen were also cousins and childless, the king had no other siblings, and she in her other position as his cousin was also his heiress presumptive). A queen dowager continues to enjoy the title,

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

, and precedence of a queen, but is no longer referred to as ''the'' queen. A new reigning king would have (at accession or eventually) a wife who would be the new queen consort and therefore ''the'' queen; a

would also be called ''the'' queen. Many former queens consort do not formally use the word "dowager" as part of their titles. There may be more than one queen dowager at any given time. The

Garter King of Arms Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior king of arms and officer of arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The position ha ...

's proclamation in the United Kingdom of the styles and titles of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother at her funeral on 9 April 2002 illustrates her dual status as a queen dowager and a queen mother:

Distinction from queen mother

is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the current monarch. Not every queen mother is a queen dowager, such as Queen Paola of Belgium, who became the queen mother of her son Philippe after her husband Albert II abdicated the throne but retained the title of king. Not all queens dowager are the queen mother; they may have a relation other than mother to the reigning monarch, such as aunt or grandmother. For example,

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

, was queen dowager of France after the death of her husband Francis II, to whom she bore no children. Similarly, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was queen dowager after her husband

William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

was succeeded by his niece Victoria. Not every mother of a reigning monarch is the queen mother or a queen dowager. For example, the mother of Queen Victoria of United Kingdom, Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, was neither a queen dowager nor the queen mother because her husband, Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent, had never been king. Similarly, whilst being the mothers of monarchs, both Augusta of Saxe-Gotha and Srinagarindra of Thailand were not styled queen dowager because their respective husbands,

Frederick, Prince of Wales Frederick, Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis, German: ''Friedrich Ludwig''; 31 January 1707 – 31 March 1751) was the eldest son and heir apparent of King George II of Great Britain. He grew estranged from his parents, King George and Queen C ...

and Mahidol Adulyadej, Prince of Songkla, were never kings. Instead, Augusta held the title of " Dowager Princess of Wales" (a precedent was

Henry VII of England Henry VII (28 January 1457 – 21 April 1509), also known as Henry Tudor, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizure of the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death in 1509. He was the first monarch of the House of Tudor. Henr ...

's mother,

Lady Margaret Beaufort Lady Margaret Beaufort ( ; 31 May 1443 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late 15th century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first House of Tudor, Tudor monarch. She was also a second cousin o ...

, titled "My Lady the King's Mother"); Srinagarindra meanwhile received the designation "Princess Mother". As there is only one monarch, there can only be one queen mother. It is possible for there to be a queen mother and one or more queens dowager alive at any one time. This situation occurred in the

Commonwealth realm A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations that has the same constitutional monarch and head of state as the other realms. The current monarch is King Charles III. Except for the United Kingdom, in each of the re ...

s in the period between the accession of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

on 6 February 1952 and the death of her paternal grandmother on 24 March 1953, when, for slightly over a year, there were three queens alive: * Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch (

). *

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was al ...

, the widow of the deceased

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

and the mother of the reigning queen. Queen Elizabeth, the former queen consort, specifically adopted the appellation ''queen mother'' to distinguish herself from her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II. She reportedly loathed being referred to as a ''dowager queen'', and felt there would be confusion if she were called simply by her name, as her two immediate predecessors, Queen Mary and Queen Alexandra, had been. * Queen Mary, the widow of

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

, the mother of the former king

Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...

(the then

Duke of Windsor Duke of Windsor was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 8 March 1937 for the former monarch Edward VIII, following his Abdication of Edward VIII, abdication on 11 December 1936. The Duchy, dukedom takes its name from ...

) and of the late King George VI. Queen Mary had been the queen mother from the death of her husband in 1936 until the accession of her granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1952. She continued to be titled and styled ''Her Majesty Queen Mary''.

British queens dowager

There were several former queens consort of England, Scotland, and later the United Kingdom, who were never queen mothers. The following queens were dowagers between the given dates, whether queen mothers or not: Of

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

: * Edith of Wessex 5 January 1066 – 18 December 1075, wife of

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was King of England from 1042 until his death in 1066. He was the last reigning monarch of the House of Wessex. Edward was the son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy. He succeede ...

; sister of Harold Godwinson. *

Adeliza of Louvain Adeliza of Louvain (also Adelicia, Adela, Adelais, and Aleidis; c. 1103 – March/April 1151) was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135 as the second wife of King Henry I. Adeliza was the eldest child of Godfrey I, Count of Louvain, and Ida ...

1 December 1135 – 23 April 1151, wife of

Henry I of England Henry I ( – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in 1087, Henr ...

; remarried to

William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel William d'Aubigny (c. 110912 Oct 1176), also known as William d'Albini, William de Albini and William de Albini II, was an English nobleman. He was son of William d'Aubigny and Maud Bigod, daughter of Roger Bigod of Norfolk. William fought loy ...

in 1139. *

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine ( or ; ; , or ; – 1 April 1204) was Duchess of Aquitaine from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, and Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II. As ...

6 July 1189 – 1 April 1204, wife of

Henry II of England Henry II () was King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with the ...

; ''queen mother'' to

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

and

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. * Berengaria of Navarre 6 April 1199 – 23 December 1230, wife of

Richard I of England Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199), known as Richard the Lionheart or Richard Cœur de Lion () because of his reputation as a great military leader and warrior, was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ru ...

. * Isabella of Angoulême 18/19 October 1216 – 31 May 1246, wife of

John of England John (24 December 1166 – 19 October 1216) was King of England from 1199 until his death in 1216. He lost the Duchy of Normandy and most of his other French lands to King Philip II of France, resulting in the collapse of the Angevin Empi ...

and ''queen mother'' to

Henry III of England Henry III (1 October 1207 – 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death in 1272. The son of John, King of England, King John and Isabella of Ang ...

. Remarried to Hugh X of Lusignan 1220. *

Eleanor of Provence Eleanor of Provence ( 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was a Provence, Provençal noblewoman who became List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the wife of King Henry III of England, Henry III from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served ...

16 November 1272 – 24 June 1291, wife of

and ''queen mother'' to

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...

. * Marguerite of France 7 July 1307 – 14 February 1317, wife of

and stepmother to

Edward II of England Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...

. *

Isabella of France Isabella of France ( – 22 August 1358), sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France (), was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the wife of Edward II of England, King Edward II, and ''de facto'' regent of England from 1327 ...

September 1327 – 22 August 1358, wife of

and ''queen mother'' to

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...

, from her husband's deposition on 20 January 1327. * Isabella of Valois 14 February 1399 – 13 September 1409, wife of

Richard II of England Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward the Black Prince, Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Jo ...

; ceased to be queen consort with Richard's deposition on 30 September 1399. Remarried to Charles I de Valois, Duke of Orléans on 29 June 1406. * Joanna of Navarre 20 March 1413—9 July 1437, wife of

Henry IV of England Henry IV ( – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (a son of King Edward III), and Blanche of Lancaster. Henry was involved in the 1388 ...

and stepmother to

Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against ...

. *

Catherine of Valois Catherine of Valois or Catherine of France (27 October 1401 – 3 January 1437) was Queen of England from 1420 until 1422. A daughter of King Charles VI of France, she married King Henry V of England and was the mother of King Henry VI. Cath ...

31 August 1422 – 3 January 1437, wife of

and ''queen mother'' to

Henry VI of England Henry VI (6 December 1421 – 21 May 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and 1470 to 1471, and English claims to the French throne, disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V of England, Henry V, he succeeded ...

. Remarried to Owen Tudor in 1428 or 1429. *

Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Through marriage, she was also nominally Queen of France from 1445 to 1453. Born in the ...

21 May 1471 – 25 August 1482, wife of

. *

Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile; c. 1437Karen Lindsey, ''Divorced, Beheaded, Survived'', p. xviii, Perseus Books, 1995. – 8 June 1492), known as Dame Elizabeth Grey during her first marriage, was Queen of Engla ...

9 April 1483 – 8 June 1492, wife of

Edward IV of England Edward IV (28 April 1442 – 9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470, then again from 11 April 1471 until his death in 1483. He was a central figure in the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in England ...

and ''queen mother'' to

Edward V of England Edward V (2 November 1470 – ) was King of England from 9 April to 25 June 1483. He succeeded his father, Edward IV, upon the latter's death. Edward V was never crowned, and his brief reign was dominated by the influence of his uncle and Lord ...

until the latter's deposition in 1483. Of England and

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

Catherine Parr Catherine Parr ( – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until Henry's death on 28 January 1547. Catherine was the final queen consort o ...

28 January 1547 – 5 September 1548, sixth and last wife of

Henry VIII of England Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

and stepmother to his children

King Edward VI Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...

, Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth. Remarried to Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley most likely in mid-spring of 1547 and was mother to Mary Seymour.Linda Porter. ''Katherine, the queen,'' Macmillan 2011. Of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

* Margaret of Wessex 13 November 1093 – 6 November 1093, wife of

Malcolm III of Scotland Malcolm III (; ; –13 November 1093) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Alba from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" (, , understood as "great chief"). Malcolm's long reign of 35 years preceded the beginning of the Scoto-Norma ...

. * Ermengarde de Beaumont 4 December 1214 – 12 February 1233/34, wife of William I of Scotland and ''queen mother'' to Alexander II of Scotland. * Marie de Coucy 6 July 1249 – 1285, wife of Alexander II of Scotland and ''queen mother'' to

Alexander III of Scotland Alexander III (; Modern Gaelic: ; 4 September 1241 – 19 March 1286) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1249 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of Perth, by which Scotland acquired sovereignty over the Western Isles and the Isle of Man. ...

. Remarried to Jean de Brienne in 1257. * Yolande of Dreux 19 March 1286 – 2 August 1322, wife of

. Remarried to Arthur II, Duke of Brittany in 1292. * Joan Beaufort 21 February 1437 – 15 July 1445, wife of

James I of Scotland James I (late July 1394 – 21 February 1437) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scots from 1406 until his assassination in 1437. The youngest of three sons, he was born in Dunfermline Abbey to King Robert III of Scotland, Robert III and ...

and ''queen mother'' to

James II of Scotland James II (16 October 1430 – 3 August 1460) was King of Scots from 1437 until his death in 1460. The eldest surviving son of James I of Scotland, he succeeded to the Scottish throne at the age of six, following the assassination of his fathe ...

. Remarried to

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military aviator. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morali ...

in 1439. *

Mary of Guelders Mary of Guelders (; c. 1434/1435 – 1 December 1463) was Queen of Scots by marriage to King James II. She ruled as regent of Scotland from 1460 to 1463. Background She was the daughter of Arnold, Duke of Guelders, and Catherine of Clev ...

3 August 1460 – 1 December 1463, wife of

and ''queen mother'' to

James III of Scotland James III (10 July 1451/May 1452 – 11 June 1488) was King of Scots from 1460 until his death at the Battle of Sauchieburn in 1488. He inherited the throne as a child following the death of his father, King James II, at the siege of Roxburg ...

. *

Margaret Tudor Margaret Tudor (28 November 1489 – 18 October 1541) was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1503 until 1513 by marriage to King James IV. She then served as regent of Scotland during her son's minority, and fought to exte ...

9 September 1513 – 8 October 1541, wife of

James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James I ...

and ''queen mother'' to

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...

. Remarried to Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus in 1514 and Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven in 1528. *

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...

14 December 1542 – 11 June 1560, wife of

and ''queen mother'' to

. Of England, Ireland and Scotland *

Henrietta Maria of France Henrietta Maria of France ( French: ''Henriette Marie''; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until his execution on 30 January 1649. She was ...

30 January 1649 – 10 September 1669, wife of Charles I and ''queen mother'' to Charles II. *

Catherine of Braganza Catherine of Braganza (; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland during her marriage to Charles II of England, King Charles II, which la ...

6 February 1685 – 30 November 1705, wife of Charles II. *

Mary of Modena Mary of Modena (; ) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England, List of Scottish royal consorts, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James VII and II. A devout Catholic, Roman Catholic, Mary married the widower James, who was t ...

16 September 1701 – 7 May 1718, wife of

James II and VII James II and VII (14 October 1633 – 16 September 1701) was King of England and Monarchy of Ireland, Ireland as James II and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II of England, Charles II, on 6 February 1 ...

; ceased to be queen consort with his deposition on 11 December 1688. Of the United Kingdom: * Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen 20 June 1837 – 2 December 1849, wife of

. *

Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia; 1 December 1844 – 20 November 1925) was List of British royal consorts, queen-consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 22 Januar ...

6 May 1910 – 20 November 1925, wife of

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

, ''queen mother'' to

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936. George w ...

. *

Mary of Teck Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes; 26 May 186724 March 1953) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, from 6 May 1910 until 20 Janua ...

20 January 1936 – 24 March 1953, wife of

, ''queen mother'' to

and

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until Death and state funeral of George VI, his death in 1952 ...

until the latter's death on 6 February 1952. *

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of K ...

6 February 1952 – 30 March 2002, wife of

and ''queen mother'' to

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

– styled as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. If the current queen consort,

Queen Camilla Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is List of British royal consorts, Queen of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. Camilla was raised in East ...

, outlives the incumbent king,

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

, she will become a queen dowager, while King Charles’s son and daughter in law become the new king and queen consort respectively. She would not be known as a queen mother, as she is not the biological parent of Prince William.

Other

Note that in some of the countries mentioned below it is unusual to indicate a former queen-consort as a dowager.

East Asia

China

* Queen Dowager Xuan, concubine of King Xiaowen and mother of King Zhaoxiang of Qin. * Queen Dowager Zhao, wife of King Zhuangxiang of Qin and mother of

Qin Shi Huang Qin Shi Huang (, ; February 25912 July 210 BC), born Ying Zheng () or Zhao Zheng (), was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of China. He is widely regarded as the first ever supreme leader of a unitary state, unitary d ...

. * Empress Lü, wife of

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (2561 June 195 BC), also known by his given name Liu Bang, was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning from 202 to 195 BC. He is considered by traditional Chinese historiography to be one o ...

. *

Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was List of rulers of China#Tang dynasty, Empress of China from 660 to 705, ruling first through others and later in her own right. She ruled as queen consort , empress consort th ...

, wife of Emperor Gaozong and mother of Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong of Tang. Later became the only

Empress regnant A queen regnant (: queens regnant) is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns '' suo jure'' (in her own right) over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigni ...

in the history of China. *

Empress Dowager Cixi Empress Dowager Cixi ( ; 29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara clan who effectively but periodically controlled the Chinese government in the late Qing dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 ...

, wife of Xianfeng Emperor and mother of Tongzhi Emperor of Qing.

Japan

* Empress Dowager Eishō (11 January 1835 – 11 January 1897), wife and widow of

Emperor Kōmei Osahito (22 July 1831 – 30 January 1867), posthumously honored as Emperor Kōmei, was the 121st emperor of Japan, according to the List of Emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession.Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')孝明天皇 ...

of Japan. * Empress Shōken (9 May 1849 – 9 April 1914), wife and widow of

Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...

of Japan. * Empress Teimei (25 June 1884 – 17 May 1951), wife and widow of

Emperor Taishō , posthumously honored as , was the 123rd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1912 until his death in 1926. His reign, known as the Taishō era, was characterized by a liberal and democratic shift in ...

of Japan and mother of Emperor Shōwa. * Empress Kōjun (6 March 1903 – 16 June 2000), wife and widow of Emperor Shōwa of Japan and mother of Emperor

Akihito Akihito (born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 1989 until 2019 Japanese imperial transition, his abdication in 2019. The era of his rule was named the Heisei era, Hei ...

Korea

* Queen Heonae (997–1009), third wife and widow of Gyeongjong of Goryeo and sister of Seongjong of Goryeo, mother of Mokjong of Goryeo and daughter of Gwangjong of Goryeo * Queen Gongye (1126–1146), third wife and widow of Injong of Goryeo and mother of

Uijong of Goryeo Uijong (23 May 1127 – 7 November 1173), personal name Wang Hyŏn, was the 18th king of the Goryeo, Goryeo dynasty of Korea. He honoured his civilian advisors with many ceremonies but discriminated against the military officials, often forcing ...

, Myeongjong of Goryeo, Sinjong of Goryeo * Queen Jangryeol (1624–1688), wife and widow of Injo of Joseon step-mother of

Hyojong of Joseon Hyojong (; 3 July 1619 – 23 June 1659), personal name Yi Ho (), was the 17th monarch of the Joseon, Joseon dynasty of Korea. He is best known for his plan for an expedition to help China's Ming Dynasty fight against China's Qing dynasty, and ...

, step-grandmother of Hyeonjong of Joseon, step-great-grandmother of Sukjong of Joseon. *

Queen Jeongsun Queen Jeongsun (; 2 December 1745 – 11 February 1805), of the Gyeongju Kim clan, was a posthumous name bestowed to the wife and second queen consort of Yi Geum, King Yeongjo, the 21st Joseon monarch. She was queen consort of Joseon from 1759 ...

(1745–1805), second wife and widow of

Yeongjo of Joseon Yeongjo (; 31 October 1694 – 22 April 1776), personal name Yi Geum (), was the 21st monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. He was the second son of King Sukjong by his concubine, Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choe clan. Before asc ...

and step-grandmother of Jeongjo of Joseon and step-great-grandmother of Sunjo of Joseon.

Europe

Bavaria

* Caroline of Baden (1825–1841), second wife and widow of King

Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria Maximilian I Joseph (; 27 May 1756 – 13 October 1825) was Duke of Zweibrücken from 1795 to 1799, prince-elector of Bavaria (as Maximilian IV Joseph) from 1799 to 1806, then King of Bavaria (as Maximilian I Joseph) from 1806 to 1825. He was ...

. * Marie of Prussia (1864–1889), widow of King Maximilian II of Bavaria.

Castile

* Mafalda of Portugal (1197-1 May 1256), wife of King Henry I of Castile *

Constance of Portugal Constance of Portugal (pt: ''Constança''; 3 January 1290 – Sahagún, 18 November 1313; ), was Queen of Castile by her marriage to Ferdinand IV. She was the eldest child and only daughter of King Denis of Portugal and his wife Elizab ...

(3 January 1290 – 18 November 1313), wife of King

Ferdinand IV of Castile Ferdinand IV of Castile (6 December 1285 – 7 September 1312) called the Summoned (''el Emplazado''), was King of Castile and King of León, León from 1295 until his death. Ferdinand's upbringing and personal custody was entered to his mother ...

, mother of King

Alfonso XI of Castile Alfonso XI (11 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes ...

* Maria of Portugal (9 February 1313 – 18 January 1357), wife of King

, mother of King Peter I of Castile *

Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal (; 24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was the empress consort of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Duke of Burgundy. She was Queen of Spain and Germany, and Lady of the Netherlands fr ...

(1428 – 15 August 1496), wife of King

John II of Castile John II of Castile (; 6 March 1405 – 20 July 1454) was King of Castile and León from 1406 to 1454. He succeeded his older sister, Maria of Castile, Queen of Aragon, as Prince of Asturias in 1405. Regency John was the son of King Henry ...

, mother of

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I (; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''Isabel la Católica''), was Queen of Castile and List of Leonese monarchs, León from 1474 until her death in 1504. She was also Queen of Aragon ...

* Joan of Portugal (20 March 1439 – 12 December 1475), wife of King

Henry IV of Castile Henry IV of Castile (Spanish language, Castilian: ''Enrique IV''; 5 January 1425 – 11 December 1474), nicknamed the Impotent, was King of Kingdom of Castile, Castile and Kingdom of León, León and the last of the weak late-medieval kings of Ca ...

Croatia

Helen of Zadar Helen of Zadar () (died 8 October 976), also known as Helen the Glorious (), was the queen consort of the Kingdom of Croatia (medieval), Kingdom of Croatia, as the wife of King Michael Krešimir II of Croatia, Michael Krešimir II, from 946 to 96 ...

(969 – 976), wife and widow of King Michael Krešimir II of Croatia.

Denmark

* Jutta of Saxony (1250–1267), widow of King Eric IV of Denmark. Remarried to Burchard VIII, Count of Querfurt-Rosenburg. * Matilda of Holstein (1252–1288), widow of Abel, King of Denmark. Remarried to

Birger Jarl Birger Jarl or Birger Magnusson (21 October 1266) was a Swedish statesman and regent, ''Swedish jarls, jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjälbo, who played a pivotal role in consolidating Sweden after the civil wars between the House of Eri ...

in 1261. * Margaret Sambiria (1259–1282), widow of King Christopher I of Denmark. * Agnes of Brandenburg (1286–1304), widow of King Eric V of Denmark. Remarried to Gerhard II, Count of Holstein-Plön in 1293. * Dorothea of Brandenburg (1448–1449, 1481–1495), widow of King Christopher III and later King

Christian I of Denmark Christian I ''(Christiern I)'' (February 1426 – 21 May 1481) was a German noble and Scandinavian monarch under the Kalmar Union. He was king of Denmark (1448–1481), King of Norway, Norway (1450–1481) and King of Sweden, Sweden (1457 ...

. * Christina of Saxony (1513–1521), widow of

John, King of Denmark John or Hans (; 2 February 1455 – 20 February 1513) was a Scandinavian monarch who ruled under the Kalmar Union. He was King of Kingdom of Denmark, Denmark from 1481 to 1513, King of Kingdom of Norway, Norway from 1483 to 1513, and King of ...

. * Sophie of Pomerania (1533–1568), second wife and widow of King

Frederick I of Denmark Frederick I ( Danish and ; ; ; 7 October 1471 – 10 April 1533) was King of Denmark and Norway. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over Denmark and Norway, when subsequent monarchs embraced Lutheranism after the Protestant Reformatio ...

. *

Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (9 July 1511 – 7 October 1571) was queen consort of Denmark and Norway by marriage to King Christian III of Denmark. She was known to having wielded influence upon the affairs of state in Denmark.Jorgensen, Ellen & S ...

(1559–1571), widow of King

Christian III of Denmark Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...

. *

Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (''Sophia''; 4 September 1557 – 4 October 1631) was List of Danish royal consorts, Queen of Denmark and List of Norwegian royal consorts, Norway by marriage to Frederick II of Denmark. She was the mother of King ...

(1588–1631), widow of King

Frederick II of Denmark Frederick II (1 July 1534 – 4 April 1588) was King of Denmark-Norway, Denmark and Norway and Duke of Duchy of Schleswig, Schleswig and Duchy of Holstein, Holstein from 1559 until his death in 1588. A member of the House of Oldenburg, Fre ...

. * Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Calenberg (1670–1685), widow of King

Frederick III of Denmark Frederick III (; 18 March 1609 – 9 February 1670) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death in 1670. He also governed under the name Frederick II as diocesan administrator (colloquially referred to as prince-bishop) of the ...

. * Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel (1699–1714), widow of King

Christian V of Denmark Christian V (15 April 1646 – 25 August 1699) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1670 until his death in 1699. Well-regarded by the common people, he was the first king anointed at Frederiksborg Castle chapel as absolute monarch since the dec ...

. * Anne Sophie Reventlow (1730–1743), second wife and widow of King

Frederick IV of Denmark Frederick IV (Danish language, Danish: ''Frederik''; 11 October 1671 – 12 October 1730) was List of Danish monarchs, King of Denmark and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway from 1699 until his death. Frederick was the son of Christian V of Denma ...

. * Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1746–1770), widow of King

Christian VI of Denmark Christian VI (30 November 1699 – 6 August 1746) was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746. The eldest surviving son of Frederick IV of Denmark, Frederick IV and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, he is considered one of Denmark-Norway's m ...

. *

Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern (Danish: ''Juliane Marie''; 4 September 1729 – 10 October 1796) was List of Danish royal consorts, Queen of Denmark and List of Norwegian royal consorts, Norway from 1752 to 1766 as the second con ...

(1766–1796), second wife and widow of King

Frederick V of Denmark Frederick V (Danish language, Danish and Norwegian language, Norwegian: ''Frederik V''; 31 March 1723 – 14 January 1766) was King of Denmark–Norway, Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig-Holstein from 6 August 1746 until his death in 1766. ...

. * Marie of Hesse-Kassel (1839–1852), widow of King

Frederick VI of Denmark Frederick VI ( Danish and ; 28 January 1768 – 3 December 1839) was King of Denmark from 13 March 1808 until his death in 1839 and King of Norway from 13 March 1808 to 7 February 1814. He was the last king of Denmark–Norway. From 1784 until h ...

. * Caroline Amalie of Augustenburg (1848–1881), second wife and widow of King

Christian VIII of Denmark Christian VIII (18 September 1786 – 20 January 1848) was King of Denmark from 1839 to 1848 and, as Christian Frederick, King of Norway in 1814. Christian Frederick was the eldest son of Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, Hereditary Prin ...

. *

Louise of Sweden Louise of Sweden (; 31 October 1851 – 20 March 1926) was List of Danish royal consorts, Queen of Denmark from 1906 until 1912 as the wife of Frederick VIII of Denmark, King Frederick VIII. Born into the House of Bernadotte, Louise was the onl ...

(1912–1926), widow of King

Frederick VIII of Denmark Frederik VIII (; 3 June 1843 – 14 May 1912) was King of Denmark from 29 January 1906 until his death in 1912. As the eldest son of Christian IX of Denmark, King Christian IX, nicknamed the ''Father-in-law of Europe'', Frederick was related ...

. * Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1947–1952), widow of King Christian X of Denmark. *

Ingrid of Sweden Ingrid of Sweden (Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louisa Margareta; 28 March 1910 – 7 November 2000) was List of Danish consorts, Queen of Denmark from 20 April 1947 to 14 January 1972 as the wife of King Frederik IX. Ingrid was born into the Hous ...

(1972–2000), widow of King

Frederik IX of Denmark Frederik IX (Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972. Frederik was born into the House of Glücksburg during the reign of his great-grandfather King Chr ...

Greece

* Olga Constantinovna of Russia (1913–1924), widow of King

George I of Greece George I ( Greek: Γεώργιος Α΄, romanized: ''Geórgios I''; 24 December 1845 – 18 March 1913) was King of Greece from 30 March 1863 until his assassination on 18 March 1913. Originally a Danish prince, George was born in Copenhage ...

. * Sophia of Prussia (1923–1924), widow of King

Constantine I of Greece Constantine I (, Romanization, romanized: ''Konstantínos I''; – 11 January 1923) was King of Greece from 18 March 1913 to 11 June 1917 and again from 19 December 1920 to 27 September 1922. He was commander-in-chief of the Hellenic Army dur ...

. * Frederica of Hanover (1964–1973), widow of King

Paul of Greece Paul (; 14 December 1901 – 6 March 1964) was King of Greece from 1 April 1947 until his death on 6 March 1964. Paul was born in Athens as the third son of Constantine I of Greece, Crown Prince Constantine and Sophia of Prussia, Crown Princess ...

León

* Urraca of Portugal (1151–1222), wife of King

Ferdinand II of León Ferdinand II ( 1137 – 22 January 1188), was a member of the Castilian House of Burgundy, Castilian cadet branch of the House of Ivrea and List of Leonese monarchs, King of León and kingdom of Galicia, Galicia from 1157 until his death. Life ...

, mother of King

Alfonso IX of León Alfonso IX (15 August 117123 or 24 September 1230) was King of León from the death of his father Ferdinand II in 1188 until his own death. He took steps towards modernizing and democratizing his dominion and founded the University of Salaman ...

* Teresa of Portugal (4 October 1178 – 8 June 1250), wife of King

(3 January 1290 – 18 November 1313), wife of King Fernando IV of León, mother of King Alfonso XI of León * Maria of Portugal (9 February 1313 – 18 January 1357), wife of King Alfonso XI of León, mother of King Peter I of León *

(1428 – 15 August 1496), wife of King John II of León, mother of Isabella I of León * Joan of Portugal (20 March 1439 – 12 December 1475), wife of King Henry IV of León

Portugal

* Beatrice of Castile (1242 – 27 October 1303), wife of King

Afonso III of Portugal Afonso IIIrare English alternatives: ''Alphonzo'' or ''Alphonse'', or ''Affonso'' (Archaic Portuguese), ''Alfonso'' or ''Alphonso'' (Portuguese-Galician languages, Portuguese-Galician) or ''Alphonsus'' (Latin). (; 5 May 121016 February 1279), ca ...

and mother of King

Dinis I of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal from 1279 until his death in 1325. Dinis was the eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second ...

Elizabeth of Aragon Elizabeth of Portugal (''Elisabet'' in Catalan language, Catalan, ''Isabel'' in Aragonese language, Aragonese, Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, Spanish; 1271 – 4 July 1336), also known as Elizabeth of Aragon, was List of P ...

(1271 – 4 July 1336), wife of King

and mother of King Afonso IV of Portugal * Beatrice of Castile (8 March 1293 – 25 October 1359), wife of King Afonso IV of Portugal and mother of King

Peter I of Portugal Peter I (; 8 April 1320 – 18 January 1367), known as Peter the Just () or Peter the Cruel (), was King of Portugal from 1357 until his death in 1367. Early life Born on 8 April 1320 in Coimbra, Peter was the fifth child of Afonso of Portuga ...

* Leonor Telles de Menezes (1350 – 27 April 1386), wife of King Fernando I of Portugal * Eleanor of Aragon (1 February 1402 – 19 February 1445), wife of King

Duarte I of Portugal Edward ( ; 31 October 1391 – 9 September 1438), also called Edward the Philosopher King (''Duarte o Rei-Filósofo'') or the Eloquent (''o Eloquente''), was the King of Portugal from 1433 until his death. He was born in Viseu, the son of John I o ...

and mother of King

Afonso V of Portugal Afonso V (; 15 January 1432 – 28 August 1481), known by the sobriquet the African (), was King of Portugal from 1438 until his death in 1481, with a brief interruption in 1477. His sobriquet refers to his military conquests in Northern Africa. ...

* Eleanor of Viseu (2 May 1458 – 17 November 1525), wife of King João II of Portugal * Eleanor of Austria (15 November 1498 – 25 February 1558), third wife of King

Manuel I of Portugal Manuel I (; 31 May 146913 December 1521), known as the Fortunate (), was King of Portugal from 1495 to 1521. A member of the House of Aviz, Manuel was Duke of Beja and Viseu prior to succeeding his cousin, John II of Portugal, as monarch. Manu ...

* Catherine of Austria (14 January 1507 – 12 February 1578), wife of King João III of Portugal and grandmother of King Sebastião I of Portugal * Luisa of Guzman (13 October 1613 – 27 February 1666), wife of King João IV of Portugal and mother of Kings Afonso VI and Pedro II * Maria Anna of Austria (7 September 1683 – 14 August 1754), wife of King João V of Portugal and mother of King José I of Portugal *

Mariana Victoria of Spain Mariana Victoria of Spain (; 31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781) was an ''Infante, Infanta of Spain'' by birth and was later the List of Portuguese consorts, Queen of Portugal as the wife of King Joseph I of Portugal, Joseph I. She acted as rege ...

(31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781), wife of King José I of Portugal and mother of Queen

Maria I of Portugal '' Dona'' Maria I (Maria Francisca Isabel Josefa Antónia Gertrudes Rita Joana; 17 December 1734 – 20 March 1816) also known as Maria the Pious in Portugal and Maria the Mad in Brazil, was Queen of Portugal from 24 February 1777 until her de ...

* Carlota Joaquina of Spain (25 April 1775 – 7 January 1830), wife of King

João VI of Portugal '' Dom'' John VI (; 13 May 1767 – 10 March 1826), known as "the Clement" (), was King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves from 1816 to 1825, and after the recognition of Brazil's independence, titular Emperor of Brazil a ...

and mother of King-Emperor

Pedro IV of Portugal ''Don (honorific), Dom'' Pedro I (12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), known in Brazil and in Portugal as "the Liberator" () or "the Soldier King" () in Portugal, was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of ...

and King Miguel I of Portugal * Maria Pia of Savoy (14 February 1847 – 5 July 1911), wife of King

Luís I of Portugal Dom (title), ''Dom'' Luís I (; 31 October 1838 – 19 October 1889), known as "the Popular" (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''o Popular'') was King of Portugal from 1861 to 1889. Luís was a member of the ruling House of Braganza. The second ...

and mother of King

Carlos I of Portugal Dom (title), ''Dom'' Carlos I (; 28 September 1863 – 1 February 1908), known as "the Diplomat" (), "the Oceanographer" () among many other names, was List of Portuguese monarchs, King of Portugal from 1889 until his Lisbon Regicide, assassin ...

* Amélie of Orleans (28 September 1865 – 25 October 1951), wife of King

and mother of King

Manuel II of Portugal Dom (title), Dom Manuel II (Manuel Maria Filipe Carlos Amélio Luís Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Francisco de Assis Eugénio de Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha e Bragança; 15 November 1889 – 2 July 1932), sometimes known as Manuel the Unfortunate () or ...

Prussia

* Sophia Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (25 February 1713 – 29 July 1735), third wife and widow of King

Frederick I of Prussia Frederick I (; 11 July 1657 – 25 February 1713), of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was (as Frederick III) List of margraves and electors of Brandenburg, Elector of Brandenburg (1688–1713) and Duke of Prussia in personal union (Brandenburg–Pr ...

. * Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (31 May 1740 – 28 June 1757), widow of King

Frederick William I of Prussia Frederick William I (; 14 August 1688 – 31 May 1740), known as the Soldier King (), was King in Prussia and Elector of Brandenburg from 1713 until his death in 1740, as well as Prince of Neuchâtel. Born in Berlin, he was raised by the Hugu ...

. * Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern (17 August 1786 – 13 January 1797), widow of King

Frederick II of Prussia Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself '' King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prus ...

. * Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (16 November 1797 – 25 February 1805), second wife and widow of King

Frederick William II of Prussia Frederick William II (; 25 September 1744 – 16 November 1797) was King of Prussia from 1786 until his death in 1797. He was also the prince-elector of Brandenburg and (through the Orange-Nassau inheritance of his grandfather) sovereign princ ...

. * Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria (2 January 1861 – 14 December 1873), widow of King

Frederick William IV of Prussia Frederick William IV (; 15 October 1795 – 2 January 1861), the eldest son and successor of Frederick William III of Prussia, was King of Prussia from 7 June 1840 until his death on 2 January 1861. Also referred to as the "romanticist on the th ...

. * Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (9 March 1888 – 7 January 1890), widow of

William I, German Emperor Wilhelm I (Wilhelm Friedrich Ludwig; 22 March 1797 – 9 March 1888) was King of Prussia from 1861 and German Emperor from 1871 until his death in 1888. A member of the House of Hohenzollern, he was the first head of state of a united Germany. ...

and King of Prussia. *

Victoria, Princess Royal Victoria, Princess Royal (Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa; 21 November 1840 – 5 August 1901) was German Empress and Queen of Prussia as the wife of Frederick III, German Emperor. She was the eldest child of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom ...

(15 June 1888 – 5 August 1901), widow of

Frederick III, German Emperor Frederick III (Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl; 18 October 183115 June 1888), or Friedrich III, was German Emperor and King of Prussia for 99 days between March and his death in June 1888, during the Year of the Three Emperors. Known informal ...

and King of Prussia.

Romania

Elisabeth of Wied Elisabeth of Wied (Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise; 29 December 18432 March 1916) was the first Queen of Romania as the wife of King Carol I from 15 March 1881 to 27 September 1914. She had been the princess consort of Romania since her marriage ...

(27 September 1914 – 2 March 1916), widow of King Carol I of Romania * Marie of Edinburgh (20 July 1927 – 18 July 1938), widow of

Ferdinand I of Romania Ferdinand I (Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad; 24 August 1865 – 20 July 1927), nicknamed ''Întregitorul'' ("the Unifier"), was King of Romania from 10 October 1914 until his death in 1927. Ferdinand was the second son of Leopold, Prince of Hoh ...

Saxony

Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld-Bischweiler (Maria Amalie Auguste; 10 May 1752 – 15 November 1828) was the last Electress and first Queen of Saxony and Duchy of Warsaw, Duchess of Warsaw. Biography Amalie was born in Mannheim, the daug ...

(10 May 1752 – 15 November 1828), widow of King

Frederick Augustus I of Saxony Frederick Augustus I (; ; ; 23 December 1750 – 5 May 1827) was a member of the House of Wettin who reigned as the last Elector of Saxony from 1763 to 1806 (as Frederick Augustus III) and as the first King of Saxony from 1806 to 1827. He was al ...

. * Maria Anna of Bavaria (27 January 1805 – 13 September 1877), second wife and widow of King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony. * Amalie Auguste of Bavaria (13 November 1801 – 8 November 1877), widow of King John of Saxony. * Carola of Vasa (5 August 1833 – 15 December 1907), widow of King Albert of Saxony.

Spain

* Mariana of Austria (24 December 1634 – 16 May 1696), second wife and widow of King

Philip IV of Spain Philip IV (, ; 8 April 160517 September 1665), also called the Planet King (Spanish: ''Rey Planeta''), was King of Spain from 1621 to his death and (as Philip III) King of Portugal from 1621 to 1640. Philip is remembered for his patronage of the ...

. * Maria Anna of Neuburg (28 October 1667 – 16 July 1740), second wife and widow of King Charles II of Spain. * Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans (9 December 1709 – 16 June 1742), widow of King Louis I of Spain. * Elisabeth Farnese (25 October 1692 – 11 July 1766), second wife and widow of King

Philip V of Spain Philip V (; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was List of Spanish monarchs, King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724 and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign (45 years and 16 days) is the longest in the ...

. * Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies (27 April 1806 – 22 August 1878), fourth wife and widow of King

Ferdinand VII Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (the Desired), and af ...

of Spain. * Maria Christina of Austria (21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929), second wife and widow of King

Alfonso XII Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo de Borbón y Borbón; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as ''El Pacificador'' (Spanish: the Peacemaker), was King of Spain from 29 D ...

of Spain.

Sweden

In Sweden, there has also been another title for a dowager queen, called ''Riksänkedrottning'', which means ''Queen Dowager of the Realm''. This title was used in the 16th and 17th centuries. The last time the title queen dowager was used was in 1913. * Catherine Stenbock, (1537–1610), third wife and widow of King

Gustav I of Sweden Gustav Eriksson Vasa (12 May 1496 – 29 September 1560), also known as Gustav I, was King of Sweden from 1523 until his death in 1560. He was previously self-recognised Protector of the Realm ('' Riksföreståndare'') from 1521, during the on ...

. * Gunilla Bielke, (1568–1597), second wife and widow of King John III of Sweden. * Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, (1573–1625), second wife and widow of King

Charles IX of Sweden Charles IX, also Carl (; 4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611), reigned as King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I () and of his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, the brother of King Eric XIV and of ...

. * Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, (1599–1655), widow of King

Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden Gustavus Adolphus (9 December ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 19 December15946 November ld Style and New Style dates, N.S 16 November1632), also known in English as Gustav II Adolf or Gustav II Adolph, was King of Sweden from 1611 t ...

. * Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, (1636–1715), widow of King

Charles X Gustav of Sweden Charles X Gustav, also Carl X Gustav (; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. After his father's ...

. * Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, (1720–1781), widow of King Adolph Frederick of Sweden. * Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, (1746–1815), widow of King

Gustav III of Sweden Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden. Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he s ...

. * Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, (1759–1818), widow of King

Charles XIII of Sweden Charles XIII or Carl XIII (; 7 October 1748 – 5 February 1818) was King of Sweden from 1809 and King of Norway from 1814 to his death. He was the second son (and younger brother to King Gustav III) of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Louisa ...

. * Désirée Clary, (1777–1860), widow of King Charles XIV John of Sweden. * Josephine of Leuchtenberg, (1807–1876), widow of King

Oscar I of Sweden Oscar I (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte; 4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859) was King of Sweden and List of Norwegian monarchs, Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte. The only child of Ki ...

. * Sophia of Nassau, (1836–1913), widow of King

Oscar II of Sweden Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik; 21 January 1829 – 8 December 1907) was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death in 1907 and King of Norway from 1872 to 1905. Oscar was the son of Oscar I of Sweden, King Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, Queen J ...

Two Sicilies

* María Isabella of Spain (1830–1848), second wife and widow of King

Francis I of the Two Sicilies Francis I of the Two Sicilies (; 19 August 1777 – 8 November 1830) was King of the Two Sicilies from 1825 to 1830 and regent of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1806 to 1814. Early life Francis was born the son of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicili ...

. Remarried to Francesco, Count dal Balzo dei Duchi di Presenzano in 1839. *

Maria Theresa of Austria Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position in her own right. She was the sovereig ...

(1859–1861), second wife and widow of King

Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies Ferdinand II (; ; ; 12 January 1810 – 22 May 1859) was King of the Two Sicilies from 1830 until his death in 1859. Family Ferdinand was born in Palermo to King Francis I of the Two Sicilies and his second wife Maria Isabella of Spain. ...

Württemberg

* Charlotte, Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland (30 October 1816 – 5 October 1828), second wife and widow of King Frederick I of Württemberg and stepmother of King William I of Württemberg. * Pauline Therese of Württemberg (25 June 1864 – 10 May 1873), second wife and widow of William I of Württemberg and mother of Charles I of Württemberg. * Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (6 October 1891 – 30 October 1892), widow of Charles I of Württemberg.

Pacific

Hawaii

* Dowager Queen Ka'ahumanu, favoured wife of King

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiʻea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiʻikui Kamehameha o ʻIolani i Kaiwikapu kauʻi Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; to May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii ...

* Queen Emma of Hawaii, queen consort of King Kamehameha IV

South America

Brazil

Amélie of Leuchtenberg Amélie of Leuchtenberg (; ; 31 July 1812 – 26 January 1873) was List of Brazilian consorts, Empress of Brazil as the wife of Pedro I of Brazil. She was the granddaughter of Josephine de Beauharnais, Empress of the First French Empire, French. ...

(July 31, 1812 – January 26, 1873), second wife and widow of

Pedro I of Brazil ''Don (honorific), Dom'' Pedro I (12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), known in Brazil and in Portugal as "the Liberator" () or "the Soldier King" () in Portugal, was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of ...

Southeast Asia

Malaysia

* Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis of Kelantan, widow of Sultan Ismail Petra * Tunku Puan Nora of Johor, widow of Sultan Ismail * Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun of Perak, widow of Sultan Azlan Shah * Tunku Ampuan Najihah of Negeri Sembilan, widow of Tuanku Ja'afar * Permaisuri Siti Aishah of Selangor, widow of Sultan Salahuddin * Che Puan Besar Haminah of Kedah, widow of Sultan Abdul Halim * Cik Puan Besar Kalsom of Pahang, widow of Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah

Myanmar

* Yun San, chief queen consort of King

Alaungpaya Alaungpaya (, ; also spelled Alaunghpaya or Alaung-Phra; 11 May 1760) was the founder and first emperor of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma. By the time of his death from illness during his Burmese–Siamese War (1759–60), campaign in Siam, this ...

and mother to three successive kings, Naungdawgyi, Hsinbyushin and Bodawpaya * Shin Phyo Oo, chief queen consort of King Naungdawgyi, mother to Phaungka * Shin Min Hla, the chief queen consort of Hsinbyushin and mother to Singu Min * Me Myat Shwe, Princess of

Taungoo Taungoo (, ''Tauñngu myoú''; ), also spelled Toungoo and formerly Toung-ngú, is a district-level city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, 220 km from Yangon, towards the north-eastern end of the division, with mountain ranges to the east a ...

, chief queen consort of King Tharawaddy, mother of King Pagan and Queen Consort Setkya Dewi * Kyaut Maw Mibaya, Shin Min Yin, queen of the southern department of King Tharawaddy and mother of King Mindon * Laungshe Mibaya, Nanzwe queen consort of King Mindon and mother of King Thibaw

Thailand

Amarindra Amarindra (, , ; 15 March 1737 – 25 May 1826) was the queen consort of King Phutthayotfa Chulalok (Rama I), the founder of the Chakri dynasty. Her birth name was Nak (นาค). She was a daughter of a wealthy Mon from Bang Chang, in Samut ...

, (7 September 1809 – 25 May 1826), wife and widow of King

Rama I Phutthayotfa Chulalok (born Thongduang; 20 March 1737 – 7 September 1809), also known by his regnal name Rama I, was the founder of the Rattanakosin Kingdom (now Thailand) and the first King of Siam from the reigning Chakri dynasty. He asc ...

of Siam and mother of King

Rama II of Siam Phutthaloetla Naphalai (born Chim; 24 February 1767 or 1768 – 21 July 1824), also known by his regnal name Rama II, was the second King of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 1809 to 1824. In 1809, Itsarasunthon succeeded his father Ra ...

. *

Sri Suriyendra Sri Suriyendra (, , ; 1767–1836) was the queen of Siam, wife of Phutthaloetla Naphalai, who was her cousin, and mother of Mongkut and Pinklao. She was later named, upon the coronation of her son Mongkut, as ''Krom Somdet'' Phra Sri Suriyendrama ...

, (21 July 1824 - 18 October 1836), wife and widow of King

Rama II Phutthaloetla Naphalai (born Chim; 24 February 1767 or 1768 – 21 July 1824), also known by his regnal name Rama II, was the second King of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, ruling from 1809 to 1824. In 1809, Itsarasunthon succeeded his father R ...

of Siam and mother of King

Mongkut Mongkut (18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama IV. He reigned from 1851 until his death in 1868. The reign of Mongkut was marked by significant modernization ini ...

and King Pinklao. * Saovabha Phongsri, (23 October 1910 – 20 October 1919), wife and widow of King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn (20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910), posthumously honoured as King Chulalongkorn the Great, was the fifth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama V. Chulalongkorn's reign from 1868 until his death in 1910 was cha ...

of Siam and mother of King

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh (1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth Monarchy of Thailand, king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VI. He reigned from 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts to create and pro ...

and King Prajadhipok. *

Savang Vadhana Sri Savarindira (; , 10 September 1862 – 17 December 1955), also known as Savang Vadhana (; ). She was a half-sister and queen of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). After her first grandson's accession to power in 1935, she became known as Her Ma ...

, (23 October 1910 – 17 December 1955), wife and widow of King

of Siam and grandmother of King Ananda Mahidol and King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej (5 December 192713 October 2016), titled Rama IX, was King of Thailand from 1946 until Death and funeral of Bhumibol Adulyadej, his death in 2016. His reign of 70 years and 126 days is the longest of any List of Thai mo ...

. * Sukhumala Marasri, (23 October 1910 – 9 July 1927), wife and widow of King

of Siam. * Rambai Barni, (30 May 1941 – 22 May 1984), wife and widow of King Prajadhipok of Siam. *

Sirikit Sirikit (born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara; 12 August 1932) is a member of the Thai royal family who was List of Thai royal consorts#Rattanakosin Kingdom, Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King Bhum ...

, (since 13 October 2016), wife and widow of King

of Thailand and mother of King

Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn (born 28 July 1952) is King of Thailand. He is the tenth Thai monarch of the Chakri dynasty since ascending the throne in 2016 with the regnal name Rama X. The only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and Queen Sirik ...

West Asia

Jordan

* Musbah bint Nasser (1884 – 15 March 1961), wife of

Abdullah I of Jordan Abdullah I (Abdullah bin Hussein; 2 February 188220 July 1951) was the ruler of Jordan and its predecessor state Transjordan from 1921 until his assassination in 1951. He was the Emir of Transjordan, a British protectorate, until 1946, when h ...

and mother of Talal of Jordan. * Zein Al-Sharaf Talal (2 August 1916 – 26 April 1994), wife of Talal of Jordan and mother of

Hussein of Jordan Hussein bin Talal (14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 1952 until Death and state funeral of King Hussein, his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemites, Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of Jordan since 1921, Hu ...

. * Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) (b. 23 August 1951), the fourth wife and widow of King Hussein of Jordan and the stepmother of the current king, Abdullah II.

Fiction

In the novel series '' The Princess Diaries'', the character Princess Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo is the princess dowager of the

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) is a type of monarchy, monarchical state or feudalism, feudal territory ruled by a prince or princess. It can be either a sovereign state or a constituent part of a larger political entity. The term "prin ...

of Genovia. In the films, where Genovia is portrayed as a kingdom, Clarisse is portrayed as a dowager queen. In the fantasy novel series ''

A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of high fantasy novels by the American author George R. R. Martin. Martin began writing the first volume, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and published it in 1996. Martin, who originally envisioned the ser ...

'', and later the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

series ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...

'', the character Cersei Lannister became the queen mother to King

Joffrey Baratheon Joffrey Baratheon is a fictional character in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its HBO television adaptation, ''Game of Thrones''. Introduced in 1996's ''A Game of Thrones'', he ...

after her husband Robert Baratheon was killed in a hunting accident, although she managed to strong-arm the position of regent as well, and was thus known as the "queen regent". In the episode " High Sparrow", the new queen consort, Margaery Tyrell, mocks Cersei's loss of power by asking her to clarify whether she should be addressed as queen mother or dowager queen. In the 2015 Indian movie ''Baahubali-The Beginning'' and its sequel ''Baahubali-the Conclusion'', actress

Ramya Krishnan Ramya Krishnan (born 15 September 1970), also credited as Ramya Krishna, is an Indian actress predominantly known for her work in Telugu and Tamil films, along with appearances in Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films. Early life Ramya was born ...

portrays the character "Rajamatha Shivagami Devi". In most Indian languages, the word 'rajamata' means 'Queen-Mother'. In the video game '' Long Live the Queen'', after the queen regnant of the kingdom of Nova is assassinated, her widower is referred to as the king-dowager. In the 2023

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

series '' Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'', actress Michelle Fairley portrays Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales, King George's mother.

Notes

{{reflist * Royal titles Widowhood