A queen consort is the wife of a reigning

king King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

, and usually shares her spouse's social rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical

title A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

s and may be crowned and anointed, but historically she does not formally share the king's political and military powers, unless on occasion acting as

regent In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

. In contrast, 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 ...

is a female

monarch A monarch () is a head of stateWebster's II New College Dictionary. "Monarch". Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest ...

who rules ''

suo jure ''Suo jure'' is a Latin phrase, used in English to mean 'in his own right' or 'in her own right'. In most nobility-related contexts, it means 'in her own right', since in those situations the phrase is normally used of women; in practice, especi ...

'' (Latin for, "in her own right") and usually becomes queen by inheriting the throne upon the death of the previous monarch. A

queen dowager A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, the title of empress dowager is used. Its full meaning is cle ...

is a widowed queen consort, and 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 queen dowager who is the mother of the current monarch.

Titles

When a title other than king is held by the sovereign, his wife can be referred to by the feminine equivalent, such as princess consort or empress consort. In monarchies where

polygamy Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more tha ...

has been practised in the past (such as

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

and

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 ...

), or is practised today (such as the Zulu nation and the various Yoruba polities), the number of the king's wives and their status varies. In Morocco, King Mohammed VI has broken with tradition and given his wife, Lalla Salma, the title of princess; prior to his reign, the Moroccan monarchy had no such title. In

, the king and queen must both be of

royal descent A royal descent is a genealogical line of descent from a past or present monarch. Both geneticists and genealogists have attempted to estimate the percentage of living people with royal descent. From a genetic perspective, the number of un ...

; his other consorts need not be royal before marriage to him but are accorded royal titles that confer status. A Zulu

chieftain A tribal chief, chieftain, or headman is a leader of a tribe, tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies There is no definition for "tribe". The concept of tribe is a broadly applied concept, based on tribal concepts of societies of weste ...

designates one of his wives as " Great Wife", an equivalent to queen consort. The situation is more complex in

Yorubaland Yorubaland () is the homeland and cultural region of the Yoruba people in West Africa. It spans the modern-day countries of Nigeria, Togo and Benin, and covers a total land area of . Of this land area, 106,016 km2 (74.6%) lies within Niger ...

. All of a chief's consorts are essentially of equal rank. Although one wife, usually the one married to the chief for the longest time, may be given a chieftaincy of her own to highlight her relatively higher status compared to the other wives, she does not share her husband's ritual power as a chieftain. When a woman is to be vested with an authority similar to that of the chief, she is usually a lady courtier in his service who, although not married to him, is expected to lead his female subjects on his behalf. In the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, '' haseki sultan'' (; ''Ḫāṣekī Sulṭān;'' ) was the title held by the lawful wife and imperial consort of the

sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

. The title was first used in the 16th century by Hurrem Sultan, wife of

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the List of sultans of the Ottoman Empire, Ottoman sultan between 1520 a ...

, replacing the previous title of " Baş Kadın ("Head Lady"). The bearer of the title occupied the second most important position in the Ottoman Empire for a female after valide sultan (queen mother). While the wife of a king is usually given the title of queen, there is much less consistency for the husband of a reigning queen. The title of

king consort A prince consort is the husband of a monarch who is not a monarch in his own right. In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal title, such as ''prince''. Most monarchies do not allow the husband of a queen regnant to be ...

is rare. Examples are Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, in

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 ...

and Francis, Duke of Cádiz, in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

. Antoine of Bourbon-Vendôme in

Navarre Navarre ( ; ; ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre, is a landlocked foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Autonomous Community, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and New Aquitaine in France. ...

and Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

also gained the title. In Portugal, because of the practice of ''

jure uxoris ''Jure uxoris'' (a Latin phrase meaning "by right of (his) wife"), citing . describes a title of nobility used by a man because his wife holds the office or title '' suo jure'' ("in her own right"). Similarly, the husband of an heiress could beco ...

'', both King Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburgo-Gotha and his predecessor, King Pedro of Portugal, were treated as ruling kings in protocol and were thus symbolically co-rulers with their wives, but both really had only the same power of a consort and the queen was the real ruler. The title of prince consort for the husband of a reigning queen is more common. The monarchies that adopted this title did so because the title of king is usually historically higher than queen, so when the sovereign is female, her husband should never have a higher title than her. An example is

Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from Wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, th ...

. He married

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

; because she insisted that he be given a title identifying his status, he became

Albert, Prince Consort Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Franz August Karl Albert Emanuel; 26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband of Queen Victoria. As such, he was consort of the British monarch from their marriage on 10 February 1840 until his ...

Role

The traditional

historiography Historiography is the study of the methods used by historians in developing history as an academic discipline. By extension, the term ":wikt:historiography, historiography" is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiog ...

on queenship has created an image of a queen who is a king's "helpmate" and provider of heirs. They had power within the royal household and partially within the court. Their duty was running the royal household smoothly, such as directing the children's education, supervising the staff, and managing the private royal treasury. They unofficially acted as hostesses, ensuring the royal family was not involved in scandals and giving gifts to high-ranking officials in a society where this was important to maintain bonds. As a result, consorts were expected to act as wise, loyal, and chaste women. Some royal consorts of foreign origin have served as cultural transmitters. Due to their unique position of being reared in one culture and then, when very young, promised into marriage in another land with a different culture, they have served as a cultural bridge between nations. Based on their journals, diaries, and other autobiographical or historical accounts, some exchanged and introduced new forms of art, music, religion, and fashion. However, the consorts of monarchs have no official political power , even when their position is

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

ally or statutorily recognized. They often held an informal sort of power dependent on the opportunities afforded to them. Should a queen consort have had an amiable personality and high intelligence, produced a healthy

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

, and gained the favor of the court, then chances were higher she would gain more power over time. Many royal consorts have been shrewd or ambitious stateswomen and, usually (but not always) unofficially, among the monarch's most trusted advisors. In some cases, the royal consort has been the chief power behind her husband's throne, e.g., Maria Luisa of Parma, wife of

Charles IV of Spain Charles IV (; 11 November 1748 – 20 January 1819) was King of Spain and ruler of the Spanish Empire from 1788 to 1808. The Spain inherited by Charles IV gave few indications of instability, but during his reign, Spain entered a series of disa ...

. At other times the consort of a deceased monarch (the dowager queen or

) has served as

if her child, the successor to the throne, was still a minor: * Queen Regent Anne of Kiev, mother of Philip I of France * Queen Regent Jeonghui, grandmother of King Seongjong of Korea * Queen Regent Munjeong, mother of King Myeongjong of Korea * Queen Regent Sunwon, grandmother of King Heonjong of Korea * Grand Princess Regent Olga of Kiev, mother of Sviatoslav I of Kiev * Grand Princess Regent Elena Glinskaya, mother of

Ivan IV of Russia Ivan IV Vasilyevich (; – ), commonly known as Ivan the Terrible,; ; monastic name: Jonah. was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in 1584. ...

* Queen Regent

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 ...

, mother of

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 ...

* Queen Regent Catherine of Austria, grandmother of King Sebastian of Portugal * Queen Regent

Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici (; ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV. Marie served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Her mandate as rege ...

, mother of

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

* Queen Regent

Anne Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), Annie a ...

, mother of

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

* Queen Regent Luisa de Guzmán, mother of Afonso VI of Portugal * Rani Lakshmi Bai, mother of

Raja Raja (; from , IAST ') is a noble or royal Sanskrit title historically used by some Indian subcontinent, Indian rulers and monarchs and highest-ranking nobles. The title was historically used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. T ...

Damodar Rao of

Jhansi Jhansi ( ) is a historic city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. (Toshan) Balwant Nagar was the old name of Jhansi. It lies in the region of Bundelkhand, on the banks of the Pahuj River, in the extreme ...

* Queen Regent Maria Christina of Austria, mother of

Alfonso XIII Alfonso XIII (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Alfonso León Fernando María Jaime Isidro Pascual Antonio de Borbón y Habsburgo-Lorena''; French language, French: ''Alphonse Léon Ferdinand Marie Jacques Isidore Pascal Antoine de Bourbon''; 17 May ...

of Spain * Queen Regent Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, mother of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands * Queen Regent Anna Khanum, mother of Abbas II of Persia * Queen Regent Helen of Greece, mother of

Michael I of Romania Michael I ( ; 25 October 1921 – 5 December 2017) was the last King of Romania, reigning from 20 July 1927 to 8 June 1930 and again from 6 September 1940 until his forced abdication on 30 December 1947. Shortly after Michael's birth, his f ...

Similarly, in several cases in Siam (now

) the queen consort was named regent during an extended absence of the king: * Queen Regent Saovabha Phongsri, wife of King Chulalongkorn of Siam, served as Regent during his tour of Europe * Queen Regent

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 ...

, wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of

, served as Regent during her husband's extended retreat

Examples of queens and empresses consort

Past queens consort: * Queen Sindeok, consort of

Taejo of Joseon Taejo (; 4 November 1335 – 27 June 1408), personal name Yi Seong-gye (), later Yi Dan (), was the founder and first monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea. After overthrowing the Goryeo dynasty, he ascended to the throne in 1392 and abdi ...

* Queen Jeongan, consort of Jeongjong of Joseon * Queen Wongyeong, consort of

Taejong of Joseon Taejong (; 16 May 1367 – 10 May 1422), personal name Yi Pangwŏn (), was the third monarch of the Joseon dynasty of Korea and the father of Sejong the Great. He was the fifth son of King Taejo, the founder of the dynasty. Before ascending ...

* Queen Soheon, consort of Sejong the Great of Joseon * Queen Jeongsun, consort of Danjong of Joseon * Queen Inseong, consort of Injong of Joseon * Queen Uiin, first consort of Seonjo of Joseon * Queen Inmok, second of Seonjo of Joseon * Queen Inyeol, first consort of Injo of Joseon * Queen Jangnyeol, second consort of Injo of Joseon * Queen Inseon, consort 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 ...

* Queen Myeongseong, consort of Hyeonjong of Joseon * Queen Ingyeong, first consort of Sukjong of Joseon * Queen Jang, principal consort of Sukjong of Joseon. Demoted back in 1694 to the rank of ''hui-bin'', Royal Noble Consort Joseon rank 1 * Queen Jeongseong, first consort of Yeongjo of Joseon * Queen Hyoui, consort of Jeongjo of Joseon * Queen Hyohyeon, first consort Heonjong of Joseon * Queen

Maria Theresa 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 suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

, consort of

* Queen Marie Leszczyńska, consort of

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

* Queen Marie Antoinette, consort of Louis XVI of

* Queen Caroline of Ansbach, Caroline, consort of George II of Great Britain, George II * Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Charlotte was George III's consort for 57 years, 70 days, between 1761 and 1818, making her Kingdom of Great Britain, Britain's List of UK monarchy records, longest-tenured queen consort. * Queen Caroline of Brunswick, Caroline, consort of George IV * Queen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Adelaide, consort of William IV * Queen Alexandra of Denmark, Alexandra, consort of Edward VII * Queen Mary of Teck, Mary, consort of George V * Queen Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, Elizabeth, consort of George VI * Queen Nam Phương, Nguyễn Hữu Thị Lan, consort of Bảo Đại * Queen Victoria of Baden, Victoria, consort of Gustaf V, Gustaf V of Sweden * Queen Louise Mountbatten, Louise, consort of Gustaf VI Adolf, Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden * Queen Louise of Hesse-Kassel, Louise, consort of Christian IX of Denmark * Queen Louise of Sweden, Louise, consort of Frederick VIII of Denmark * Queen Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Alexandrine, consort Christian X of Denmark * Queen Ingrid of Sweden, Ingrid, consort of Frederik IX of Denmark * Queen Louise of Orléans, Louise, consort of Leopold I of Belgium * Queen Marie Henriette of Austria, Marie, consort of Leopold II of Belgium * Queen Elisabeth of Bavaria, Queen of the Belgians, Elisabeth, consort of Albert I of Belgium * Queen Astrid of Sweden, Astrid, consort of Leopold III of Belgium * Queen Fabiola de Mora y Aragón, Fabiola, consort of Baudouin of Belgium * Queen Queen Paola of Belgium, Paola, consort of Albert II of Belgium * Queen Queen Sofía of Spain, Sofía, consort of Juan Carlos I of Spain * Queen Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Anne Marie, consort of Constantine II of Greece * Queen Geraldine of Albania, Geraldine, consort of Zog I, Zog I of Albania * Queen Marie-José of Belgium, Marie José, consort of Humbert II of Italy, Umberto II of Italy * Queen Kapiolani, consort of King Kalākaua of Kingdom of Hawaii, Hawaii * Queen Soraya Tarzi, principal consort of King Amanullah Khan of Reforms of Amanullah Khan and civil war, Afghanistan * Tsaritsa Giovanna of Savoy, Ioanna, consort of Tsar Boris III of Bulgaria * Queen Elizabeth of York, Elizabeth, consort of Henry VII of England, Henry VII of England *Ranee Sylvia Brett, consort of Charles Vyner Brooke, Vyner Brooke of The Raj of Sarawak * Queen Catherine of Aragon, Catherine, first consort of Henry VIII of England. She was also

in times of war. * Queen Anne Boleyn, Anne, second consort of Henry VIII of England. She gave birth to the future Elizabeth I, who was the last monarch of House of Tudor. * Queen Jane Seymour, Jane, third consort of Henry VIII of England. * Queen Anne of Cleves, Anne, fourth consort of Henry VIII of England * Queen Catherine Howard, Catherine, fifth consort of Henry VIII of England * Queen Catherine Parr, Catherine, sixth consort of Henry VIII of England * * Queen Anne of Denmark, Anne, consort of James VI and I, James I of England * Queen Henrietta Maria of France, Henrietta Maria, consort of Charles I of England, Charles I of England * Queen Catherine of Braganza, Catherine, consort of Charles II of England, Charles II of England * Queen Mary of Modena, Mary, consort of James II of England, James II of England * Queen Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, Halaevalu Mata'aho, consort of Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, Tāufa'āhau Tupou IV, Tu'i of Tonga. * Queen Hortense de Beauharnais, Hortense, consort of Louis Bonaparte, Kingdom of Holland, King of Holland * Queen Sultanah Bahiyah, Bahiyah, consort of Abdul Halim of Kedah * Queen Sultanah Haminah, Haminah, consort of Abdul Halim of Kedah * Queen Siti Aishah, consort of Salahuddin of Selangor * Queen Tunku Ampuan Najihah, Najihah, consort of Ja'afar of Negeri Sembilan * Queen Bainun, consort of Azlan Shah of Perak * Queen Tunku Puan Zanariah, Zanariah, consort of Iskandar of Johor * Queen Sisowath Kossamak, consort of King Norodom Suramarit of Cambodia * Queen Norodom Monineath, consort of King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia * Queen Wilhelmine of Prussia (1774-1837), Wilhelmine, consort of William I of the Netherlands * Queen Anna Pavlovna of Russia, Anna Pavlovna, consort of William II of the Netherlands * Queen Sophie of Württemberg, Sophie, first consort of William III of the Netherlands * Queen Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, Emma, second consort of William III of the Netherlands: When William died on 23 November 1890, Emma became regent (1890–1898) for her underaged daughter, Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Wilhelmina, the late king's only surviving child. * Queen Maud of Wales, Maud, consort of King Haakon VII of Norway. She was also simultaneously a princess of the United Kingdom. * Queen Queen Ratna of Nepal, Ratna, second consort of Mahendra of Nepal * Queen Sunanda Kumariratana, consort of King Chulalongkorn of Thailand, Siam. * Queen Savang Vadhana, consort of King Chulalongkorn of Siam. She was also grandmother of the King Ananda Mahidol and Great King Bhumibol Adulyadej of

. * Queen Sukhumala Marasri, consort of King Chulalongkorn of Siam. * Queen Saovabha Phongsri, consort of King Chulalongkorn of Siam, mother of the King Prajadhipok of Siam. * Queen Rambai Barni, consort of King Prajadhipok of

* Queen

, consort of Great King Bhumibol Adulyadej of

* Queen Supayalat, chief consort of King Thibaw Min, the last King of Burma *Queen Supayalay, consort of King Thibaw Min, the last King of Burma * Queen Ruth Williams Khama, Ruth, consort (or ''Mohumagadi'') of Seretse Khama, Kgosi, King of the Bamangwato Tswanas of Botswana * Queen Mantfombi Dlamini, Mantfombi, principal consort (or ''Inkosikazi Enkhulu'') of Goodwill Zwelithini, Goodwill Zwelithini of Zululand, South Africa. She was also simultaneously a princess of Eswatini * Queen Kosala Devi, chief consort of Bimbisara, the first King of the Haryanka dynasty. * Queen Princess Vajira, Vajira, chief consort of Ajatshatru, the second king of the Haryanka dynasty. * Queen Devi (wife of Ashoka), Devi, a consort of Ashoka, the third Mauryan emperor * Queen Karuvaki, second consort of Ashoka, the third Mauryan emperor * Queen Padmavati (wife of Ashoka), Padmavati, third consort of Ashoka, the third Mauryan emperor * Queen Soyrabai, chief consort of Shivaji I, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maratha king * Queen Yesubai, chief consort of Sambhaji I, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Maratha king * Queen Tarabai, chief consort of Rajaram I, Chhatrapati Rajaram Maharaj, Maratha king * Queen Sakwarbai II, chief consort of Shahu I, Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Maratha king Past empresses consort: * Empress Theodora (6th century), Theodora, consort of Justinian I, Byzantine Empire, East Roman Emperor * Sophia (empress), Empress Aelia Sophia, consort of Justin II, Justin II of the Byzantine Empire *Empress Wu, consort of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Gaozong of Tang * Empress Wang (Gaozong), Empress Wang, consort of Gaozong of Tang *Empress Chabi, chief wife of Kublai Khan, Emperor of Yuan dynasty *Empress Nambui, principal consort of Kublai Khan, Emperor of Yuan dynasty *Empress Danashri, principal consort of Toghon Temür, Emperor of Yuan dynasty *Empress Bayan Khutugh, principal consort of Toghon Temür, Emperor of Yuan dynasty *Empress Empress Gi, Gi, principal consort of Toghon Temür, Emperor of Yuan dynasty * * Empress Ma (Hongwu), Empress Xiaocigao, principal consort of Hongwu Emperor from the Ming dynasty * Empress Ruqaiya Sultan Begum, principal consort and first wife of Akbar the Great, the third Mughal emperors, Mughal Emperor * Empress Salima Sultan Begum, principal consort and third wife of Akbar the Great * Empress Mariam-uz-Zamani, principal consort and fourth wife of Akbar the Great, the third Mughal Emperor * Empress Taj Bibi Bilqis Makani, principal consort of Jahangir, the fourth Mughal emperors, Mughal Emperor * Empress Nur Jahan, principal consort of Jahangir, the fourth Mughal Empire, Mughal Emperor * Empress Mumtaz Mahal, principal consort of Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperors, Mughal Emperor * Empress Qudsia Begum, principal consort of Muhammad Shah, the thirteen Mughal Emperor * Empress Isabella of Portugal, consort of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. She was the

of the Spanish Empire. * Haseki Sultan Hürrem Sultan, principal consort and legal wife of

, Ottoman Empire, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. * Haseki Sultan Nurbanu Sultan, principal consort and legal wife of Selim II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * * Haseki Sultan Safiye Sultan (mother of Mehmed III), Safiye Sultan, principal consort and legal wife of Murad III, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * * Haseki Sultan Kösem Sultan, principal consort and legal wife of Ahmed I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. * Haseki sultan, Haseki Sultan Turhan Sultan, principal consort of Ibrahim of the Ottoman Empire, Ibrahim, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire *Haseki sultan, Haseki Sultan Gulnus Sultan, principal consort of Mehmed IV, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire *Kadinefendi Nakşidil Sultan, consort of Abdul Hamid I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * Valide sultan, Kadinefendi Bezmialem Sultan, consort of Mahmud II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * * * Valide sultan, Kadinefendi Pertevniyal Sultan, consort of Mahmud II, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * Kadinefendi, Kadinefendi Sevkefza Sultan, consort of Abdulmejid I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * Kadinefendi Tirimujgan Sultan, consort of Mahmud II, Abdulmejid I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * Kadinefendi Rahime Perestu Sultan, Perestu Sultan, consort of Abdulmejid I, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire * Empress Maria Theresa, Maria Theresa of Austria, consort of Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor, Francis I, Holy Roman Empire. * List of Mexican imperial consorts, Empress Ana María Huarte, consort of Agustín de Iturbide, Agustín I of Mexico, List of Emperors of Mexico, Emperor of Mexico. * Titular Empress Carlota Joaquina of Spain, consort of John VI of Portugal, List of monarchs of Brazil, Titular Emperor of Brazil * Empress Carlota of Mexico, consort of Maximilian I of Mexico, List of Emperors of Mexico, Emperor of Mexico. * Empress Maria Leopoldina of Austria, Maria Leopoldina, consort of Pedro I of Brazil, Pedro I, List of monarchs of Brazil, Emperor of Brazil * Empress Amélie of Leuchtenberg, Amélie, consort of Pedro I, Emperor of Brazil * Empress Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies, Teresa Cristina, consort of Pedro II of Brazil, Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil * Empress Myeongseong, first principal wife of Gojong of Korea, Gojong, the first emperor of the Korean Empire * Empress Eugénie, consort of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French * Empress Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, Augusta Victoria, consort of Wilhelm II * Empress Empress Elisabeth of Austria, Elisabeth, consort of Franz Joseph I of Austria, Franz Joseph I * Empress Empress Xiaojingxian, Xiaojingxian, primary consort of Yongzheng Emperor, Yongzheng, Qing Emperor * * Empress Empress Xiaojingxian, Xiaoxianchun, principal consort of Qianlong Emperor, Qianlong, Qing Emperor * Step Empress Empress Nara, Nara, secondary consort of Qianlong, Qianlong, Qing Emperor * Empress Empress Xiaoshurui, Xiaoshurui, principal consort of Jiaqing Emperor, Jiaqing, Qing Emperor * Empress Empress Xiaoherui, Xiaoherui, secondary consort of Jiaqing Emperor, Jiaqing, Qing Emperor * Empress Empress Dowager Ci'an, Xiao Zhen Xian, principal consort of Xianfeng Emperor, Xianfeng, Qing dynasty, Qing Emperor * Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse), Alexandra Feodorovna, consort of Nicholas II of Russia, Nicholas II, Russian Empire, Emperor and Autocrat of All Russia * Empress Durdhara, principal chief consort of Chandragupta Maurya, first Maurya Empire, Maurya emperor * Empress Crown Prince Sushima Mother, principal chief consort of Bindusara, Second Mauryan emperor * Empress Shubhadrangi, chief consort of Bindusara, Second Mauryan emperor * Empress Asandhimitra, first principal chief consort (or ''Agramahishi'') of Ashoka, third Mauryan emperor * Empress Tishyaraksha, last principal chief consort of Ashoka, third Mauryan emperor * Empress Michiko, consort of Akihito, Emperor Akihito of Japan Current queens consort: * Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah, Zarith Sofiah, consort of Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor, Ibrahim Iskandar of Yang Di-Pertuan Agong, Malaysia * Queen Queen Camilla, Camilla, consort of Charles III of the United Kingdom * Queen Jetsun Pema, consort of Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck of Bhutan * Queen Queen Letizia of Spain, Letizia, consort of Felipe VI, Felipe VI of Spain * Queen 'Masenate Mohato Seeiso, 'Masenate, consort of Letsie III, Letsie III of Lesotho * Queen Queen Mary of Denmark, Mary, consort of Frederik X of Denmark * Queen Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Mathilde, consort of Philippe of Belgium * Queen Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Máxima, consort of Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands * Queen Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, consort of Tupou VI, Tupou VI of Tonga * Queen Queen Rania of Jordan, Rania, consort of Abdullah II of Jordan * Queen Queen Saleha of Brunei, Saleha, consort of Hassanal Bolkiah, Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam * Queen Queen Silvia of Sweden, Silvia, consort of Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden * Queen Queen Sonja of Norway, Sonja, consort of Harald V of Norway * Queen Suthida, consort of Vajiralongkorn, Vajiralongkorn of Thailand Current empress consort: * Empress Masako, consort of Naruhito, Emperor Naruhito of Japan Current queens consort in federal monarchies * Queen Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Nur Zahirah, consort of Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu * Queen Tuanku Tengku Fauziah, Fauziah, consort of Sirajuddin of Perlis * Queen Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin, Norashikin, consort of Sharafuddin of Selangor * Queen Tuanku Aishah Rohani, Aishah Rohani, consort of Muhriz of Negeri Sembilan * Queen Raja Zarith Sofiah, Zarith Sofiah, consort of Ibrahim Iskandar of Johor * Queen Sultanah Nur Diana Petra, Nur Diana Petra, consort of Muhammad V of Kelantan * Queen Tuanku Zara Salim, Zara Salim, consort of Nazrin Shah of Perak * Queen Sultanah Maliha, Maliha, consort of Sallehuddin of Kedah * Queen Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, Azizah, consort of Abdullah of Pahang Because queens consort lack an regnal number, ordinal with which to distinguish between them, many historical texts and encyclopedias refer to deceased consorts by their premarital (or maiden) name or title, not by their marital royal title (examples: Queen Mary, consort of George V, is usually called Mary of Teck, and Queen Maria José, consort of Humbert II of Italy, Umberto II of Italy, is usually called Marie José of Belgium).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Queen Consort Queens consort, * Royal titles

Titles

Role

Examples of queens and empresses consort

See also

References