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 Norodom Monineath Sihanouk (, ; born Paule Monique Izzi; 18 June 1936) is the Queen Mother of Cambodia. She was Queen of Cambodia from 1993 to 2004, as the wife of King Norodom Sihanouk. She is the widow of King-Father Norodom Sihanouk, whom sh ...

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 Sirikit (born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara; 12 August 1932) is a member of the Thai royal family who was Queen of Thailand from 28 April 1950 to 13 October 2016 as the wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX). She is the mother of Ki ...

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 An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of a person with a better claim to the position in question. This is in contrast to an heir app ...

). 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 Paola Margherita Maria-Antonia Consiglia dei Principi Ruffo di Calabria (born 11 September 1937) is a member of the Belgian royal family who was List of Belgian royal consorts, Queen of the Belgians during the reign of her husband, Albert II of ...

, who became the queen mother of her son

Philippe Philippe is a masculine given name, cognate to Philip, and sometimes also a surname. The name may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince ...

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 Francis II may refer to: * Francis II, Duke of Brittany (1433–1488) * Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua (1466–1519), ruler of the Italian city of Mantua * Francis II of France (1544–1560), king of France * Francis II, Duke of Lorraine ...

, to whom she bore no children. Similarly,

Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (Adelaide Amelia Louise Theresa Caroline; 13 August 1792 – 2 December 1849) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Queen of Hanover from 26 June 1830 to 20 June 1837 as the wife of King ...

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 Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

. 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 Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Marie Louise Victoire; 17 August 1786 – 16 March 1861), later Princess of Leiningen and subsequently Duchess of Kent and Strathearn, was a German princess and the mother of Queen Victoria of the ...

, 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 Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg ( – 8 February 1772) was Princess of Wales by marriage to Frederick, Prince of Wales, eldest son and heir apparent of King George II. She never became queen consort, as Frederick predeceased his father ...

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 Edith of Wessex (; 1025 – 18 December 1075) was Queen of England through her marriage to Edward the Confessor from 1045 until Edward's death in 1066. Unlike most English queens in the 10th and 11th centuries, she was crowned. The principal ...

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 Harold Godwinson ( – 14 October 1066), also called Harold II, was the last crowned Anglo-Saxon King of England. Harold reigned from 6 January 1066 until his death at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, the decisive battle of the Norman ...

. *

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 Berengaria of Navarre (, , ; 1165–1170 – 23 December 1230) was Queen of England as the wife of Richard I of England. She was the eldest daughter of Sancho VI of Navarre and Sancha of Castile. As is the case with many of the medieval ...

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 Isabella (, ; c. 1186/ 1188 – 4 June 1246) was Queen of England from 1200 to 1216 as the second wife of King John, Countess of Angoulême in her own right from 1202 until her death in 1246, and Countess of La Marche from 1220 to 1246 as t ...

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 Hugh X de Lusignan or Hugh V of La Marche (c. 1183 – c. 5 June 1249, Angoulême) was Seigneur de Lusignan and Count of La Marche in November 1219 and was Count of Angoulême by marriage. He was the son of Hugh IX. Background Hugh's fathe ...

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 Isabella of Valois (9 November 1389 – 13 September 1409) was Queen of England as the wife of Richard II, King of England, between 1396 and 1399, and Duchess of Orléans as the wife of Charles, Duke of Orléans, from 1406 until her death in ...

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 Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...

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 Sir Owen Tudor (, – 2 February 1461) was a Welsh courtier and the second husband of Queen Catherine of Valois (1401–1437), widow of King Henry V of England. He was the grandfather of Henry VII, founder of the Tudor dynasty. Background ...

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 Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, KG, PC (20 March 1549) was a brother of Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII. With his brother, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector of England, he vied for control o ...

most likely in mid-spring of 1547 and was mother to

Mary Seymour Mary Seymour (30 August 1548 – ) was the only daughter of Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley (brother of Jane Seymour, third wife of Henry VIII), and the dowager queen, Catherine Parr, widow of Henry VIII. Although Catherine was marr ...

.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 Ermengarde de Beaumont (c. 1170 – 12 February 1233/1234) was Queen of Alba as the consort of William the Lion. She is reported to have exerted influence over the affairs of state as queen, though the information on her is lacking in detail. H ...

4 December 1214 – 12 February 1233/34, wife of

William I of Scotland William the Lion (), sometimes styled William I (; ) and also known by the nickname ; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Alba from 1165 to 1214. His almost 49 ...

and ''queen mother'' to

Alexander II of Scotland Alexander II ( Medieval Gaelic: '; Modern Gaelic: '; nicknamed "the Peaceful" by modern historians; 24 August 1198 – 6 July 1249) was King of Alba (Scotland) from 1214 until his death. He concluded the Treaty of York (1237) which defined t ...

. *

Marie de Coucy Marie de Coucy (c. 1218 – 1285) was Queen of Alba by marriage to King Alexander II. She was a member of the royal council during the two last years of the minority of her son, Alexander III, in 1260–1262. Background Marie was the daug ...

6 July 1249 – 1285, wife of

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 Arthur II (25 July 1261 – 27 August 1312), of the House of Dreux, was Duke of Brittany from 1305 to his death. He was the first son of John II and Beatrice, daughter of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. After he inherited the duc ...

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 Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus (c. 148922 January 1557) was a Scottish nobleman active during the reigns of James V and Mary, Queen of Scots. He was the son of George, Master of Angus, who was killed at the Battle of Flodden, and succ ...

in 1514 and

Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven (c. 1495 – 1552) was Master of the Scottish Artillery and third, and last husband, of Margaret Tudor, eldest daughter of Henry VII of England and Elizabeth of York. Ancient lineage He was a son of Andrew Stewa ...

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 Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

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: *

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 A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current ...

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 Lady Xiong, (Chinese:熊夫人;personal name unknown) formally Queen Dowager Xuan of Qin (; 338 BC–265 BC), also known as Mi Bazi (羋八子), was the first queen dowager in Chinese history. A concubine of King Huiwen of Qin and the mother of K ...

, concubine of King Xiaowen and mother of

King Zhaoxiang of Qin King Zhaoxiang of Qin (; 325–251 BC), also abbreviated as King Zhao of Qin (秦昭王), born Ying Ji (嬴稷), was a king of the state of Qin during the Eastern Zhou dynasty, reigning from 306 BC to 251 BC. He was the son of King Huiwen and t ...

. *

Queen Dowager Zhao Zhao Ji (; Ji 姬 was an ancestral name of the Zhou royal family, which later evolved to generally mean "lady" in successive eras. But there are no more detailed mentions on her family at Zhao (which was a Boyi-descent state and shared origi ...

, wife of

King Zhuangxiang of Qin King Zhuangxiang of Qin (281– 6 July 247 BCEVolume 05 of ''Records of the Grand Historian'' indicated that King Zhuangxiang died on the ''bingwu'' day of the 5th month of the 4th year of his reign. Using the ''Zhuanxu'' calendar, the date corre ...

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 Lü Zhi (241 BC – 18 August 180 BC), courtesy name E'xu (娥姁) and commonly known as Empress Lü () and formally Empress Gao of Han (), was the empress consort of Emperor Gaozu of Han, Gaozu, the founding emperor of the Han dynasty. They h ...

, 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 The Xianfeng Emperor (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), also known by his temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing, personal name Yizhu, was the eighth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper. During his re ...

and mother of

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), also known by his temple name Emperor Muzong of Qing, personal name Zaichun, was the ninth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, w ...

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 , who adopted the imperial given name in 1867 and was posthumously honoured as , was the wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan. She was one of the founders of the Japanese Red Cross Society, whose charity work was known throughout the First Sino-Japa ...

(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 , posthumously honoured as , was the wife of Emperor Taishō and the mother of Emperor Shōwa. Her posthumous name, ''Teimei'', means "enlightened constancy". She was also the paternal grandmother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, and the paternal ...

(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 , posthumously honored as , was the 124th emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. He remains Japan's longest-reigning emperor as well as one of the world's longest-rei ...

. *

Empress Kōjun Nagako (6 March 190316 June 2000), posthumously honoured as Empress Kōjun, was a member of the Imperial House of Japan, the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and the mother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito. She was Empress of Japan from 1926 unti ...

(6 March 1903 – 16 June 2000), wife and widow of

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 Queen Heonae of the Hwangju Hwangbo clan (; 964 – 20 January 1029), or formally called Grand Queen Dowager Heonae (), was a Goryeo royal family member as the second and oldest daughter of Wang Uk, and younger sister of King Seongjong who beca ...

(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, Myeongjong of Goryeo, Sinjong of Goryeo * Queen Jangryeol (1624–1688), wife and widow of Injo of Joseon step-mother of Hyojong of Joseon, step-grandmother of Hyeonjong of Joseon, step-great-grandmother of Sukjong of Joseon. * Queen Jeongsun (1745–1805), second wife and widow of Yeongjo of Joseon 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. * 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 (3 January 1290 – 18 November 1313), wife of King Ferdinand IV of Castile, mother of King Alfonso XI of Castile * Maria of Portugal, Queen of Castile, Maria of Portugal (9 February 1313 – 18 January 1357), wife of King Alfonso XI of Castile, mother of King Peter I of Castile * Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Castile, Isabella of Portugal (1428 – 15 August 1496), wife of King John II of Castile, mother of Isabella I of Castile * Joan of Portugal (20 March 1439 – 12 December 1475), wife of King Henry IV of Castile

Croatia

* Helen of Zadar (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 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 of Bavaria, Christopher III and later King Christian I of Denmark. * Christina of Saxony (1513–1521), widow of John, King of Denmark. * Sophie of Pomerania (1533–1568), second wife and widow of King Frederick I of Denmark. * Dorothea of Saxe-Lauenburg (1559–1571), widow of King Christian III of Denmark. * Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1588–1631), widow of King Frederick II of Denmark. * Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Calenberg (1670–1685), widow of King Frederick III of Denmark. * Charlotte Amalie of Hesse-Kassel (1699–1714), widow of King Christian V of Denmark. * Anne Sophie Reventlow (1730–1743), second wife and widow of King Frederick IV of Denmark. * Sophie Magdalene of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1746–1770), widow of King Christian VI of Denmark. * Juliana Maria of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (1766–1796), second wife and widow of King Frederick V of Denmark. * Marie of Hesse-Kassel (1839–1852), widow of King Frederick VI of Denmark. * Caroline Amalie of Augustenburg (1848–1881), second wife and widow of King Christian VIII of Denmark. * Louise of Sweden (1912–1926), widow of King Frederick VIII of Denmark. * Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1947–1952), widow of King Christian X of Denmark. * Ingrid of Sweden (1972–2000), widow of King Frederik IX of Denmark.

Greece

* Olga Constantinovna of Russia (1913–1924), widow of King George I of Greece. * Sophia of Prussia (1923–1924), widow of King Constantine I of Greece. * Frederica of Hanover (1964–1973), widow of King Paul of Greece.

León

* Urraca of Portugal (1151–1222), wife of King Ferdinand II of León, mother of King Alfonso IX of León * Theresa of Portugal, Queen of León, Teresa of Portugal (4 October 1178 – 8 June 1250), wife of King Alfonso IX of León * Constance of Portugal (3 January 1290 – 18 November 1313), wife of King Ferdinand IV of Castile, Fernando IV of León, mother of King Alfonso XI of Castile, Alfonso XI of León * Maria of Portugal, Queen of Castile, Maria of Portugal (9 February 1313 – 18 January 1357), wife of King Alfonso XI of Castile, Alfonso XI of León, mother of King Peter I of Castile, Peter I of León * Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Castile, Isabella of Portugal (1428 – 15 August 1496), wife of King John II of Castile, John II of León, mother of Isabella I of Castile, Isabella I of León * Joan of Portugal (20 March 1439 – 12 December 1475), wife of King Henry IV of Castile, Henry IV of León

Portugal

* Beatrice of Castile (1242–1303), Beatrice of Castile (1242 – 27 October 1303), wife of King Afonso III of Portugal and mother of King Dinis I of Portugal * Elizabeth of Aragon (1271 – 4 July 1336), wife of King Dinis I of Portugal and mother of King Afonso IV of Portugal * Beatrice of Castile (1293–1359), Beatrice of Castile (8 March 1293 – 25 October 1359), wife of King Afonso IV of Portugal and mother of King Peter I of Portugal * Leonor Telles de Menezes (1350 – 27 April 1386), wife of King Fernando I of Portugal * Eleanor of Aragon, Queen of Portugal, Eleanor of Aragon (1 February 1402 – 19 February 1445), wife of King Duarte I of Portugal and mother of King Afonso V of Portugal * 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 * Catherine of Austria, Queen of Portugal, 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 of Portugal, Afonso VI and Pedro II of Portugal, 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 (31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781), wife of King José I of Portugal and mother of Queen Maria I of Portugal * Carlota Joaquina of Spain (25 April 1775 – 7 January 1830), wife of King João VI of Portugal and mother of King-Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, Pedro IV of Portugal and King Miguel I of Portugal * Maria Pia of Savoy (14 February 1847 – 5 July 1911), wife of King Luís I of Portugal and mother of King Carlos I of Portugal * Amélie of Orleans (28 September 1865 – 25 October 1951), wife of King Carlos I of Portugal and mother of King Manuel II of Portugal

Prussia

* Sophia Louise of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (25 February 1713 – 29 July 1735), third wife and widow of King Frederick I of Prussia. * Sophia Dorothea of Hanover (31 May 1740 – 28 June 1757), widow of King Frederick William I of Prussia. * Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern (17 August 1786 – 13 January 1797), widow of King Frederick the Great, Frederick II of Prussia. * Frederica Louisa of Hesse-Darmstadt (16 November 1797 – 25 February 1805), second wife and widow of King Frederick William II of Prussia. * Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria (2 January 1861 – 14 December 1873), widow of King Frederick William IV of Prussia. * Augusta of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (9 March 1888 – 7 January 1890), widow of William I, German Emperor and King of Prussia. * Victoria, Princess Royal (15 June 1888 – 5 August 1901), widow of Frederick III, German Emperor and King of Prussia.

Romania

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

Saxony

* Amalie of Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld (10 May 1752 – 15 November 1828), widow of King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony. * Maria Anna of Bavaria (born 1805), 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, King of Saxony, John of Saxony. * Carola of Vasa (5 August 1833 – 15 December 1907), widow of King Albert, King of Saxony, Albert of Saxony.

Spain

* Mariana of Austria (24 December 1634 – 16 May 1696), second wife and widow of King Philip IV of Spain. * 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. * Maria Christina of the Two Sicilies (27 April 1806 – 22 August 1878), fourth wife and widow of King Ferdinand VII of Spain. * Maria Christina of Austria (21 July 1858 – 6 February 1929), second wife and widow of King Alfonso XII 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. * 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. * Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg, (1599–1655), widow of King Gustaf II Adolf of Sweden, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. * Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp, (1636–1715), widow of King Charles X Gustav of Sweden. * Louisa Ulrika of Prussia, (1720–1781), widow of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, Adolph Frederick of Sweden. * Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, (1746–1815), widow of King Gustaf III of Sweden, Gustav III of Sweden. * Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp, (1759–1818), widow of King Charles XIII of Sweden. * Désirée Clary, (1777–1860), widow of King Charles XIV John of Sweden. * Josephine of Leuchtenberg, (1807–1876), widow of King Oscar I of Sweden. * Sophia of Nassau, (1836–1913), widow of King Oscar II of Sweden.

Two Sicilies

* María Isabella of Spain (1830–1848), second wife and widow of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies. Remarried to Francesco, Count dal Balzo dei Duchi di Presenzano in 1839. * Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of the Two Sicilies, Maria Theresa of Austria (1859–1861), second wife and widow of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies.

Württemberg

* Charlotte, Princess Royal, 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 * Queen Emma of Hawaii, queen consort of King Kamehameha IV

South America

Brazil

* Amélie of Leuchtenberg (July 31, 1812 – January 26, 1873), second wife and widow of Pedro I of Brazil.

Southeast Asia

Malaysia

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

Myanmar

* Yun San, chief queen consort of King Alaungpaya and mother to three successive kings, Naungdawgyi, Hsinbyushin and Bodawpaya * Shin Phyo Oo, chief queen consort of King Naungdawgyi, mother to Phaungkaza Maung Maung, Phaungka * Shin Min Hla, the chief queen consort of Hsinbyushin and mother to Singu Min * Me Myat Shwe, Princess of Taungoo, chief queen consort of King Tharrawaddy Min, Tharawaddy, mother of Pagan Min, 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 Min, Mindon * Laungshe Mibaya, Nanzwe queen consort of King Mindon and mother of King Thibaw Min, Thibaw

Thailand

* Amarindra, (7 September 1809 – 25 May 1826), wife and widow of King Rama I of Siam and mother of King Rama II of Siam. * Sri Suriyendra, (21 July 1824 - 18 October 1836), wife and widow of King Rama II of Siam and mother of King Mongkut and King Pinklao. * Saovabha Phongsri, (23 October 1910 – 20 October 1919), wife and widow of King Chulalongkorn of Siam and mother of King Vajiravudh and King Prajadhipok. * Savang Vadhana, (23 October 1910 – 17 December 1955), wife and widow of King Chulalongkorn of Siam and grandmother of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej. * Sukhumala Marasri, (23 October 1910 – 9 July 1927), wife and widow of King Chulalongkorn of Siam. * Rambai Barni, (30 May 1941 – 22 May 1984), wife and widow of King Prajadhipok of Siam. * Sirikit, (since 13 October 2016), wife and widow of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and mother of King Vajiralongkorn.

West Asia

Jordan

* Musbah bint Nasser (1884 – 15 March 1961), wife of Abdullah I of Jordan 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. * Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) (b. 23 August 1951), the fourth wife and widow of Hussein of Jordan, King Hussein of Jordan and the stepmother of the current king, Abdullah II of Jordan, Abdullah II.

Fiction

In the novel series ''The Princess Diaries'', the character Princess Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo is the princess dowager of the principality 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'', and later the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'', the character Cersei Lannister became the queen mother to King Joffrey Baratheon 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 (Game of Thrones), 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, ''Baahubali-The Beginning'' and its sequel Baahubali 2: The Conclusion, ''Baahubali-the Conclusion'', actress Ramya Krishnan portrays the character "Rajamatha Shivagami Devi". In most Indian languages, the word 'rajamata' means 'Queen-Mother'. In the video game ''Long Live the Queen (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 series ''Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story'', actress Michelle Fairley portrays Augusta, Dowager Princess of Wales, King George's mother.

Notes

{{reflist Queens consort, * Royal titles Widowhood