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The term Queen Mother is a title often held by the mother of a reigning monarch. Its full meaning is clear from the two words from which it is composed: queen indicates someone who served as queen consort (i.e. wife of a king), while mother indicates the holder of the title's relationship with the current monarch.1 The title is not held by someone unless she is simultaneously a former queen consort and mother of the current monarch - with the exception of Helena of Greece and Denmark (see below). Princess Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of York, suggested that she hold the title when her daughter Victoria acceded. Not having been queen herself, she was instead described as the Queen's mother.
1 Recent British Queen Mothers
The following former queen consorts became queen mothers, though not all chose to use that style.
- Queen Mary - widow of George V and mother of kings Edward VIII and George VI. When her granddaughter Elizabeth II became monarch in 1952, Queen Mary became Dowager Queen Mother. However, on the death of her husband in 1936, she expressed a preference to continue to be referred to as 'Queen Mary'. That style was used to describe her in the Court Circular.
2 Other Queen Mothers
The title 'Queen Mother' has been widely used in monarchies. Among other Queen Mothers were:
- Blanche of Castile - Queen Mother of France (1226-1252)
- Catherine de Medici - Queen Mother of France (1559-1589)
- Maria de Medici - Queen Mother of France (1610-1642)
- Margrethe of SavoyMargrethe of Savoy ( Turin, November 20, 1851- Bordighera, 1926), was the Queen of Italy during the reign ( 1878- 1900) of her husband, Humbert I. She was the daughter of Ferdinand, Duke of Genoa and granddaughter of Carlo Alberto. She married her cousin, Queen Mother of Italy (1900-1926)
- Helena of Greece and Denmark - wife, from 1921 - 1928, of Carol II of Romania, and mother of King Michael of RomaniaKing Michael ( Romanian Mihai of Romania (born October 25, 1921) was the son of King Carol II and reigned from July 20, 1927 to June 8, 1930, and again from September 6, 1940 until December 30, 1947. Michael became King for the first time on the death of. Michael first ruled from 1927 - 1930, before his father did, and his mother was given the title of Queen Mother (of Romania) without having ever been a Queen Consort (having divorced Carol in 1928, before he became king in 1930.)
- Ingrid of SwedenIngrid of Sweden Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta ( March 28, 1910 November 7, 2000) was the queen consort of King Frederick IX of Denmark. She was the third child of King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden and his first wife, Princess Margaret of Connaught. - Queen Mother of Denmark (1972-2000)
3 Exceptional cases
In rare cases, the king of a nation may be divorced or a widower. If he remarries, and his second wife outlives him, but is not the mother of his successor, it is unclear what title this woman assumes, though Queen DowagerA Queen Dowager or Dowager Queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a reigning king. Its full meaning is clear from the two words from which it is composed: queen indicates someone who served as queen consort (i. wife of a king), while do or Dowager Queen might be appropriate, under the circumstances.
Queen Noor of JordanHer Majesty Queen Noor (born August 23, 1951) is the fourth wife and widow of the late King Hussein of Jordan ( 1935- 1999). She is an American of Arab, Swedish, Scottish, and English descent. Queen Noor was born Elizabeth Najeeb Halaby the daughter of Na for example was King Hussein's fourth wife, and stepmother of current king Abdullah IIHis Majesty King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein ( Arabic: ) (born January 30, 1962) is the current King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Born in Amman, the king as a young man attended the Islamic Educational College in the Jordanian capital for his primar. She is still referred to as Queen Noor, although rarely, and then inaccurately, as the "Queen Mother". If anything, she would be the Queen Dowager, although such a title has never been seriously floated.
