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List of British royal consorts

Spouses of British monarchs

A royal consort is the spouse of a reigning monarch. Consorts of British monarchs have no constitutional status or power but many have had significant influence, and support the sovereign in their duties. There have been 11 royal consorts since the Acts of Union in 1707, eight women and three men.

Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was the longest-serving consort, whilst his mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother was the longest-lived consort. Since the accession of Charles III on 8 September 2022, his wife Camilla has held the position of queen consort.

History

Since the union of England and Scotland in 1707, there have been eleven consorts of the British monarch. Queens between 1727 and 1814 were also Electresses of Hanover, as their husbands all held the title of Elector of Hanover. Between 1814 and 1837, queens held the title as Queen of Hanover, as their husbands were kings of Hanover. The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 on the accession of Queen Victoria because the succession laws (Salic Law) in Hanover prevented a female inheriting the title if there was any surviving male heir (in the United Kingdom, a male took precedence over only his own sisters, until the Succession to the Crown Act 2013 which removed male primogeniture). In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia and became the Province of Hanover.

Not all wives of monarchs have become consorts, as they may have died, been divorced before their husbands' acceding to the throne, or married after abdication. Such cases include Princess Sophia Dorothea of Celle, wife of George, Hereditary Prince of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later King George I); Wallis Warfield, wife of Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (the former King Edward VIII); and Lady Diana Spencer, wife of Charles, Prince of Wales (later King Charles III).

Since 1937, the sovereign's consort and the first four individuals in the line of succession who are over 21 may be appointed counsellors of state. Counsellors of state perform some of the sovereign's duties in the United Kingdom while the sovereign is out of the country or temporarily incapacitated.

Style

Female consorts

The wife of the reigning king as his consort is styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" during her husband's reign and "Her Majesty Queen [first name]" upon her husband's death. The Queen is referred to as "Her Majesty" and addressed as "Your Majesty". Since her coronation in 2023, the current royal consort, Queen Camilla, has also been styled as "Her Majesty The Queen" per tradition. Camilla was styled as "Her Majesty The Queen Consort" preceding the coronation to distinguish her from her then recently deceased mother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth II, who as a queen regnant was also styled as "Her Majesty The Queen".

Male consorts

The husband of a reigning queen does not share the regal title and style of his wife, and the three men who served as consort held various titles. The title of "Prince Consort" has only been held by Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert.

Prince George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne, never received an official style as the consort, his princely title being Danish, but was raised to the peerage of England as the Duke of Cumberland in 1689, several years before his wife's accession in 1702.
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria, did not take a British peerage title but was granted the title of Prince Consort as a distinct title in 1857, the only male consort of the United Kingdom or its predecessor realms to have held the title. Victoria wished to style him as King Consort, but the government would not allow it.
Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, was raised to the peerage as Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, five years before his wife's accession, and was made a prince of the United Kingdom in 1957.

Coronation

Queens consort participate in the coronation ceremony, undertaking many of the same ceremonies as the monarch. Queens traditionally wear elaborate robes and walk in the procession under a canopy. They have also been anointed with holy oil and been crowned. Traditionally, male consorts are not crowned or anointed during the coronation ceremony.

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

Regalia

The earliest surviving consort's crown is that created in 1685 for Mary of Modena. In the early-20th century, new crowns were created for each queen consort in turn. However, Queen Camilla did not have a new crown created for her coronation in 2023 and she was crowned using the 1911 Crown of Queen Mary.

The Queen Consort's Ring was first created for the coronation of Queen Adelaide in 1831, and has been used by queens consort ever since.

The Queen Consort's Rod with Dove represents 'equity and mercy' and the dove, with its folded wings, is symbolic of the Holy Ghost. The Queen Consort's Sceptre with Cross, originally made for the coronation of Mary of Modena in 1685, is inlaid with rock crystals.

List of consorts

Picture	Name	Arms	Birth	Marriage	Became consort	Coronation
[[File:Michael Dahl (1656-1659-1743) - Prince George of Denmark (1653–1708) - 533846 - National Trust.jpg	125px]]	George of Denmark and Norway	[[File:Arms of George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland.svg	100px]]	2 April 1653Son of
Frederick III of Denmark and Norway
and
Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Calenberg	28 July 1683
St James's Palace	1 May 1707
Creation of the Kingdom of Great Britain; became consort to the monarch of England and Scotland upon spouse's accession 8 March 1702	Not crowned	28 October 1708
Westminster Abbey		Anne
[[File:Seeman - Caroline of Ansbach - RCIN 406182.png	125px]]	Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach	[[File:Arms of Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach.svg	100px]]	1 March 1683Daughter of
John Frederick, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach
and
Eleonore Erdmuthe of Saxe-Eisenach	22 August 1705
Herrenhausen Palace	11 June 1727
Spouse's accession	11 October 1727	20 November 1737
	George II
[[File:Nathaniel Dance-Holland (1735-1811) - Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744–1818) - 138274 - National Trust.jpg	125px]]	Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz	[[File:Arms of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1761–1801).svg	100px]]
[[File:Arms of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1801–1816).svg	100px]]
[[File:Arms of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1816–1818).svg	100px]]	19 May 1744Daughter of
Duke Charles Louis Frederick of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Prince of Mirow
and
Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen	8 September 1761
Marriage to the monarch
St James's Palace	22 September 1761	17 November 1818
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle		George III
[[File:James Lonsdale (1777-1839) - Caroline of Brunswick (1768–1821), Consort of George IV - 90 - Guildhall Art Gallery.jpg	frameless	204x204px]]	Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel	[[File:Arms of Caroline of Brunswick.svg	100px]]	17 May 1768Daughter of
Charles William Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
and
Augusta of Great Britain	8 April 1795
Greenwich	29 January 1820
Spouse's accession	Not crowned	7 August 1821
Brunswick Cathedral		George IV
[[File:Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.jpg	125px]]	Adelaide Amelia Louise Theresa Caroline of Saxe-Meiningen	[[File:Arms of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.svg	100px]]	13 August 1792Daughter of
Georg I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
and
Louise Eleanore of Hohenlohe-Langenburg	13 July 1818
Kew Palace	26 June 1830
Spouse's accession	8 September 1831	20 June 1837
Spouse's death	2 December 1849
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle		William IV
[[File:Prince Albert 405130.jpg	125px]]	Francis Augustus Charles Albert Emmanuel of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha	[[File:Arms of Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.svg	100px]]	26 August 1819Son of
Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
and
Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg	10 February 1840
Marriage to the monarch
St James's Palace	Not crowned	14 December 1861
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, then Frogmore Royal Mausoleum		Victoria
[[File:Sir Samuel Luke Fildes (1843-1927) - Queen Alexandra (1844-1925) - RCIN 404554 - Royal Collection.jpg	125px]]	Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia of Denmark	[[File:Arms of Alexandra of Denmark.svg	100px]]	1 December 1844Daughter of
Christian IX of Denmark
and
Louise of Hesse-Kassel	10 March 1863
St. George's Chapel	22 January 1901
Spouse's accession	9 August 1902	6 May 1910
Spouse's death	20 November 1925
St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle		Edward VII
[[File:Queen Mary by William Llewellyn.jpg	125px]]	Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes of Teck	[[File:Arms of Mary of Teck.svg	100px]]	26 May 1867Daughter of
Francis, Duke of Teck
and
Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge	6 July 1893
St James's Palace	6 May 1910
Spouse's accession	22 June 1911	20 January 1936
Spouse's death	24 March 1953
	George V
[[File:Queen Elizabeth Bowes Lyon in Coronation Robes by Sir Gerald Kelly.jpg	125px]]	Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon	[[File:Arms of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.svg	100px]]	4 August 1900Daughter of
Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne
and
Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck	26 April 1923
Westminster Abbey	11 December 1936
Spouse's accession	12 May 1937	6 February 1952
Spouse's death	30 March 2002
	George VI
[[File:The Duke of Edinburgh (2).jpg	125px]]	Philip of Greece and Denmark	[[File:Arms of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.svg	100px]]	10 June 1921Son of
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark
and
Princess Alice of Battenberg	20 November 1947
Westminster Abbey	6 February 1952
Spouse's accession	Not crowned	9 April 2021
	Elizabeth II
[[File:Queen Camilla (enthroned) 2024.jpg	174x174px]]	Camilla Rosemary Shand	[[File:Arms of Queen Camilla.svg	frameless	106x106px]]	17 July 1947Daughter of
Bruce Shand
and
Rosalind Cubitt	9 April 2005
Windsor Guildhall	8 September 2022
Spouse's accession	6 May 2023	*Incumbent
* Age:	Living		Charles III

Timeline

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BarData = bar:George bar:Caroline_of_Brandenburg-Ansbach bar:Charlotte bar:Caroline_of_Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel bar:Adelaide bar:Albert bar:Alexandra bar:Mary bar:Elizabeth bar:Philip bar:Camilla bar:eon

PlotData= align:center textcolor:black fontsize:8 width:25 shift:(0,-5) bar:eon color:eon

from: 1707 till: 1714 color:s text:Stuart from: 1714 till: 1901 color:h text:Hanover from: 1901 till: 1917 color:sx text:Saxe-Coburg and Gotha from: 1917 till: end color:w text:Windsor

width:5 align:left fontsize:S shift:(5,-4) anchor:till

bar:George from: 1707 till: 1708 color:s text:"George" bar:Caroline_of_Brandenburg-Ansbach from: 1727 till: 1737 color:h text:"Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach" bar:Charlotte from: 1761 till: 1818 color:h text:"Charlotte" bar:Caroline_of_Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel from: 1820 till: 1821 color:h text:"Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel" bar:Adelaide from: 1830 till: 1837 color:h text:"Adelaide" bar:Albert from: 1840 till: 1861 color:h text:"Albert" bar:Alexandra from: 1901 till: 1910 color:sx text:"Alexandra" bar:Mary from: 1910 till: 1917 color:sx from: 1917 till: 1936 color:w text:"Mary" bar:Elizabeth from: 1936 till: 1952 color:w text:"Elizabeth" bar:Philip from: 1952 till: 2021 color:w text:"Philip" bar:Camilla from: 2022 till: end color:w text:"Camilla"

Lifespan timelines

Define $width = 1000 # 4 pixels per year ($end - $start) × 4 Define $warning = 880 # $width - 120 Define $height = 400 # 46 × 25 + 150 Define $footnote = 800 # $width - 400

Define $dy = -5 # shift text to button side of bar Define $start = 1650 # Just before eldest (George I) was born) Define $end = 2030 # Next 5-year multiple after this year Define $now =

ImageSize = width:$width height:$height PlotArea = right:10 left:1 bottom:80 top:60 Period = from:$start till:$end TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1

Colors = id:bg value:white id:lightline value:rgb(0.8, 0.8, 0.8) id:lighttext value:rgb(0.5, 0.5, 0.5) id:LIFESPAN value:rgb(0.88, 0.90, 0.70) Legend: Lifespan id:s value:orange Legend: Stuart id:h value:blue Legend: Hanover id:sx value:red Legend: Saxe-Coburg_and_Gotha id:w value:green Legend: Windsor id:NAME value:rgb(0.15, 0.13, 0.05) id:TODAY value:green

BackgroundColors = canvas:bg ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightline unit:year increment:2 start:$start ScaleMajor = gridcolor:lighttext unit:year increment:10 start:1650

Define $dy = -5 # shift text to button side of bar

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PlotData= bar:1 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1653 till:1707 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:George color:s from:1707 till:1708

bar:2 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1683 till:1727 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Caroline of Ansbach color:h from:1727 till:1737

bar:3 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1744 till:1761 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Charlotte color:h from:1761 till:1818

bar:4 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1768 till:1820 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Caroline of Brunswick color:h from:1820 till:1821

bar:5 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1792 till:1830 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Adelaide color:h from:1830 till:1837 color:LIFESPAN from:1837 till:1849

bar:6 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1819 till:1840 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Albert color:h from:1840 till:1861

bar:7 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1844 till:1901 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Alexandra color:sx from:1901 till:1910 color:LIFESPAN from:1910 till:1925

bar:8 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1867 till:1910 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Mary color:sx from:1910 till:1917 color:w from:1917 till:1936.05 color:LIFESPAN from:1936.05 till:1953

bar:9 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1900 till:1936.94 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Elizabeth color:w from:1936.94 till:1952 color:LIFESPAN from:1952 till:2002

bar:10 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1921 till:1952 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Philip color:w from:1952 till:2021

bar:11 width:18 color:LIFESPAN align:center fontsize:M from:1947 till:2022 shift:(-0,$dy) textcolor:NAME text:Camilla color:w from:2022 till:$now

TextData = fontsize:M textcolor:black pos:($warning,30) text:Updated /

TextData = pos:(320,$height) fontsize:L textcolor:black text:"Lifespan of each British royal consort"

The following chart shows royal consorts by their age (living royal consort in green), with the years of their reign in blue.

ImageSize = width:1150 height:160 PlotArea = width:1000 height:130 left:120 bottom:30 AlignBars = justify

Colors = id:pre value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.7) # grey id:rc value:rgb(0,0,1) # blue id:post value:rgb(0.7,0.7,0.7) # grey id:alive value:rgb(0.5,0.8,0.5) # green

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PlotData= align:center width:8 shift:(0,-0)

bar:George color:pre from:0 till: 54.07 bar:George color:rc from:54.07 till: 55.57

bar:Caroline of A. color:pre from:0 till: 44.27 bar:Caroline of A. color:rc from:44.27 till: 54.47

bar:Charlotte color:pre from:0 till: 17.3 bar:Charlotte color:rc from:17.3 till: 74.49

bar:Caroline of B. color:pre from:0 till: 51.7 bar:Caroline of B. color:rc from:51.7 till: 53.19

bar:Adelaide color:pre from:0 till: 37.86 bar:Adelaide color:rc from:37.86 till: 44.85 bar:Adelaide color:post from:44.85 till: 56.85

bar:Albert color:pre from:0 till: 20.46 bar:Albert color:rc from:20.46 till: 42.3

bar:Alexandra color:pre from:0 till: 56.14 bar:Alexandra color:rc from:56.14 till: 65.42 bar:Alexandra color:post from:65.42 till: 80.96

bar:Mary color:pre from:0 till: 42.94 bar:Mary color:rc from:42.94 till: 68.65 bar:Mary color:post from:68.65 till: 85.82

bar:Elizabeth color:pre from:0 till: 36.35 bar:Elizabeth color:rc from:36.35 till: 51.5 bar:Elizabeth color:post from:51.5 till: 101.65

bar:Philip color:pre from:0 till: 30.66 bar:Philip color:rc from:30.66 till: 99.83

bar:Camilla color:alive from:0 till:75.14 bar:Camilla color:rc from:75.14 till:

References

Bogdanor, Vernon. (2022). "Tudor and Stuart consorts : power, influence, and dynasty". Clarendon Press.
"Camilla, the new Queen Consort". BBC News.
"Monarch award, Consort category".
Kirsty.Oram. (30 December 2015). "The Hanoverians".
(9 April 2004). "Marie, Queen of Hanover. She was the wife of King George V of...".
Emma.Goodey. (17 March 2016). "Succession".
"Kingdom of Hannover".
"Counsellors of State". The Royal Family.
(6 May 2023). "The Queen".
(9 August 2018). "Is Camilla now Queen Camilla?". [[Constitution Unit]].
"What is a queen consort?". Royal Collection Trust.
(17 March 2022). "Why Was Queen Caroline Barred From Her Husband's Coronation?".
(9 April 2023). "The Coronation Regalia". The Royal Family.

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