ROYAL CONSORTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND ITS PREDECESSOR REALMS

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A 'royal consort' is the spouse of a ruling King or Queen. Consorts of monarchs in the United Kingdom and its predecessors have no constitutional status or power but many have significant influence over their husband or wife.
Between 1040 and 1707, the Kingdom of Scotland had 32 royal consorts. From 1066 until 1707, the Kingdom of England had 32 or 33 royal consorts: 30 queens consort, and 2 or 3 princes consort (the status of Guilford Dudley, husband of Lady Jane Grey, is disputed because of the debate surrounding the reign of his wife). Since the two kingdoms were joined, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland has had 9 royal consorts. Queens between 1727 and 1837 were also queens consort of the German Kingdom Hanover, as their husbands all held the title of King 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 takes precedence over only his own sisters). In the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Hanover was annexed by Prussia and became the Province of Hanover.
All female consorts have had the right to and have held the title of queen consort. However, only one male consort in England and two in Scotland, Philip (later King of Spain) and Francis and Henry Stuart, were granted the title of king consort upon marrying Mary I of England and Mary I of Scotland respectively, but had no authority, being husbands of reigning Queens. Other male consorts have been treated diversely:

★ Guilford Dudley was accorded no special title during the short reign of his wife Lady Jane Grey.

★ James Hepburn was also accorded no special title upon becoming the third husband of Mary I of Scotland

★ William III was proclaimed a co-sovereign by his wife Mary II of England,

★ George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne, already raised to the peerage as Duke of Cumberland in 1689, received no additional title as the Queen's husband. As the son of King Frederick III of Denmark, he was styled "Prince George".

★ Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, husband of Queen Victoria, did not take an English peerage title but was the only male consort to have Prince Consort awarded him as a distinct title, in 1857.

★ Philip of Greece and Denmark, husband of Elizabeth II, already raised to the peerage as Duke of Edinburgh in 1947, was made a Prince of the United Kingdom in 1957. He does not have the title of Prince Consort (yet).
Not all wives of monarchs have become consorts, as they may have died, been divorced, had their marriage declared invalid prior to their husbands' ascending the throne, or married after abdication. Such cases include:

★ Isabel of Gloucester, wife of John of England (as Earl of Cornwall and Gloucester), married 29 August 1189, divorced 1199, died 14 October 1217.

★ Mary de Bohun, wife of Henry IV of England (as Earl of Derby), married 1380 or 1381, died 4 June 1394.

★ Anne Hyde, wife of James II of England (as Duke of York), married 24 November 1659 (publicly 3 September 1660), died 31 March 1671.

★ Sophia Dorothea of Celle, wife of George I of Great Britain (as heir to the electorate of Hanover), married 22 November 1682, divorced 28 December 1694, died 13 November 1726.

★ Maria Anne Fitzherbert, wife of George IV of the United Kingdom (as Prince of Wales), married 1785, marriage declared null, died 1837.

★ Wallis Warfield Simpson, wife of Edward VIII of the United Kingdom (as Duke of Windsor), married 3 June 1937, died 24 April 1986.

An unusual case was that of Caroline of Brunswick, who had separated from her husband George IV prior to his accession, and although his consort in law, had no position at court and was forcibly barred from attending George IV's coronation.
Seven Kings and one Queen have gone for their entire reigns without a consort: William II of England, Edgar of Scotland, Malcolm IV of Scotland, Edward V of England, Edward VI of England, Elizabeth I of England, George I of Great Britain and Edward VIII of the United Kingdom.
If Charles, Prince of Wales ascends the throne, his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will automatically take on the title of queen consort unless legislation is passed to the contrary. It has been stated, however, that it is intended that she should be known not as queen consort, but as Princess Consort.^[1]
=Predecessor Realms=

Contents

Consorts of the Kingdom of England (to 1542)

Consorts of England and Ireland (1542-1603)

Consorts of Scotland (1542-1603)

Consorts of England, Scotland and Ireland (1603-1707)

References

Consorts of the Kingdom of England (to 1542)

Picture	Name	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
'Anglo-Saxon and Danes'
–	Edith of Wessex	1029	1045		Not crowned	4 January 1066 ''husband's death''	19 December 1075	Edward the Confessor
'Normans'
–	Matilda of Flanders	c. 1031	1053	25 December 1066 ''husband's ascension''	11 May 1068	2 November 1083		William I of England
–	Edith (Matilda) of Scotland	c. 1080	11 November 1100		11 (?) November 1100	1 May 1118		Henry I
–	Adeliza of Louvain	c. 1103	24 January 1121		30 January 1121	1 December 1135 ''husband's death''	23 April 1151
'House of Blois'
	Matilda of Boulogne	c. 1105	1125	22 December 1135 ''husband's ascension''	22 March 1136	3 May 1152		Stephen
'House of Plantagenet'
	Eleanor of Aquitaine	c. 1122	18 May 1152	25 October 1154 ''husband's ascension''	19 December 1154	6 July 1189 ''husband's death''	1 April 1204	Henry II
	Berengaria of Navarre	between 1165 and 1170	12 May 1191		Not crowned	6 April 1199 ''husband's death''	23 December 1230	Richard I
	Isabella of Angoulême	c. 1187	24 August 1200		8 October 1200	18 or 19 October 1216 ''husband's death''	31 May 1246	John
	Eleanor of Provence	c. 1223	14 January 1236		20 January 1236	16 November 1272 ''husband's death''	24 June 1291	Henry III
	Eleanor of Castile	1241	1 November 1254	16 November 1272 ''husband's ascension''	19 August 1274	28 November 1290		Edward I
–	Marguerite of France	between 1275 and 1282	8 or 10 September 1299		1299?	7 July 1307 ''husband's death''	14 February 1317
	Isabella of France	between 1288 and 1296	25 January 1308		25 February 1308	20 January 1327 ''husband's deposition''	22 August 1358	Edward II
	Philippa of Hainault	24 June 1311 (?)	24 January 1328		18 February 1330	15 August 1369		Edward III
	Anne of Bohemia	11 May 1366	20th January 1383 (?)		22 January 1383 (?)	7 June 1394		Richard II
–	Isabella of Valois	9 November 1387	31 October or 1 November 1396		8 January 1397	30 September 1399 ''husband's deposition''	13 September 1409
'House of Lancaster'
	Joanna of Navarre	c. 1370	7 February 1403		26 February 1403	20 March 1413 ''husband's death''	9 July 1437	Henry IV
	Catherine of Valois	27 October 1401	2 June 1420		23 February 1421	31 August 1422 ''husband's death''	3 January 1437	Henry V
	Margaret of Anjou	23 March 1429	23 April 1445		30 May 1445	21 May 1471 ''husband's death''[2]	25 August 1482	Henry VI
'House of York'
	Elizabeth Woodville	c. 1437	1 May 1464[3]		26 May 1465	9 April 1483 ''husband's death''	8 June 1492	Edward IV
	Anne Neville	11 June 1456	12 July 1472	26 June 1483 ''husband's ascension	6 July 1483	16 March 1485		Richard III
'House of Tudor'
	Elizabeth of York	11 February 1466	18 January 1486		25 November 1487	11 February 1503		Henry VII
	Catherine of Aragon	16 December 1485	11 June 1509		24 June 1509	23 May 1533 ''marriage annulled''	7 January 1536	Henry VIII
	Anne Boleyn	between 1499 and 1512	25 January 1533		1 June 1533	19 May 1536 ''executed''
	Jane Seymour	between 1507 and 1509	30 May 1536		Not crowned; proclaimed queen 4 June 1536	24 October 1537
	Anne of Cleves	22 September 1515	6 January 1540		Not crowned	9 July 1540 ''marriage annulled''	16 July 1557
	Catherine Howard	between 1520 and 1525	28 July 1540		Not crowned	22 November 1541 ''deprived of title''	13 February 1542 ''executed''

1. The Prince of Wales – Announcement of the marriage...
2. Henry VI was deposed 4 March 1461, restored 3 October 1470, and deposed again 11 April 1471. Throughout this time Margaret of Anjou was considered by the Lancastrians to be ''de jure'' Queen of England
3. Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was not made public for several months

Consorts of England and Ireland (1542-1603)

Picture	Name	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
	Catherine Parr	between 1512 and 1517	12 July 1543		Not crowned	28 January 1547 ''husband's death''	5 September 1548	Henry VIII
–	''Guilford Dudley'' (disputed)	1536	15 May 1553	10 July 1553 ''wife's ascension''	Not crowned	19 July 1553 ''wife's deposition''	12 February 1554	''Jane Grey''
	Philip II of Spain ''later King of Spain''	21 May 1527	25 July 1554		Not crowned	17 November 1558 ''wife's death''	13 September 1598	Mary I

Consorts of Scotland (1542-1603)

Picture	Name	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
'House of Dunkeld'
–	Ingibiorg Finnsdottir	?	?	?	?	1069		Máel Coluim mac Donnchada
'House of Stuart'
	Euphemia de Ross	-	2 May 1355	March 1371 ''husband's ascension''	?	1386		Robert II
	Anabella Drummond	c. 1350	1367	19 April 1390 ''husband's ascension''	August 1390	1401		Robert III
	Joan Beaufort	c. 1404	2 February 1424		May 1424	21 February 1437 ''husband's death''	15 July 1445	James I
	Mary of Guelders	c. 1434	3 July 1449		?	3 August 1460 ''husband's death''	1 December 1463	James II
	Margaret of Denmark	23 June 1456	July 1469		?	before 14 July 1486		James III
	Margaret Tudor	29 November 1489	8 August 1503		?	9 September 1513 ''husband's death''	October 1541	James IV
	Madeleine de Valois	10 August 1520	1 January 1537		?	7 July 1537		James V
	Mary of Guise	22 November 1515	18 May 1538 (by proxy) June 1538		22 February 1540	14 December 1542 ''husband's death''	11 June 1560
	Francis II of France	19 January 1544	24 April 1558		Not crowned	5 December 1560		Mary I
	Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley	7 December 1545	29 July 1565		Not crowned	10 February 1567
	James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell	c. 1535	15 May 1567		Not crowned	24 July 1567 ''wife's abdication''	14 April 1578
	Anne of Denmark	14 October 1574	August 1589 (by proxy) 23 November 1589	24 March 1603 ''husband's ascension''	25 July 1603	4 March 1619		James I

Consorts of England, Scotland and Ireland (1603-1707)

Picture	Name	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
'House of Stuart'
	Anne of Denmark	14 October 1574	August 1589 (by proxy) 23 November 1589	24 March 1603 ''husband's ascension''	25 July 1603	4 March 1619		James I
	Henrietta Maria of France	25 November 1609	11 May 1625 (by proxy) 13 June 1625		Not crowned	30 January 1649 ''husband's death and deposition''	10 September 1669	Charles I
	Catherine of Braganza	25 November 1638	21 May 1662		Not crowned	6 February 1685 ''husband's death''	30 November 1705	Charles II
	Mary of Modena	5 October 1658	30 September 1673 (by proxy)	6 February 1685 ''husband's ascension''	23 April 1685	12 February 1689 ''husband's deposition	7 May 1718	James II
	Prince George of Denmark	2 April 1653	28 July 1683	8 March 1702 ''wife's ascension''	Not crowned	28 October 1708		Anne

=Consorts of the Kingdom of Great Britain (1707-1801) and the United Kingdom (1801-Present)=

Picture	Name	Birth	Marriage	Became Consort	Coronation	Ceased to be Consort	Death	Spouse
'House of Hanover'
	Caroline of Ansbach	1 March 1683	22 August 1705	11 June 1727 ''husband's ascension''	11 October 1727	20 November 1737		George II
	Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz	19 May 1744	8 September 1761		22 September 1761	17 November 1818		George III
	Caroline of Brunswick	17 May 1768	8 April 1795	29 January 1820 ''husband's ascension''	Not crowned	7 August 1821		George IV
	Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen	13 August 1792	13 July 1818	26 June 1830 ''husband's ascension''	8 September 1831	20 June 1837 ''husband's death''	2 December 1849	William IV
	Albert, Prince Consort	26 August 1819	10 February 1840		Not crowned	14 December 1861		Victoria
'House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha'
	Alexandra of Denmark	1 December 1844	10 March 1863	22 January 1901 ''husband's ascension''	9 August 1902	6 May 1910 ''husband's death''	20 November 1925	Edward VII
'House of Windsor'
	Mary of Teck	26 May 1867	6 July 1893	6 May 1910 ''husband's ascension''	22 June 1911	20 January 1936 ''husband's death''	24 March 1953	George V
	Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon	4 August 1900	26 April 1923	11 December 1936 ''husband's ascension''	12 May 1937	6 February 1952 ''husband's death''	30 March 2002	George VI
	HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh	10 June 1921	20 November 1947	6 February 1952 ''wife's ascension''	Not crowned	current Consort		Elizabeth II

References

★ www.royalty.nu