A Queen Dowager or Dowager Queen is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. 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 dowager indicates a widow who holds the title from her deceased husband. King George V of the United Kingdom and his consort, Queen Mary A queen consort is the wife and consort of a reigning king. ... A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property derived from her deceased husband. ...

A Queen Mother is a particular type of queen dowager who is simultaneously a former queen consort and the mother of the current monarch.¹ Therefore, every queen mother is by definition also a queen dowager. However, not all queen dowagers are queen mothers (i.e., the mothers of the reigning monarch). For example, a queen dowager may be the widow of the older brother of the reigning monarch. The term Queen Mother is a title often held by the mother of a reigning monarch. ...

Not every mother of a reigning monarch is a queen mother or a queen dowager. For example, the mother of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, the Duchess of Kent, was never a queen dowager because her late husband, the Duke of Kent, had never been king. Similarly, the mother of King George III of the United Kingdom, the former Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, was not a queen dowager because her husband, Frederick, Prince of Wales, was never king. Instead, she held the title of Dowager Princess of Wales. Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria) (24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and Empress of India from 1 January 1877 until her death. ... Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent Marie Luise Viktoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (August 17, 1786-March 16, 1861) was the daughter of Duke Francis Frederick of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield (1750-1806) and Countess Auguste Reuss zu Ebersdorf und Lobenstein (1757-1831). ... His Royal Highness The Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (2 November 1767 - 23 January 1820) was the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria. ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ... Augusta of Saxe-Gotha (November 30, 1719-February 8, 1772) was Princess of Wales from May 8, 1736 to March 31, 1751. ... His Royal Highness The Prince Frederick, Prince of Wales (Frederick Louis) (February 1, 1707 - March 31, 1751) was the only man of that name ever to hold the title Prince of Wales, and is best remembered as the father of King George III of the United Kingdom and as the...

Finally, it is entirely possible for there to be a queen mother and one or more queen dowagers alive at any one time. This situation occurred in the United Kingdom in the period between the ascension of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952 and the death of her paternal grandmother on 24 March 1953. For slightly over a year, there were three queens in Great Britain: Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is the Queen regnant of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ...

• Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch.
• Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, the widow of the recently deceased King George VI 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.
• Queen Mary, the widow of King George V, the mother of the former king Edward VIII (the then Duke of Windsor) and of the late King George VI. Queen Mary had been the queen mother between the death of her husband in 1936 and the ascension of her granddaughter in 1952. However, she continued to be titled and styled "Her Majesty Queen Mary."

A queen dowager continues to enjoy the title, style, and precedence of a queen consort. However, many former queen consorts do not formally use the word "dowager" as part of their titles. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon as Queen Elizabeth. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor) (14 December 1895–6 February 1952) was the third British monarch of the House of Windsor, reigning from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... Mary of Teck Princess Mary of Teck (Victoria Mary Augusta Louise Olga Pauline Claudine Agnes) (26 May 1867 – 24 March 1953), later Queen Mary, was the Queen consort of George V of the United Kingdom. ... George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert) (3 June 1865–20 January 1936) was the last British monarch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, changing the name to the House of Windsor in 1917. ... Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David Windsor), later The Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), was the second British monarch of the House of Windsor. ... Style may refer to genre, design, format, or appearance, including: Clothing: fashion Flower part: flower Music: music genre Sundial part: Gnomon Titles or honorifics: Style (manner of address) including Chinese courtesy names Web design: Cascading Style Sheets Writing: style guide and literary genre Linguistics: Variation in language use of an... Precedence is a simple ordering, based on either importance or sequence. ...

British Queen Mothers

The article on Queen Mothers provides a list of former British queen consorts who became queen mothers. However, there were several former queen consorts of England, Scotland, and later the United Kingdom, who were never queen mothers. These dowager queens were: The term Queen Mother is a title often held by the mother of a reigning monarch. ...

• Catherine Parr (1512-7 September 1548), the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII of England and the stepmother of King Edward VI, Queen Mary I, and Queen Elizabeth I.²

• Catherine of Braganza (25 November 1638 - 30 November 1705), the second wife and widow of King Charles II of England and Scotland.

• Mary of Modena (25 November 1638-1 December 1705), the widow of the deposed King James II of England and Scotland.

• Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (13 August 1792 - 2 December 1849), the widow of King William IV of the United Kingdom.

The dignified Catherine Parr, the last of King Henry VIIIs wives, was married more than any other queen, four times. ... Events April 11 - Battle of Ravenna. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births September 2 - Vincenzo Scamozzi, Italian architect (died 1616) September 29 - William V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1626) Francesco Andreini, Italian actor (died 1624) Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, and occultist (burned at the stake) 1600 (died 1600) Honda Tadakatsu, Japanese general... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Edward Tudor redirects here; for another (though unlikely) Edward Tudor, see a putative younger son of Henry VII of England, thus this Edwards uncle if existed Edward VI (12 October 1537–6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death. ... Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 6 July 1553 (de jure) or 19 July 1553 (de facto) until her death. ... Elizabeth I Queen of England and Ireland Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603 ) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... Catherine of Braganza. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 29 - Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden. ... November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining, as the final day of November. ... Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... Charles II (29 May 1630–6 February 1685) was the King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 30 January 1649 (retrospectively de jure) or 29 May 1660 (de facto) until his death. ... Modena (Mòdna in Modenese dialect) is a city and a province on the south side of the Po valley, in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. ... November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events March 29 - Swedish colonists establish first settlement in Delaware, called New Sweden. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events Construction begins on Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, England. ... James II of England and VII of Scotland ( 14 October 1633–16 September 1701 ) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685. ... Princess Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (Adelaide Louise Theresa Caroline Amelia) ( 13 August 1792 - 2 December 1849 ) as Queen Adelaide was the Queen consort of King William IV of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... William IV (William Henry) (21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death. ...

Other

Note that in some of the countries mentioned below it is unusual to indicate a former queen-consort as a dowager.

Germany

Charlotte, Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland (29 September 1765 - 5 October 1828), second wife and widow of King Frederick I of Württemberg and stepmother of King William I of Württemberg. Queen Charlotte,(née Her Royal Highness The Princess Charlotte, Princess Royal) (Charlotte Augusta Matilda), (29 September 1766-5 October 1828) was a member of the British Royal Family, the eldest daughter of King George III. She was later the Queen consort of King Friedrich I of Württemberg. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... 1765 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1828 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Friedrich I of Württemberg, or Frederick I of Württemberg (November 6, 1754 - October 30, 1816) became Duke of Württemberg in 1797 on the death of his father: he assumed the title of Elector in 1802, and the title of King in 1806. ... William I of Württemberg (27 September 1781-25 June 1864) was King of Würtemberg. ...

Marie, Duchess in Bavaria (27 January 1805 - 13 September 1877), second wife and widow of King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony and the sister-in-law to King Johan of Saxony. January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... 1877 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Frederick Augustus II of Saxony, whose full name was His Majesty Friedrich August II Albert Maria Clemens Joseph Vincenz Aloys Nepomuk Johann Baptista Nikolaus Raphael Peter Xaver Franz de Paula Veneantius King of Saxony, (May 18, 1797 - August 9, 1854) became King of Saxony in 1836. ...

Belgium

In Belgium Dowager (or in French/Dutch "Douairière") is not a usual term to indicate a queen-consort that survided her husband. Elizabeth of Belgium was not referred to as "Dowager Queen", although she survived her husband for many years. Neither is the term usual for Fabiola of Belgium after the death of her husband Baudouin. Elisabeth Gabriele Valérie Marie von Wittelsbach (25 July 1876 – 23 November 1965), Princess of Belgium, Princess von Wittelsbach, Duchess in Bavaria was the queen consort of Albert I of Belgium and was the mother of Leopold III of Belgium. ... Her Majesty Queen Fabiola (Doña Fabiola Fernanda María de las Victorias Antonia Adelaida de Mora y Aragón) is a member of the Belgian Royal Family. ... Baudouin of Belgium King Baudouin, (also spelled Boudewijn, Balduin or Baldwin) Albert Charles Leopold Axel Marie Gustave, (7 September 1930 - 31 July 1993), reigned as King of the Belgians from 1951 to 1993. ...

Jordan

Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) (born 23 August 1951), the fourth wife and widow of King Hussein of Jordan and the stepmother of the current king, Abdullah II. Her Majesty Queen Noor with her late husband, King Hussein. ... August 23 is the 235th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (236th in leap years), with 130 days remaining. ... :-* 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Hussein bin Talal (Arabic: ; November 14, 1935 – February 7, 1999) was the King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 1952 to 1999. ... His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn al-Hussein. ...

Notes

¹ The Garter King of Arms proclamation 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: April 9 is the 99th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (100th in leap years). ... 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

"Thus it hath pleased Almighty God to take out of this transitory life unto His Divine Mercy the late Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Princess Elizabeth, Queen Dowager and Queen Mother, Lady of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Lady of the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle, Lady of the Imperial Order of the Crown of India, Grand Master and Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order upon whom had been conferred the Royal Victorian Chain, Dame Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, Dame Grand Cross of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John, Relict of His Majesty King George the Sixth and Mother of Her Most Excellent Majesty Elizabeth The Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, whom may God preserve and bless with long life, health and honour and all worldly happiness."

² Catherine Parr continued to use the title Queen Dowager even after her remarriage to Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, the younger brother of the late Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's third wife. Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley Thomas Seymour, Baron Seymour of Sudeley (c. ... Jane Seymour was strict and formal compared to her flamboyant predecessor, Anne Boleyn. ...