A queen dowager or dowager queen (compare: princess dowager or dowager princess) is a title or status generally held by the widow of a king. In the case of the widow of an emperor, 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 Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Vietnamese emperor in the Chinese cultural sphere. The title was also g ...

is used. 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 woman who holds the title from her deceased husband (a queen who rules in her own right instead of due to marriage to a king is a queen regnant). A queen mother is a former queen, often a dowager queen, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. Currently (2019) there are four queens dowager: Kesang Choden of Bhutan (who is the only living queen grandmother worldwide),

Norodom Monineath Norodom Monineath Sihanouk ( km, នរោត្ដម មុនីនាថ សីហនុ, ; born Paule Monique Izzi; 18 June 1936) is the queen mother of Cambodia. She was queen consort of Cambodia from 1993 to 2004, as the wife of King No ...

of Cambodia (who is also queen mother), Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) of Jordan, and

Sirikit Kitiyakara Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wif ...

of Thailand (who is also queen mother). Queen Ratna of Nepal was queen dowager until the abolition of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008.

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 an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

). A queen dowager continues to enjoy the title, style, and

precedence Precedence may refer to: * Message precedence of military communications traffic * Order of precedence, the ceremonial hierarchy within a nation or state * Order of operations, in mathematics and computer programming * Precedence Entertainment, a ...

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; and, of course, a queen regnant 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 The Garter Principal King of Arms (also Garter King of Arms or simply Garter) is the senior King of Arms, and the senior Officer of Arms of the College of Arms, the heraldic authority with jurisdiction over England, Wales and Northern Ireland. ...

'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

A 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 (born Donna Paola Ruffo di Calabria;AlthougThe Belgian Monarchy websiteattributes the title of "Princess" to Queen Paola prior to marriage, Burke's Peerage 1973, The Descendants of Louis XIII 1999, ''Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels'' 200 ...

, who became the queen mother of her son Philippe 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, was queen dowager of France after the death of her husband Francis II, to whom she bore no children. Similarly, Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen was queen dowager after her husband William IV was succeeded by his niece Victoria. 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 , house = , father = Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld , mother = Countess Augusta of Reuss-Ebersdorf , birth_date = , birth_place = Coburg, Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Holy Roman Empire , death_date = , death_pl ...

, was not a queen dowager nor the queen mother because her husband,

Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, (Edward Augustus; 2 November 1767 – 23 January 1820) was the fourth son and fifth child of King George III. His only legitimate child became Queen Victoria. Prince Edward was created Duke of Kent an ...

, 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 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's mother,

Lady Margaret Beaufort Lady Margaret Beaufort (usually pronounced: or ; 31 May 1441/43 – 29 June 1509) was a major figure in the Wars of the Roses of the late fifteenth century, and mother of King Henry VII of England, the first Tudor monarch. A descendant of ...

, 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 whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...

s in the period between the accession of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 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. She was queen ...

on 6 February 1952 and the death of her paternal grandmother on 24 March 1953. For slightly over a year, there were three queens alive: * Queen Elizabeth II, the reigning monarch ( queen regnant). *

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 the l ...

, 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 Ind ...

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, 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 19 ...

(the then Duke of Windsor) 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: * Edith of Wessex 5 January 1066 – 18 December 1075, wife of

Edward the Confessor Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066. Edward was the son of Æth ...

; sister of Harold Godwinson. *

Adeliza of Louvain Adeliza of Louvain, sometimes known in England as Adelicia of Louvain, also called Adela and Aleidis; (c. 1103 – March/April 1151) was Queen of England from 1121 to 1135, as the second wife of King Henry I. She was the daughter of Godfrey I, ...

1 December 1135 – 23 April 1151, wife of

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 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 ...

; remarried to William d'Aubigny, 1st Earl of Arundel in 1139. * Eleanor of Aquitaine 6 July 1189 – 1 April 1204, wife of Henry II of England; ''queen mother'' to Richard I and John. * Berengaria of Navarre 6 April 1199 – 23 December 1230, wife of Richard I of England. * Isabella of Angoulême 18/19 October 1216 – 31 May 1246, wife of John of England and ''queen mother'' to Henry III of England. Remarried to Hugh X of Lusignan 1220. *

Eleanor of Provence Eleanor of Provence (c. 1223 – 24/25 June 1291) was a French noblewoman who became Queen of England as the wife of King Henry III from 1236 until his death in 1272. She served as regent of England during the absence of her spouse in 1253. ...

16 November 1272 – 24 June 1291, wife of Henry III of England and ''queen mother'' to Edward I of England. * Marguerite of France 7 July 1307 – 14 February 1317, wife of Edward I of England and stepmother to Edward II of England. * Isabella of France September 1327 – 22 August 1358, wife of Edward II of England and ''queen mother'' to Edward III of England, from her husband's deposition on 20 January 1327. * Isabella of Valois 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, Prince of Wales, and Joan, Countess of Kent. Richard's father die ...

; 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 language, English and French language, French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic, Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*k ...

on 29 June 1406. * Joanna of Navarre 20 March 1413—9 July 1437, wife of

Henry IV of England Henry IV ( April 1367 – 20 March 1413), also known as Henry Bolingbroke, was King of England from 1399 to 1413. He asserted the claim of his grandfather King Edward III, a maternal grandson of Philip IV of France, to the Kingdom of F ...

and stepmother to

Henry V of England Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the ...

. * Catherine of Valois 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 and Lord of Ireland from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. The only child of Henry V, he succeeded to the English thron ...

. Remarried to Owen Tudor in 1428 or 1429. *

Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (french: link=no, Marguerite; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England and nominally Queen of France by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Born in the Duchy of Lorrain ...

21 May 1471 – 25 August 1482, wife of

. *

Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth Woodville (also spelt Wydville, Wydeville, or Widvile;Although spelling of the family name is usually modernised to "Woodville", it was spelt "Wydeville" in contemporary publications by Caxton, but her tomb at St. George's Chapel, Wind ...

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 until the latter's deposition in 1483. Of England and Ireland * '' Anne of Cleves survived her marriage to

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

until her death on 16 July 1557, but since her marriage had been annulled on 12 July 1540, she was not considered a queen dowager.'' *

Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 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 ...

28 January 1547 – 5 September 1548, sixth and last wife of Henry VIII of England and stepmother to his children King Edward VI, Lady Mary and Lady Elizabeth. Remarried to Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley most likely in mid-spring of 1547.Linda Porter. ''Katherine, the queen,'' Macmillan 2011. Of Scotland * Margaret of Wessex 13 November 1093 – 6 November 1093, wife of Malcolm III of Scotland. *

Ermengarde de Beaumont Ermengarde de Beaumont (c. 1170 – 11 February 1233/1234) was Queen of Scotland as the wife of King William I. She is reported to have exerted influence over the affairs of state as queen, though the information of her is lacking in detail. Her ...

4 December 1214 – 12 February 1233/34, wife of William I of Scotland and ''queen mother'' to Alexander II of Scotland. *

Marie de Coucy Marie de Coucy (c. 1218 – 1285) was queen of Scotland 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, King Alexander III, in 1260–1262. Background Marie was t ...

6 July 1249 – 1285, wife of Alexander II of Scotland and ''queen mother'' to Alexander III of Scotland. Remarried to Jean de Brienne in 1257. * Yolande of Dreux 19 March 1286 – 2 August 1322, wife of Alexander III of Scotland. Remarried to Arthur II, Duke of Brittany in 1292. * Joan Beaufort 21 February 1437 – 15 July 1445, wife of James I of Scotland 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 father. ...

. Remarried to

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

in 1439. * Mary of Guelders 3 August 1460 – 1 December 1463, wife of

and ''queen mother'' to James III of Scotland. * Margaret Tudor 9 September 1513 – 8 October 1541, wife of

James IV of Scotland James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was 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 III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...

and ''queen mother'' to James V of Scotland. Remarried to Archibald Douglas, 6th Earl of Angus in 1514 and Henry Stewart, 1st Lord Methven in 1528. *

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

14 December 1542 – 11 June 1560, wife of James V of Scotland and ''queen mother'' to Mary, Queen of Scots. Of England, Ireland and Scotland * Henrietta Maria of France 30 January 1649 – 10 September 1669, wife of Charles I and ''queen mother'' to Charles II. * Catherine of Braganza 6 February 1685 – 30 November 1705, wife of Charles II. *

Mary of Modena Mary of Modena ( it, Maria Beatrice Eleonora Anna Margherita Isabella d'Este; ) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James II and VII. A devout Roman Catholic, Mary married the widower James, who was then the young ...

16 September 1701 – 7 May 1718, wife of

James II and VII James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

; ceased to be queen consort with his deposition on 11 December 1688. Of the United Kingdom: * Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen 20 June 1837 – 2 December 1849, wife of William IV. * Alexandra of Denmark 6 May 1910 – 20 November 1925, wife of Edward VII, ''queen mother'' to George V. * Mary of Teck 20 January 1936 – 24 March 1953, wife of George V, ''queen mother'' to

and George VI 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 Ki ...

6 February 1952 – 30 March 2002, wife of George VI and ''queen mother'' to Elizabeth II – styled as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.

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, concubine of King Xiaowen and mother of

King Zhaoxiang of Qin King Zhaoxiang of Qin (; 325–251 BC), or King Zhao of Qin (秦昭王), born Ying Ji (, was the king of Qin from 306 BC to 251 BC. He was the son of King Huiwen and younger brother of King Wu. King Zhaoxiang reigned as the King of Qin for 57 ...

. *

Queen Dowager Zhao Zhao Ji (;Ji (Zhou dynasty ancestral surname), Ji 姬 was an Chinese surname#Xing, ancestral name of the Zhou dynasty, Zhou royal family, which later evolved to generally mean "lady" in successive eras. But there are no more detailed mentions on ...

, 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. * Empress Lü, wife of

Emperor Gaozu of Han Emperor Gaozu of Han (256 – 1 June 195 BC), born Liu Bang () with courtesy name Ji (季), was the founder and first emperor of the Han dynasty, reigning in 202–195 BC. His temple name was "Taizu" while his posthumous name was Emper ...

. * Wu Zetian, wife of Emperor Gaozong and mother of Emperors Zhongzong and Ruizong of Tang. Later became the only Empress regnant in the history of China. * Empress Dowager Cixi, wife of Xianfeng Emperor and mother of Tongzhi Emperor of Qing.

Japan

Empress Dowager Eishō , posthumously honoured as , was the consort of Emperor Kōmei of Japan. Early life As the daughter of Hisatada Kujō, who was a former '' kampaku,'' Asako Kujō could anticipate a life unfolding entirely within the ambit of the imperial cou ...

(11 January 1835 – 11 January 1897), wife and widow of Emperor Kōmei of Japan. * Empress Shōken (9 May 1849 – 9 April 1914), wife and widow of

Emperor Meiji , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...

of Japan. * Empress Teimei (25 June 1884 – 17 May 1951), wife and widow of Emperor Taishō of Japan and mother of Emperor Shōwa. * Empress Kōjun (6 March 1903 – 16 June 2000), wife and widow of Emperor Shōwa of Japan and mother of Emperor Akihito.

Korea

Queen Heonae Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...

(997–1009), wife and widow of Gyeongjong of Goryeo and sister of Seongjong of Goryeo, mother of

Mokjong of Goryeo Mokjong of Goryeo (5 July 980 – 2 March 1009) (r. 997–1009) was the seventh ruler of the Goryeo dynasty of Korea. Reign Born as Wang Song, Mokjong was the only son of King Gyeongjong; however, when his father died, he was too young t ...

and daughter of

Gwangjong of Goryeo Gwangjong of Goryeo (925 – 4 July 975), personal name Wang So, was the fourth king of Goryeo. Biography Birth and early life Gwangjong was born in 925 as Wang So, fourth son of King Taejo, who had founded Goryeo in 918. His mother was Queen S ...

* 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

Croatia

Helen of Zadar Helen of Zadar ( hr, Jelena) (died 8 October 976), also known as Helen the Glorious, was the queen consort of the Kingdom of Croatia, as the wife of King Michael Krešimir II, from 946 to 969, a period which was marked by "peace, order and exped ...

(969 – 976), wife and widow of King Michael Krešimir II of Croatia.

Portugal

* Beatrice of Castile (1242 – 27 October 1303), wife of King Afonso III of Portugal and mother of King

Dinis I of Portugal Denis (, ; 9 October 1261 – 7 January 1325 in Santarém), called the Farmer King (''Rei Lavrador'') and the Poet King (''Rei Poeta''), was King of Portugal. The eldest son of Afonso III of Portugal by his second wife, Beatrice of Castile, and ...

* Elizabeth of Aragon (1271 – 4 July 1336), wife of King

and mother of King Afonso IV of Portugal * 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 (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 John II ( pt, João II; ; 3 March 1455 – 25 October 1495), called the Perfect Prince ( pt, o Príncipe Perfeito, link=no), was King of Portugal from 1481 until his death in 1495, and also for a brief time in 1477. He is known for re-establishi ...

Eleanor of Austria Eleanor of Austria (15 November 1498 – 25 February 1558), also called Eleanor of Castile, was born an Archduchess of Austria and Infanta of Castile from the House of Habsburg, and subsequently became Queen consort of Portugal (1518–152 ...

(15 November 1498 – 25 February 1558), third wife of King Manuel I 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 Sebastian ( pt, Sebastião I ; 20 January 1554 – 4 August 1578) was King of Portugal from 11 June 1557 to 4 August 1578 and the penultimate Portuguese monarch of the House of Aviz. He was the son of João Manuel, Prince of Portugal, and hi ...

* Luisa of Guzman (13 October 1613 – 27 February 1666), wife of King

João IV of Portugal John IV ( pt, João, ; 19 March 1604 – 6 November 1656), nicknamed John the Restorer ( pt, João, o Restaurador), was the King of Portugal whose reign, lasting from 1640 until his death, began the Portuguese restoration of independence from ...

and mother of Kings

Afonso VI Afonso VI (; 21 August 164312 September 1683), known as "the Victorious" (), was the second king of Portugal of the House of Braganza from 1656 until his death. He was initially under the regency of his mother, Luisa de Guzmán, until 1662, when ...

and 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 Mariana Victoria of Spain ( pt, Mariana Vitória; 31 March 1718 – 15 January 1781) was an '' Infanta of Spain'' by birth and was later the Queen of Portugal as wife of King Joseph I. She acted as regent of Portugal in 1776–1777, during the l ...

(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 , house = Braganza , father = Peter III of Portugal , mother = Maria I of Portugal , birth_date = , birth_place = Queluz Palace, Queluz, Portugal , death_date = , death_place = Bemposta Palace, Lisbon, Portugal , ...

and mother of King-Emperor

Pedro IV of Portugal Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he reigned briefly over Portugal, where he also became ...

and King Miguel I of Portugal *

Maria Pia of Savoy Dona Maria Pia (16 October 1847 – 5 July 1911) was by birth an Italian princess of the House of Savoy and was Queen of Portugal as spouse of King Luís I of Portugal. On the day of her baptism, Pope Pius IX, her godfather, gave her a Golde ...

(14 February 1847 – 5 July 1911), wife of King

Luís I of Portugal Dom Luís I (31 October 1838, in Lisbon – 19 October 1889, in Cascais), known as The Popular (Portuguese: O Popular) was a member of the ruling House of Braganza,"While remaining patrilineal dynasts of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha accord ...

and mother of King Carlos I of Portugal *

Amélie of Orleans ''Amélie'' (also known as ''Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain''; ; en, The Fabulous Destiny of Amélie Poulain, italic=yes) is a 2001 French-language romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume La ...

(28 September 1865 – 25 October 1951), wife of King Carlos I of Portugal and mother of King Manuel II of Portugal

Romania

Elisabeth of Wied Pauline Elisabeth Ottilie Luise of Wied (29 December 18432 March 1916) was the first queen of Romania as the wife of King Carol I from 15 March 1881 to 27 September 1914. She had been the princess consort of Romania since her marriage to then- ...

(27 September 1914 – 2 March 1916), wife of King Carol I of Romania.

Saxony

* Maria Anna of Bavaria (27 January 1805 – 13 September 1877), second wife and widow of King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony.

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 Alfonso XI (13 August 131126 March 1350), called the Avenger (''el Justiciero''), was King of Castile and León. He was the son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal. Upon his father's death in 1312, several disputes en ...

* Maria of Portugal (9 February 1313 – 18 January 1357), wife of King

, mother of King

Peter I of Castile Peter ( es, Pedro; 30 August 133423 March 1369), called the Cruel () or the Just (), was King of Castile and León from 1350 to 1369. Peter was the last ruler of the main branch of the House of Ivrea. He was excommunicated by Pope Urban V for ...

Isabella of Portugal Isabella of Portugal (24 October 1503 – 1 May 1539) was the empress consort and queen consort of her cousin Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, and Duke of Burgundy. She was Queen of Spain and Germany, and La ...

(1428 – 15 August 1496), wife of King John II of Castile, mother of

Isabella I of Castile Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as List of Aragonese royal consorts, Queen consort ...

* Joan of Portugal (20 March 1439 – 12 December 1475), wife of King Henry IV of Castile

León

Urraca of Portugal Urraca of Portugal (; (1148 – 1211)) was the queen of León from 1165 until 1171 or 1172 as the wife of King Ferdinand II. She was the daughter of the first Portuguese king, Afonso I, and the mother of Alfonso IX. After her marriage to Ferdina ...

(1151–1222), wife of King Ferdinand II of León, mother of King Alfonso IX 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 Fernando IV of León, mother of King Alfonso XI of León * Maria of Portugal (9 February 1313 – 18 January 1357), wife of King Alfonso XI of León, mother of King Peter I of León *

(1428 – 15 August 1496), wife of King John II of León, mother of Isabella I of León * Joan of Portugal (20 March 1439 – 12 December 1475), wife of King Henry IV of León

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. * Katarina 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 John III ( sv , Johan III, fi, Juhana III; 20 December 1537 – 17 November 1592) was King of Sweden from 1569 until his death. He was the son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife Margaret Leijonhufvud. He was also, quite autonomous ...

. * Christina of Holstein-Gottorp, (1573–1625), second wife and widow of King

Charles IX of Sweden Charles IX, also Carl ( sv, Karl IX; 4 October 1550 – 30 October 1611), reigned as King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I () and of his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, the brother of King Eric X ...

. *

Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg (11 November 1599 – 28 March 1655) was a German princess and Queen of Sweden as the consort of King Gustav II Adolph (''Gustavus Adolphus''). She was a daughter of John Sigismund, Elector of Brandenburg, and Anna ...

, (1599–1655), widow of King Gustaf II Adolf of Sweden. *

Hedvig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp Hedwig Eleonora of Holstein-Gottorp (23 October 1636 – 24 November 1715) was Queen of Sweden from 1654 until 1660 as the wife of King Charles X Gustav. She served as regent during the minority of her son, King Charles XI, from 1660 until 1672, ...

, (1636–1715) widow of King

Charles X Gustav of Sweden Charles X Gustav, also Carl Gustav ( sv, Karl X Gustav; 8 November 1622 – 13 February 1660), was King of Sweden from 1654 until his death. He was the son of John Casimir, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken-Kleeburg and Catherine of Sweden. Afte ...

. *

Louisa Ulrika of Prussia Louisa Ulrika of Prussia ( sv, Lovisa Ulrika; german: Luise Ulrike) (24 July 1720 – 16 July 1782) was Queen of Sweden from 1751 to 1771 as the wife of King Adolf Frederick. She was queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III. Backgr ...

, (1720–1781), widow of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden. * Sophia Magdalena of Denmark, (1746–1815), widow of King Gustaf 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 sv, Karl Johan Baptist Julius , spouse = , issue = Oscar I of Sweden , house = Bernadotte , father = Henri Bernadotte , mother = Jeanne de Saint-Jean , birth_date = , birth_place = Pau, ...

. * Josephine of Leuchtenberg, (1807–1876) widow of King Oscar I of Sweden. * Sophia of Nassau, (1836–1913) widow of King Oscar II of Sweden.

Württemberg

* 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. * 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 Charles (german: Karl Friedrich Alexander; 6 March 18236 October 1891) was King of Württemberg, from 25 June 1864 until his death in 1891. Early life Charles was born on 6 March 1823 in Stuttgart as the son of King William I and his third wif ...

. *

Olga Nikolaevna of Russia Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (11 September 1822 – 30 October 1892) was a member of the Russian imperial family who by marriage to Charles I of Württemberg became Queen consort of the Kingdom of Württemberg until Charles' death. ...

(6 October 1891 – 30 October 1892), widow of

Pacific

Hawaii

* Dowager Queen Ka'ahumanu, favoured wife of King Kamehameha I * Queen Emma of Hawaii, queen consort of

King Kamehameha IV Kamehameha IV (Alekanetero ʻIolani Kalanikualiholiho Maka o ʻIouli Kūnuiākea o Kūkāʻilimoku; anglicized as Alexander Liholiho) (February 9, 1834 – November 30, 1863), reigned as the fourth monarch of Hawaii under the title ''Ke Aliʻi ...

South America

Brazil

* Amélie of Leuchtenberg (July 31, 1812 – January 26, 1873), wife and widow of

Pedro I of Brazil Don (honorific), Dom Pedro I (English: Peter I; 12 October 1798 – 24 September 1834), nicknamed "the Liberator", was the founder and List of monarchs of Brazil, first ruler of the Empire of Brazil. As King Dom Pedro IV, he List of ...

Southeast Asia

Malaysia

* Raja Perempuan

Tengku Anis Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis binti Almarhum Tengku Abdul Hamid (born 6 January 1949) is the former Raja Perempuan ( Queen consort) of Kelantan. She is the widow of Sultan Ismail Petra and the mother of Sultan Muhammad V. As a Queen dowager, she i ...

of Kelantan, widow of Sultan Ismail Petra *

Tunku Puan Nora The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the southern Philippines. Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and several provinces in Indonesia regul ...

of Johor, widow of Sultan Ismail * Raja Permaisuri

Tuanku Bainun Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun (Jawi alphabet, Jawi: راج ڤرمايسوري توانکو بعينون; ''née'' Bainun binti Mohd Ali; born 7 November 1932) is the former Raja Permaisuri of Perak the (Queen) Malaysian state of Perak. She was a ...

of Perak, widow of

Sultan Azlan Shah Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Yussuff Izzuddin Shah Ghafarullahu-lah ( Jawi: ; 19 April 1928 – 28 May 2014) was the 34th Sultan of Perak and served as the ninth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia from 26 April 1989 to 25 ...

* Tunku Ampuan Najihah of Negeri Sembilan, widow of Tuanku Ja'afar *

Permaisuri Siti Aishah Abdul Rahman Permaisuri Siti Aishah ( Jawi: ڤرمايسوري سيتي عائشه; born Siti Aishah binti Abdul Rahman; born 18 November 1971) is the consort of the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. She is the youngest ...

of Selangor, widow of Sultan Salahuddin * Che Puan Besar Haminah of Kedah, widow of Sultan Abdul Halim * Cik Puan Besar Kalsom of Pahang, widow of

Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mu’azzam Shah ( Jawi: ; 24 October 1930 – 22 May 2019) was the fifth modern Sultan of Pahang, and also served as the seventh Yang di-Pertuan Agong ...

Myanmar

Yun San , image = , caption = , reign = 29 February 1752 – 11 May 1760 , coronation = 17 April 1752 , succession = Chief Queen Consort of Burma , predecessor = Maha Nanda Dip ...

, chief queen consort of King Alaungpaya and mother to three successive kings,

Naungdawgyi Dabayin Min ( my, ဒီပဲယင်းမင်း), commonly known as Naungdawgyi ( my, နောင်တော်ကြီး ; 10 August 1734 – 28 November 1763) was the second king of Konbaung Dynasty of Burma (Myanmar), from 1760 to 1 ...

, Hsinbyushin and Bodawpaya * Shin Phyo Oo, chief queen consort of King Naungdawgyi, mother to Phaungka * Me Myat Shwe, Princess of Taungoo, chief queen consort of King Tharawaddy, mother of

King Pagan King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and Queen Consort

Setkya Dewi Setkya Dewi ( my, စကြာဒေဝီ; sa, Cakrádévī; 22 December 1813 – 12 November 1876), commonly known by her regnal title Thiri Pavara Mahayazeinda Yadana Dewi ( my, သီရိပဝရ မဟာရာဇိန္ဒာ ရတန ...

* Kyaut Maw Mibaya,Shin Min Yin, queen of the southern department of King Tharawaddy and mother of King Mindon *

Laungshe Mibaya Thiri Mahamingala Thupabadewi ( my, သီရိမဟာမင်္ဂလာသုပဘာဒေဝီ; pi, Sirimahāmaṅgalasupabhādevī; 1825 – after 1890), commonly known as the Laungshe Mibaya or Queen of Laungshe ( my, လောင် ...

, Nanzwe queen consort of King Mindon and mother of King 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 Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai ( th, พระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย, 24 February 1767 – 21 July 1824), personal name Chim ( th, ฉิม), also styled as Rama II, was the second monarch of Siam under the Chakri ...

. *

Sri Suriyendra Sri Suriyendra ( th, ศรีสุริเยนทร, , ; 1767–1836) was the queen of Siam, wife of Phutthaloetla Naphalai, who was her cousin, and mother of Mongkut and Pinklao. She was later named, upon the coronation of her son Mongkut, ...

, (21 July 1984 - 18 October 1836), wife and widow of King Rama II of Siam and mother of King

Mongkut Mongkut ( th, มงกุฏ; 18 October 18041 October 1868) was the fourth monarch of Siam (Thailand) under the House of Chakri, titled Rama IV. He ruled from 1851 to 1868. His full title in Thai was ''Phra Bat Somdet Phra Menthora Ramathibod ...

and King Pinklao. *

Saovabha Phongsri Queen Saovabha Phongsri ( th, เสาวภาผ่องศรี; RTGS: Saowapha PhongsiPronunciation) was an agnatic half-sister and queen of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) of Thailand, and mother of both King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) and King Pr ...

, (23 October 1910 – 20 October 1919), wife and widow of King

Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

of Siam and mother of King

Vajiravudh Vajiravudh ( th, วชิราวุธ, , 1 January 188126 November 1925) was the sixth monarch of Siam under the Chakri dynasty as Rama VI. He ruled from 23 October 1910 until his death in 1925. King Vajiravudh is best known for his efforts ...

. *

Savang Vadhana Sri Savarindira ( th, ศรีสวรินทิรา; , 10 September 1862 – 17 December 1955), also known as Savang Vadhana ( th, สว่างวัฒนา; ), was a consort and half-sister of Chulalongkorn (Rama V), but she was no ...

, (23 October 1910 – 17 December 1955), wife and widow of King

of Siam and grandmother of King Ananda Mahidol and King Bhumibol Adulyadej. *

Sukhumala Marasri Sukhumala Marasri ( th, สุขุมาลมารศรี, , ; 10 May 1861 – 9 July 1927) was a daughter of King Mongkut (Rama IV) and his concubine, Samli (เจ้าคุณจอมมารดาสำลี). Her given name was P ...

, (23 October 1910 – 9 July 1927), wife and widow of King

of Siam. *

Rambai Barni Queen Rambai Barni ( th, รำไพพรรณี, , ), formerly Princess Rambai Barni Svastivatana ( th, รำไพพรรณี สวัสดิวัตน์, ; born 20 December 1904 – 22 May 1984), was the wife and queen con ...

, (30 May 1941 – 22 May 1984), wife and widow of King

Prajadhipok Prajadhipok ( th, ประชาธิปก, RTGS: ''Prachathipok'', 8 November 1893 – 30 May 1941), also Rama VII, was the seventh monarch of Siam of the Chakri dynasty. His reign was a turbulent time for Siam due to political and ...

of Siam. * Sirikit, (since 13 October 2016), wife and widow of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand and mother of King

Vajiralongkorn Vajiralongkorn ( th, วชิราลงกรณ; , ; born 28 July 1952) is the King of Thailand. He is the only son of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. In 1972, at the age of 20, he was made crown prince by his father. After his ...

West Asia

Jordan

* Musbah bint Nasser (1884 – 15 March 1961), wife of Abdullah I of Jordan and mother of

Talal of Jordan Talal bin Abdullah ( ar, طلال بن عبد الله, ; 26 February 1909 – 7 July 1972) was King of Jordan from the assassination of his father, King Abdullah I, on 20 July 1951 until his forced abdication on 11 August 1952. As a member of t ...

. * Zein Al-Sharaf Talal (2 August 1916 – 26 April 1994), wife of

and mother of Hussein of Jordan. * Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) (b. 23 August 1951), the fourth wife and widow of King Hussein of Jordan and the stepmother of the current king, Abdullah II.

Fiction

In the novel series ''

The Princess Diaries ''The Princess Diaries'' is a series of epistolary young adult novels written by Meg Cabot, and is also the title of the first volume, published in 2000. The series revolves around Amelia 'Mia' Thermopolis, a teenager in New York who discovers ...

'', the character Princess Clarisse Marie Grimaldi Renaldo is the princess dowager of the

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall under ...

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 ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who init ...

'', and later the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...

'', 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 The High Sparrow is a fictional character in the '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of high fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin and its television adaptation '' Game of Thrones''. The High Sparrow first appears in ''A Feast f ...

", 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'' and its sequel ''Baahubali-the Conclusion'', actress

Ramya Krishnan Ramya Krishnan (born 15 September 1970), also credited as Ramya Krishna (in the Telugu and Kannada film industries) is an Indian actress. She has appeared in over 260 films in five languages: Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi. Ramy ...

portrays the character "Rajamatha Shivagami Devi". In most Indian languages, the word 'rajamata' means 'Queen-Mother'. In the 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.

Notes

{{reflist * Royal titles Widowhood