Prince Consort (capitalized) is a formal title. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is the only spouse of a British queen to have held it: it was awarded to him in 1857 by his wife, Queen Victoria (reigned 1837–1901). In 2005 Prince Henrik, the spouse of Margrethe II of Denmark, was awarded the same title.
Neither the descriptive princess consort nor the title 'Princess Consort' has yet been used in Western monarchies, as dynastic wives of kings have been styled queens consort, often with the title 'Queen'. However, Clarence House has announced that when the present Prince of Wales becomes the sovereign of the United Kingdom, his wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, will have the title Her Royal Highness The Princess Consort rather than Her Majesty The Queen as used by previous wives of kings (see princess consort).
Read more about Prince Consort: Non-European Usage
Famous quotes containing the word prince:
“When the Prince of Piedmont [later Charles Emmanuel IV, King of Sardinia] was seven years old, his preceptor instructing him in mythology told him all the vices were enclosed in Pandora’s box. “What! all!” said the Prince. “Yes, all.” “No,” said the Prince; “curiosity must have been without.””
—Horace Walpole (1717–1797)