Role of The Queen Consort
In general, the consorts of monarchs have no power per se, even when their position is constitutionally or statutorily recognized. However, often the queen consort of a deceased king (the queen dowager or queen mother) has served as regent while her child, the successor to the throne, was still a minor — for example:
- Anne of Kiev, wife of Henry I of France
- Marie de Medici, mother of Louis XIII of France
- Mary of Guise, mother of Mary, Queen of Scots
- Maria Christina of Austria, mother of Alfonso XIII of Spain
- Helen of Greece, mother of King Michael of Romania
- Marie Antoinette, mother of Louis XVII of France (disputed)
- Munjeong, mother of King Myeongjong of Korea
- Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, mother of Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
- Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi and mother of Damodar Rao
Besides these examples, there have been many cases of queens consort being shrewd or ambitious stateswomen and, usually (but not always) unofficially, being among the king's most trusted advisors. In some cases, the queen consort has been the chief power behind her husband's throne; e.g. Maria Luisa of Parma, wife of Carlos IV of Spain, and Alexandra Feodorovna (Alix of Hesse), wife and Empress Consort of Nicholas II of Russia.
Read more about this topic: Queen Consort
Famous quotes containing the words role of, role and/or queen:
“Women’s battle for financial equality has barely been joined, much less won. Society still traditionally assigns to woman the role of money-handler rather than money-maker, and our assigned specialty is far more likely to be home economics than financial economics.”
—Paula Nelson (b. 1945)
“The Declaration [of Independence] was not a protest against government, but against the excess of government. It prescribed the proper role of government, to secure the rights of individuals and to effect their safety and happiness. In modern society, no individual can do this alone. So government is not a necessary evil but a necessary good.”
—Gerald R. Ford (b. 1913)
“If it were worth while to argue a paradox, one might maintain that nature regards the female as the essential, the male as the superfluity of her world. Perhaps the best starting-point for study of the Virgin would be a practical acquaintance with bees, and especially with queen bees.”
—Henry Brooks Adams (1838–1918)