Queen mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort (a queen dowager) whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577. It arises in hereditary monarchies in Europe, and is also used to describe a number of similar yet distinct monarchical concepts in non-European cultures around the World.
Read more about Queen Mother: Status, Recent British Queen Mothers, Other Notable Queen Mothers in History, Exceptional Cases, 'King Mother', King Father, Princess
Famous quotes containing the words queen and/or mother:
“I do not so much rejoice that God hath made me to be a Queen, as to be a Queen over so thankful a people.”
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
“Having a child is the great divide between one’s own childhood and adulthood. All at once someone is totally dependent upon you. You are no longer the child of your mother but the mother of your child. Instead of being taken care of, you are responsible for taking care of someone else.”
—Elaine Heffner (20th century)