First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been codified or officially defined, she figures prominently in the political and social life of the United States. Since the early 20th century, the first lady has been assisted by official staff, known as the Office of the First Lady and headquartered in the East Wing of the White House.
Martha Dandridge Custis Washington was the wife of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Although the title was not coined until after her death, she served as the inaugural first lady of the United States, defining the role of the president's wife and setting many precedents that future first ladies would observe. During her tenure, she was referred to as "Lady Washington". Washington is consistently ranked in the upper half of first ladies by historians.
First lady or first gentleman is an unofficial title usually used for the spouse, and occasionally used for the offspring or other relative, of a non-monarchical head of state or chief executive. The term is also used to describe a person seen to be at the top of her profession or art.
Emília Vášáryová, Doctor Artis Dramaticae (hon.) is a Slovak stage and screen actress, whom Variety and other publications refer to as the "First Lady of Slovak Theater". During a career of more than five decades, she has received numerous awards including Meritorious Artist (1978), the Alfréd Radok Award (1996), the Czech Lion Award, the Golden Goblet Award (2008), and a 2010 ELSA award from the Czech Film and Television Academy (2010). Because her younger sister is former diplomat Magdaléna Vášáryová, the daily newspaper iDNES said fans consider her an "Honorary Consul of Czech and Slovak Relations".
First Lady of Mexico, also known as First Lady of the United Mexican States, is the unofficial title of the wife of the president of Mexico. Beatriz Gutiérrez Müller is the wife of current president Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Vera Ralston was a Czech figure skater and actress. She later became a naturalized American citizen. She worked as an actress during the 1940s and 1950s.
The first lady or first gentleman of the Philippines is the courtesy title given to the host or hostess of Malacañang Palace, the residence of the head of state and head of government of the Philippines.
The first lady of Chile is the title for the wife of the president of Chile, who is traditionally responsible for directing and coordinating activities in the social field of the presidency and accompanying the president in ceremonies or official activities, for example, on state visits. Although not an official title, it is widely used in formal protocol and has been used in some decrees.
First Lady of Brazil is a title given to the hostess of Alvorada Palace. The position is traditionally filled by the wife of the current President of Brazil, but may apply to women who are not the president's wives, for instance, when the president is single or widowed. They do not have official functions within the government, but usually attend public ceremonies and organize social actions such as charity events. In addition, a charismatic first lady can help convey a positive image of her spouses to the population.
The second gentleman or second lady of the United States is the informal title held by the spouse of the vice president of the United States, concurrent with the vice president's term of office. Coined in contrast to "first lady" – albeit used less commonly – the title "second lady" was apparently first used by Jennie Tuttle Hobart to refer to herself. The first second gentleman of the United States is Doug Emhoff, the husband of Kamala Harris, the current vice president and first female in the position, since January 20, 2021.
The First lady or Gentleman of Peru is the title held by the spouse or designated female family member of the president of Peru. The role usually fulfills functions of social work and accompanying the president. There have been a number of first ladies that have been foreign to Peru.
The First Lady of the Republic of Kazakhstan, also known as First Lady of Kazakhstan is the unofficial de facto title usually attributed to the wife of the president of Kazakhstan, but because the incumbent president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is divorced, the position is vacant. First and only person to hold the title was Sara Nazarbayeva, wife of Nursultan Nazarbayev.
The first lady of Albania is the unofficial title of the wife or designee of the sitting President of Albania. The current First Lady is Armanda Ymeri, wife of President Bajram Begaj, who has held the role since July 2022.
First Lady of Sri Lanka refers to the wife of the President of Sri Lanka. To date, there have been eight women who have served in the role. The current First Lady of Sri Lanka is Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, wife of President Ranil Wickremasinghe, who has held the position since 20 July 2022. There have been no first gentlemen of Sri Lanka to date, since former President Chandrika Kumaratunga, the country's only female head of state, was a widow while in office.
First Lady of Portugal is the unofficial title attributed to the wife or Partner of the president of Portugal. To date, there has been no first gentleman of Portugal. The position is currently vacant since the first presidential inauguration of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in 2016.
First Lady of India or First Gentleman of India is the title given to the host of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, usually the spouse of the president of India. There are no official roles or duties assigned to the spouse. The spouse generally attends official ceremonies and functions.
Brigitte Marie-Claude Macron is a French former teacher known for being the wife of Emmanuel Macron, the current president of France and co-prince of Andorra.
Martina Kisková is a Slovak engineer, she was First Lady of Slovakia, and wife of President Andrej Kiska. Kisková, who became First Lady in 2014 at the age of 38, is the country's youngest first lady in its history.
First Lady of Cuba is de facto title of the wife of the President of the Republic of Cuba. The current first lady of Cuba is Lis Cuesta Peraza, the second wife of President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who is also the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, the most senior position in the Cuban government. She is the first presidential wife to be referred to as "first lady" by Cuban state media since the 1960s.
First Lady of Ethiopia is a title for the wife of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Prime Minister. Officially the concept of First Lady applied in Ethiopian politics since 1995. Although the first lady's role has never been codified or officially defined, she figures prominently in the political and social life of the nation. However, the role of First Lady is created by her and contributes her unique position to improve women and children's capacity but her contribution has not been known at the broader public realm.
