Grandmother of Europe

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The sobriquet grandmother of Europe has been given to various women, primarily female sovereigns who are the ascendant of many members of European nobility and royalty, as well as women who made important contributions to Europe.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor</span> Holy Roman Emperor from 1745 to 1765

Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Lorraine and Bar, and Grand Duke of Tuscany. He became the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, Austria, and Tuscany through his marriage to Maria Theresa, daughter of Emperor Charles VI. Francis was the last non-Habsburg monarch of the Empire. The couple were the founders of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, and their marriage produced sixteen children.

A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king, and usually shares her spouse's social rank and status. She holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles and may be crowned and anointed, but historically she does not formally share the king's political and military powers, unless on occasion acting as regent.

A queen dowager or dowager queen 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 is used. Its full meaning is clear from the two words from which it is composed: queen indicates someone who served as queen consort, while dowager indicates a woman who continues to hold the title from her deceased husband. A queen mother is a former queen consort, often a dowager queen, who is the mother of the reigning monarch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin</span> Queen of Denmark (1912–1947) and Iceland (1918–1944)

Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was Queen of Denmark from 1912 to 1947, as well as Queen of Iceland from 1918 to 1944 as the spouse of King Christian X. She is the maternal great-grandmother of the current reigning King of Denmark, Frederik X.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lady-in-waiting</span> Female personal assistant to a high-ranking noblewoman or royal

A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom she attended. Although she may either have received a retainer or may not have received compensation for the service she rendered, a lady-in-waiting was considered more of a secretary, courtier, or companion to her mistress than a servant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen regnant</span> Female monarch who rules a country in her own right

A queen regnant is a female monarch, equivalent in rank, title and position to a king. She reigns suo jure over a realm known as a kingdom; as opposed to a queen consort, who is married to a reigning king; or a queen regent, who is the guardian of a child monarch and rules pro tempore in the child's stead or instead of her husband who is absent from the realm, be it de jure in sharing power or de facto in ruling alone. A queen regnant is sometimes called a woman king. A princess regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over a principality; an empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns suo jure over an empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican Imperial Orders</span>

There were three Imperial Orders of the Mexican Empire, which were Orders of chivalry created to reward Heads of state and prominent people during the two periods of the Mexican Empire—the Imperial Order of Guadalupe, the Imperial Order of the Mexican Eagle, and the Imperial Order of Saint Charles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Theresa of Austria, Queen of Saxony</span> Queen of Saxony in 1827

Maria Theresa of Austria was born an Archduchess of Austria and a Princess of Tuscany. She was later Queen of Saxony as the second wife and consort of King Anthony of Saxony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Father-in-law of Europe</span>

The father-in-law of Europe is a sobriquet which has been used to refer to two European monarchs of the late 19th and early 20th century: Christian IX of Denmark and Nicholas I of Montenegro, both on account of their children's marriages to foreign princes and princesses. The fact that each was a monarch of moderate or modest power allowed them to marry some of their many children to heirs of greater fortunes across the continent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Princess Margaret of Denmark</span> Princess Rene of Bourbon-Parma

Princess Margaret of Denmark was a Danish princess by birth and a princess of Bourbon-Parma as the wife of Prince René of Bourbon-Parma. She was the youngest grandchild of Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Louise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archduchess Clementina of Austria</span> Princess of Salerno

Archduchess Maria Clementina Franziska Josepha of Austria was Princess of Salerno by marriage to the Sicilian prince Leopold, Prince of Salerno. She was born an archduchess of Austria as the daughter of Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, and Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria (1762–1770)</span> Archduchess of Austria

Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria was a daughter of Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, and his first wife, Isabella of Parma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily</span> Holy Roman Empress (1792–1806) and Empress of Austria (1804–1807)

Maria Theresa of Naples and Sicily was the first Empress of Austria and last Holy Roman Empress as the spouse of Francis II. She was born a Princess of Naples as the eldest daughter of King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies and Queen Maria Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archduchess Maria Clementina of Austria</span> Duchess of Calabria

Maria Clementina of Austria was an Austrian archduchess and the tenth child and third daughter of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and Maria Luisa of Spain. In 1797 she married her double first cousin Prince Francis, Duke of Calabria, heir to the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. She was modest, well educated and kind, becoming popular in her adoptive country. Afflicted with frail health, she died of tuberculosis, age twenty four. Her only surviving child was Princess Caroline, Duchess of Berry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX</span> Descendants of Victoria and Christian IX

The royal descendants of Queen Victoria and of King Christian IX, monarchs of the United Kingdom (1837–1901) and Denmark (1863–1906) respectively, currently occupy the thrones of Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. At the outbreak of the First World War their grandchildren occupied the thrones of Denmark, Greece, Norway, Germany, Romania, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom. For this reason Victoria was nicknamed the "grandmother of Europe" and Christian IX the "father-in-law of Europe".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Descendants of Queen Victoria</span> Descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

Queen Victoria, the British monarch from 1837 to 1901, and Prince Albert had 9 children, 42 grandchildren, and 87 great-grandchildren. Victoria was called the "grandmother of Europe".

A queen mother is a former queen, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since the early 1560s. 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. The rank does not go to all mothers of monarchs though. A mother of a ruling monarch may only be referred to as Queen Mother if she was a Queen Consort as opposed to a Princess Consort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prince Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily</span>

Prince Giuseppe of Naples and Sicily was the first "Prince of Naples and Sicily". The title was later conferred by Joseph Bonaparte to be hereditary on his children and grandchildren.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pantheon of the House of Braganza</span> Building in Lisbon, Lisbon District, Portugal

The Pantheon of the House of Braganza, also known as the Pantheon of the Braganzas, is the final resting place for many of the members of the House of Braganza, located in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in the Alfama district of Lisbon, Portugal. The pantheon's burials have included Portuguese monarchs, Brazilian monarchs, a Romanian monarch, queen consorts of Portugal, and notable Infantes of Portugal, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria (born 1770)</span>

Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria was an archduchess of Austria as the daughter of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor and became princess-abbess of the Theresian Institution of Noble Ladies in Prague.

References

  1. Sausmikat, Rita (2016). "Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History: Eleanor of Aquitaine's Political Career and Its Significance to Noblewomen" (PDF). Vexillum. 5: 36. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  2. Spanheim, Ezechiel (1973). Le Temps retrouvé XXVI: Relation de la Cour de France. Paris, France: Mercure de France. pp. 74–79, 305–308.
  3. Isabelle comtesse de Paris (1998). La Reine Marie-Amélie, Grand-mère de l'Europe (in French). Perrin. ISBN   978-2-262-01451-3.
  4. "Queen Victoria I". Éditions Larousse (in French). Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  5. Bassaid, Leila (2017). Symbolism of the Longest Reigning Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 to2017 (PDF) (PhD). Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  6. Haritos, Anne Blanche (November 1993). "Dear Readers" (PDF). Women of Europe Newsletter (39). Retrieved December 14, 2019.