List of English royal consorts

Last updated

The English royal consorts listed here were the spouses of the reigning monarchs of the Kingdom of England, excluding the joint rulers, Mary I and Philip who reigned together in the 16th century, and William III and Mary II who reigned together in the 17th century.

Contents

Most of the consorts were women, and enjoyed titles and honours pertaining to a queen consort; some few were men, whose titles were not consistent, depending upon the circumstances of their spouses' reigns. The Kingdom of England merged with the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707, to form the Kingdom of Great Britain. There have thus been no consorts of England since that date.

House of Wessex, 886–1013

PictureNameParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Ealhswith of Mercia Æthelred Mucel 868c.886
(Queen Consort of Wessex from 23 April 871)
26 October 8995 December 902 New Minster, Winchester, later Hyde Abbey Alfred the Great
Ælfflæd Æthelhelm (father)89926 October 899Late 910s
Marriage dissolved
Edward the Elder
Picture of Queen Ediva in Canterbury Cathedral (detail).png Eadgifu of Kent Sigehelm, Ealdorman of Kent (father)c.90391917 July 924c.966
Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury 944 Shaftesbury Abbey Edmund I the Magnificent
Æthelflæd of Damerham Ælfgar, Ealdorman of Essex (father)94426 May 946between 962 (975) and 991
Ælfgifu _955958
Marriage dissolved
September 959 Winchester Cathedral Eadwig
Ælfthryth of Devon Ordgar, Ealdorman of Devon 964/96511 May 9738 July 97517 November 999–1001 Edgar the Peaceful
Ælfgifu of York Thored, Ealdorman of York not later than 1002 Ethelred II the Unready
EmmaNormanska.jpg Emma of Normandy Richard I, Duke of Normandy
Gunnor
c.985100225 December 1013
husband's deposition
6 March 1052 Old Minster, Winchester - bones now in Winchester Cathedral

House of Denmark, 1013–1014

PictureNameParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Sigrid and olaf.jpg Sigrid the Haughty
(Dubious authenticity)
and/or
Świętosława of Poland
99625 December 10133 February 1014 Sweyn Forkbeard

House of Wessex (restored, first time), 1014–1016

PictureNameParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
EmmaNormanska.jpg Emma of Normandy
(again)
Richard I, Duke of Normandy
Gunnor
c.98510023 February 1014
husband's restoration
23 April 1016
husband's death
6 March 1052 Old Minster, Winchester - bones now in Winchester Cathedral Ethelred II the Unready
Ealdgyth c.992101523 April 101630 November 1016 Edmund II Ironside

House of Denmark (restored), 1016–1042

PictureNameParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
EmmaNormanska.jpg Emma of Normandy
(again)
Richard I, Duke of Normandy
Gunnor
c.985July 101712 November 1035
Husband's death
6 March 1052 Old Minster, Winchester - bones now in Winchester Cathedral Canute the Great

House of Wessex (restored, second time), 1042–1066

PictureNameParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Edith z Wessexu.png Edith of Wessex Godwin, Earl of Wessex
Gytha Thorkelsdóttir
102923 January 10454 January 1066
Husband's death
19 December 1075 Westminster Abbey Edward the Confessor
Ealdgyth Ælfgar, Earl of Mercia
Ælfgifu
Unknown,
fl. c.1057
January 1066Not crowned14 October 1066
Husband's death
1066Not known Harold II Godwinson

House of Normandy, 1066–1135, & 1141

In 1066, the Duke of Normandy, William, killed Harold Godwinson at the Battle of Hastings, and overthrew the English elite, beginning the Norman Conquest of England. He established himself as king, his wife Matilda as queen consort, and beneficed his faithful vassals from the continent. His dynasty would not, however, outlive his children, becoming defunct with the death of his youngest son, Henry I, in 1135.

PictureNameParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Matilda-flanders sm.png Matilda of Flanders Baldwin V, Count of Flanders
Adela of France
c. 1031105325 December 1066
Husband's accession
11 May 1068 2 November 1083 Abbey of the Holy Trinity, Caen William the Conqueror
Matilda of Scotland Illumination.png Matilda of Scotland Malcolm III of Scotland
Margaret of Wessex
c. 108011 November 110011 (?) November 11001 May 1118 Westminster Abbey Henry I
Adeliza of Louvain.JPG Adeliza of Louvain Godfrey I, Count of Leuven
Ida of Chiny
c. 110324 January 112130 January 11211 December 1135
Husband's death
23 April 1151 Affligem Abbey
Geoffrey of Anjou Monument.jpg Geoffrey V of Anjou Fulk V of Anjou
Ermengarde of Maine
24 August 111311287 April 1141
Wife's accession (disputed)
-1148
Wife's deposition
7 September 1151 Le Mans Cathedral Matilda

House of Blois, 1135–1154

In 1135, Stephen of Blois, the son of Henry I's sister Adela, seized the English throne, his cousin Empress Matilda's claims being ignored by the Norman barons. His wife, Matilda of Boulogne, became his Queen consort, but their son Eustace predeceased Stephen, and he was forced to appoint the Empress's son Henry as his successor.

PictureNameParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
MatildaofBoulogne.jpg Matilda of Boulogne Eustace III, Count of Boulogne
Mary of Scotland
c. 1105112522 December 1135
Husband's accession
22 March 11363 May 1152 Faversham Abbey (tomb since lost) Stephen

House of Plantagenet, 1154–1485

PictureNameArmsParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Aleanor of Aqutaine and Henri II 1.jpg Eleanor of Aquitaine Arms of Eleanor of Aquitaine.svg William X, Duke of Aquitaine
Aenor de Châtellerault
c. 112218 May 115219 December 1154
Husband's accession
19 December 11546 July 1189
Husband's death
1 April 1204 Fontevraud Abbey Henry II
Margaret of France (1197).jpg Margaret of France Louis VII of France
Constance of Castile
115811621170
Husband's accession
27 August 117211 June 1183
Husband's death
1197 Cathedral of Tyre Henry the Young King
Abbaye de l'Epau -2.JPG Berengaria of Navarre Arms of Berengaria of Navarre.svg Sancho VI of Navarre
Sancha of Castile
Between 1165 and 117012 May 11916 April 1199
Husband's death
23 December 1230 L'Épau Abbey Richard I
IsabelledAngouleme.jpg Isabella of Angoulême Arms of Isabella of Angouleme.svg Aymer of Angoulême
Alice of Courtenay
c. 118724 August 12008 October 120018 or 19 October 1216
Husband's death
31 May 1246 Fontevraud Abbey John
Eleonor Provence.jpg Eleanor of Provence Arms of Eleanor of Provence.svg Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Provence
Beatrice of Savoy
c. 122314 January 123620 January 123616 November 1272
Husband's death
24 June 1291 Amesbury Abbey Henry III
Eleanor Castile.jpg Eleanor of Castile Arms of Castille (English heraldry).svg Ferdinand III of Castile
Joan, Countess of Ponthieu
12411 November 125420 November 1272
Husband's accession
19 August 127428 November 1290 Westminster Abbey Edward I
Marguerite of france.jpg Margaret of France Arms of Margaret of France.svg Philip III of France
Marie of Brabant
12828 September 1299Uncrowned7 July 1307
Husband's death
14 February 1317 Christ Church Greyfriars
Isabella of France by Froissart.png Isabella of France Arms of Isabella of France.svg Philip IV of France
Joan I of Navarre
128520 May 1303 (by proxy)
24 January 1308
25 February 130820 January 1327
Husband's deposition
22 August 1358 Christ Church Greyfriars Edward II
Philippa of Hainault-mini.gif Philippa of Hainault Arms of Philippa of Hainault (1340-1369).svg William I, Count of Hainaut
Joan of Valois
24 June 131424 January 132818 February 133015 August 1369 Westminster Abbey Edward III
AnnaofLuxembourg.jpg Anne of Bohemia Arms of Anne of Bohemia.svg Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Elizabeth of Pomerania
11 May 136620 January 138222 January 13827 June 1394 Richard II
Isabela Richard2.jpg Isabella of Valois Arms of Isabella of Valois.svg Charles VI of France
Isabeau of Bavaria
9 November 138712 March 1396 (by proxy)
31 October 1396
8 January 139730 September 1399
Husband's deposition
13 September 1409 Abbey of St Laumer - later the Convent of the Celestines in Paris

House of Lancaster, 1399–1461, 1470–1471

PictureNameArmsParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Joana Canterbury.jpg Joan of Navarre Arms of Joan of Navarre.svg Charles II of Navarre
Joan of Valois
c. 13707 February 140326 February 140320 March 1413
Husband's death
10 June 1437 Canterbury Cathedral Henry IV
Catherinevalois.png Catherine of Valois Arms of Catherine of Valois.svg Charles VI of France
Isabeau of Bavaria
27 October 14012 June 142023 February 142131 August 1422
Husband's death
3 January 1437 Westminster Abbey Henry V
MargaretAnjou.jpg Margaret of Anjou Arms of Margaret of Anjou.svg René of Anjou
Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine
23 March 143024 May 1444 (by proxy)
22 April 1445
30 May 144511 April 1471
Husband's deposition [1]
25 August 1482 Angers Cathedral Henry VI

House of York, 1461–1470, 1471–1485

PictureNameArmsParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
ElizabethWoodville.JPG Elizabeth Woodville Arms of Elizabeth Woodville.svg Richard Woodville, 1st Earl Rivers
Jacquetta of Luxembourg
c. 14371 May 1464 [2] 26 May 14659 April 1483
Husband's death
8 June 1492 St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Edward IV
Anne Neville portrait.jpg Anne Neville Arms of Anne Neville.svg Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick
Anne Beauchamp, 16th Countess of Warwick
11 June 145612 July 147226 June 1483
Husband's accession
6 July 148316 March 1485 Westminster Abbey Richard III

House of Tudor, 1485–1603

PictureNameArmsParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Elizabeth of York from Kings and Queens of England.jpg Elizabeth of York Arms of Elizabeth of York.svg Edward IV of England
Elizabeth Woodville
11 February 146625 December 1483 (by proxy)
18 January 1486
25 November 148711 February 1503 Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey Henry VII
Catalina de Aragon, por un artista anonimo.jpg Catherine of Aragon Arms of Catherine of Aragon.svg Ferdinand II of Aragon
Isabella I of Castile
16 December 148511 June 1509 24 June 1509 23 May 1533
Marriage annulled [3] or 7 January 1536
Death [4]
7 January 1536 Peterborough Cathedral Henry VIII
Anneboleyn2.jpg Anne Boleyn Arms of Anne Boleyn.svg Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire
Lady Elizabeth Howard
Between 1501 and 1507
  • 14 November 1532 (secret wedding)
  • 25 January 1533 (actual wedding)
  • 28 May 1533 (marriage declared legal)
1 June 1533 17 May 1536
Marriage annulled
19 May 1536 Executed Church of St Peter ad Vincula
Hans Holbein the Younger - Jane Seymour, Queen of England - Google Art Project.jpg Jane Seymour Arms of Jane Seymour.svg Sir John Seymour
Margery Wentworth
c.150920 May 1536Uncrowned;
Proclaimed Queen 4 June 1536
24 October 1537 St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle
Portrait Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein the Younger (Louvre).jpg Anne of Cleves Arms of Anne of Cleves.svg John III, Duke of Cleves
Maria of Jülich-Berg
28 June or 22 September 15154 October 1539 (by proxy)
6 January 1540
Uncrowned12 July 1540
Marriage annulled
16 July 1557 Westminster Abbey
HowardCatherine02.jpeg Catherine Howard Arms of Catherine Howard.svg Lord Edmund Howard
Joyce Culpeper
c.152428 July 1540Uncrowned13 February 1542
Executed
[5]
Church of St Peter ad Vincula
Catherine Parr from NPG.jpg Catherine Parr Arms of Catherine Parr.svg Sir Thomas Parr
Maud Green
August 151212 July 1543Uncrowned28 January 1547
Husband's death
7 September 1548St. Mary's Chapel, Sudeley Castle

The husband of Queen Mary I was Philip II of Spain, who became king of England in right of his wife. Therefore he is not regarded as a consort.

Disputed consort

Since Lady Jane Grey was briefly queen de facto, her husband, Guildford Dudley, is included here. They were both executed for treason.

PictureNameArmsParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Guildford Dudley.jpg Lord Guildford Dudley Arms of Dudley Family.svg John Dudley, 1st Duke of Northumberland
Jane Guildford
c.153525 May 155310 July 1553
Wife's accession (disputed)
Uncrowned19 July 1553
Wife's deposition
12 February 1554 Church of St Peter ad Vincula Jane

House of Stuart, 1603–1707

With the death of Elizabeth I, the crown of England passed to her cousin and nearest heir, James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England as well. His dynasty would rule – interrupted by the Interregnum between 1649 and 1660 – until 1714. The Kingdom of England, however, was merged with the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707, to form a new Kingdom, the Kingdom of Great Britain, after which there ceased to be monarchs and consorts of England.

PictureNameArmsParentsBirthMarriageBecame consortCoronationCeased to be consortDeathResting placeSpouse
Anne of Denmark 1605.jpg Anne of Denmark Arms of Anne of Denmark.svg Frederick II of Denmark
Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow
12 December 157420 August 1589 (by proxy)
23 November 1589
24 March 1603
Husband's accession
25 July 1603 4 March 1619 Henry VII Chapel, Westminster Abbey James I
HenriettaMariaofFrance02.jpg Henrietta Maria of France Arms of Henrietta Maria of France.svg Henry IV of France
Marie de' Medici
25 November 160911 May 1625 (by proxy)
13 June 1625
Uncrowned30 January 1649
Husband's death
10 September 1669 Basilica of St Denis Charles I
CatherineofBraganza1.jpg Catherine of Braganza Arms of Catherine of Braganza.svg John IV of Portugal
Luisa de Guzmán
25 November 163823 April 1662 (by proxy)
21 May 1662
Uncrowned6 February 1685
Husband's death
30 November 1705 Monastery of São Vicente de Fora Charles II
Studio of Kneller - Mary of Modena (cropped).png Mary of Modena Arms of Mary of Modena.svg Alfonso IV d'Este, Duke of Modena
Laura Martinozzi
5 October 165830 September 1673 (by proxy)6 February 1685
Husband's accession
23 April 168511 December 1688
Husband's deposition
7 May 1718Convent of the Visitations, Chaillot James II
George, Prince of Denmark by John Riley.jpg Prince George of Denmark Arms of George of Denmark, Duke of Cumberland.svg Frederick III of Denmark
Sophie Amalie of Brunswick-Lüneburg
2 April 165328 July 16838 March 1702
Wife's accession
Uncrowned1 May 1707
Act of Union 1707;
continued as British royal consort
28 October 1708 Westminster Abbey Anne

Continuation of the list (British consorts)

This list continues at List of British royal consorts

See also

Notes

  1. Henry VI was deposed 4 March 1461, restored 3 October 1470, and deposed again 11 April 1471. Throughout this time Margaret of Anjou was considered by the Lancastrians to be de jure Queen of England
  2. Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville was not made public for several months.
  3. As recognized by Church of England and the Anglican Communion.
  4. As recognized by Spain and the Roman Catholic Church.
  5. She was no longer able to use the title in a public capacity after she was forbidden from doing so in November 23, 1541, although she still remained married to the king until her execution.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen, King of England</span> King of England from 1135 to 1154

Stephen, often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne jure uxoris from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 until 1144. His reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda, whose son, Henry II, succeeded Stephen as the first of the Angevin kings of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of the United Kingdom</span>

The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with their powers regulated by the British Constitution. The term may also refer to the role of the royal family within the UK's broader political structure. The monarch since 8 September 2022 is King Charles III, who ascended the throne on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, his mother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empress Matilda</span> Holy Roman Empress and claimant to the English throne (1102–1167)

Empress Matilda, also known as Empress Maud, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter and heir of Henry I, king of England and ruler of Normandy, she went to Germany as a child when she was married to the future Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. She travelled with the emperor to Italy in 1116, was controversially crowned empress in St Peter's Basilica, and acted as the imperial regent in Italy. Matilda and Henry V had no children, and when he died in 1125, the imperial crown was claimed by his rival Lothair of Supplinburg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou</span> French nobleman (1113–1151)

Geoffrey V, called the Fair or Plantagenet, was the count of Anjou, Touraine and Maine by inheritance from 1129, and also duke of Normandy by his marriage claim, and conquest, from 1144.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Anarchy</span> Civil war in England and Normandy (1135–1153)

The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adelin who had drowned in the White Ship disaster of 1120. Henry sought to be succeeded by his daughter, known as Empress Matilda, but was only partially successful in convincing the nobility to support her. On Henry's death in 1135, his nephew Stephen of Blois seized the throne, with the help of Stephen's brother Henry of Blois, who was the bishop of Winchester. Stephen's early reign saw fierce fighting with disloyal English barons, rebellious Welsh leaders, and Scottish invaders. Following a major rebellion in the south-west of England, Matilda invaded in 1139 with the help of her half-brother Robert of Gloucester.

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 prince consort is the husband of a monarch who is not a monarch in his own right. In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal title, such as prince. Most monarchies do not allow the husband of a queen regnant to be titled as a king because it is perceived as a higher title than queen, however, some monarchies use the title of king consort for the role.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Adelin</span> 12th-century English prince

William Ætheling (Middle English:[ˈwiliəmˈaðəliŋɡ], Old English:[ˈæðeliŋɡ]; 5 August 1103 – 25 November 1120), commonly called Adelin was the son of Henry I of England by his wife Matilda of Scotland, and was thus heir apparent to the English throne. His early death without issue caused a succession crisis, known in English history as the Anarchy.

Regnal numbers are ordinal numbers used to distinguish among persons with the same name who held the same office. Most importantly, they are used to distinguish monarchs. An ordinal is the number placed after a monarch's regnal name to differentiate between a number of kings, queens or princes reigning the same territory with the same regnal name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Succession to the British throne</span> Law governing who can become British monarch

Succession to the British throne is determined by descent, sex, legitimacy, and religion. Under common law, the Crown is inherited by a sovereign's children or by a childless sovereign's nearest collateral line. The Bill of Rights 1689 and the Act of Settlement 1701 restrict succession to the throne to the legitimate Protestant descendants of Sophia of Hanover who are in "communion with the Church of England". Spouses of Catholics were disqualified from 1689 until the law was amended in 2015. Protestant descendants of those excluded for being Roman Catholics are eligible.

Matilda was Countess of Boulogne in her own right from 1125 and Queen of England from the accession of her husband, Stephen, in 1135 until her death in 1152. She supported Stephen in his struggle for the English throne against their mutual cousin Empress Matilda. She played an unusually active role for a woman of the period when her husband was captured, and proved herself an effective general who managed to force the Empress to release Stephen. Under the agreement that settled the civil war, the Queen's children did not inherit the English throne but her three surviving children ruled Boulogne in turn as Eustace IV, William I, and Marie I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">English claims to the French throne</span> Claims to the French throne by English and British monarchs

From the year 1340 to 1802, excluding two brief intervals in the 1360s and the 1420s, the kings and queens of England and Ireland also claimed the throne of France. The claim dates from Edward III, who claimed the French throne in 1340 as the sororal nephew of the last direct Capetian, Charles IV. Edward and his heirs fought the Hundred Years' War to enforce this claim, and were briefly successful in the 1420s under Henry V and Henry VI, but the House of Valois, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, was ultimately victorious and retained control of France, except for Calais and the Channel Islands. Following the Hundred Years War, English and British monarchs continued to call themselves kings of France, and used the French fleur-de-lis as their coat of arms, quartering the arms of England in positions of secondary honour. This continued until 1802 when Britain recognised the French Republic and therefore the abolition of the French monarchy. The Jacobite claimants, however, did not explicitly relinquish the claim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matilda of Scotland</span> Queen of England from 1100 to 1118

Matilda of Scotland, also known as Good Queen Maud, was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. She acted as regent of England on several occasions during Henry's absences: in 1104, 1107, 1108, and 1111.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of Normandy</span> European royal dynasty of French origin

The House of Normandy was a noble family originating from the Duchy of Normandy. The House of Normandy's lineage began with the Scandinavian Rollo who founded the Duchy of Normandy in 911.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of monarchy in the United Kingdom</span>

The history of the monarchy of the United Kingdom and its evolution into a constitutional and ceremonial monarchy is a major theme in the historical development of the British constitution. The British monarchy traces its origins to the petty kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England and early medieval Scotland, which consolidated into the kingdoms of England and Scotland by the 10th century. The Norman and Plantagenet dynasties expanded their authority throughout the British Isles, creating the Lordship of Ireland in 1177 and conquering Wales in 1283. In 1215, King John agreed to limit his own powers over his subjects according to the terms of Magna Carta. To gain the consent of the political community, English kings began summoning Parliaments to approve taxation and to enact statutes. Gradually, Parliament's authority expanded at the expense of royal power.