List of living former consorts

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This is a list of former consorts to monarchs of sovereign states who are living to date. There are many former consorts still living; most of these have held the title of queen consort. Many of these former queens hold the title Queen Mother. Former queens regnant, such as Margrethe II of Denmark, are not included on this list.

Contents

The most recent former consort to die was Lalla Latifa Amahzoune of Morocco, on 29 June 2024. [1]

List of living former consorts of current monarchies

PortraitNameFormer titleCountryReignLength of reignSpouseBornAgeReason
Kesang Choden.jpg Queen Grandmother Kesang Choden of Bhutan Queen consort of Bhutan Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 30 March 1952 – 21 July 197220 years, 113 days King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck of Bhutan 21 May 193094 years, 86 dayshusband's death
Queen Sirikit In Russia 2007.jpg Queen Mother Sirikit of Thailand Queen consort of Thailand Flag of Thailand.svg  Thailand 28 April 1950 – 13 October 201666 years, 168 days King Rama IX of Thailand 12 August 193292 years, 3 dayshusband's death
Empress Michiko's arrival in Manila - 2016 (cropped).jpg Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan Empress consort of Japan Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 7 January 1989 – 30 April 201930 years, 113 days Emperor Akihito of Japan 20 October 193489 years, 300 dayshusband's abdication
Queen Norodom Monineath.JPG Queen Mother Norodom Monineath of Cambodia Queen consort of Cambodia Flag of Cambodia.svg  Cambodia 24 September 1993 – 7 October 200411 years, 13 days King Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia 18 June 193688 years, 58 dayshusband's abdication
Queen Paola of Belgium, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on November 04, 2008 (1) (cropped).jpg Queen Paola of Belgium Queen consort of the Belgians Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium 9 August 1993 – 21 July 201319 years, 346 days King Albert II of Belgium 11 September 193786 years, 339 dayshusband's abdication
Karaliene Sofija (cropped).jpg Queen Sofía of Spain Queen consort of Spain Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 22 November 1975 – 19 June 201438 years, 209 daysKing Juan Carlos I of Spain2 November 193885 years, 287 dayshusband's abdication
Princess Muna with sons 1964 crop.jpg Princess Muna Al Hussein of Jordan Princess consort of Jordan Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan 25 May 1961 – 21 December 197211 years, 210 days King Hussein of Jordan 25 April 194183 years, 112 daysdivorce from husband
Ntombi Tfwala 20160607.jpg Queen Mother Ntfombi of Eswatini Queen consort of EswatiniFlag of Eswatini.svg  Eswatini Unknown – 21 August 1982 King Sobhuza II of Swaziland 27 December 194974 years, 232 dayshusband's death
Queen Noor Jordan 2011.jpg Queen Noor of Jordan Queen consort of Jordan Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan 15 June 1978 – 7 February 199920 years, 237 days King Hussein of Jordan 23 August 195172 years, 358 dayshusband's death
Dorji Wangmo.jpg Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo of Bhutan Queen consort of Bhutan Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 31 October 1988 – 9 December 200618 years, 39 days King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan 10 June 195569 years, 66 dayshusband's abdication
Tshering Pem.jpg Queen Mother Tshering Pem Wangchuck of Bhutan Queen consort of Bhutan Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 31 October 1988 – 9 December 200618 years, 39 days King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan 22 December 195766 years, 237 dayshusband's abdication
Tshering Yangdon.jpg Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon of Bhutan Queen consort of Bhutan Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 31 October 1988 – 9 December 200618 years, 39 days King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan 21 June 195965 years, 55 dayshusband's abdication
Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani with Obamas (cropped).jpg Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned Consort to the Emir of QatarFlag of Qatar.svg  Qatar 27 June 1995 – 25 June 201317 years, 363 days Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Emir of Qatar 8 August 195965 years, 7 dayshusband's abdication
Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck (cropped).jpg Queen Mother Sangay Choden of Bhutan Queen consort of Bhutan Flag of Bhutan.svg  Bhutan 31 October 1988 – 9 December 200618 years, 39 days King Jigme Singye Wangchuck of Bhutan 11 May 196361 years, 96 dayshusband's abdication
Princess Lalla Salma.jpg Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco Princess consort of MoroccoFlag of Morocco.svg  Morocco 21 March 2002 – c. 2018 King Mohammed VI of Morocco 10 May 197846 years, 97 daysdivorce from husband

List of living former consorts of former monarchies

PortraitNameFormer titleCountryReignLength of reignSpouseBirthAgeCause
Queen Ratna of Nepal 1967.jpg Queen Ratna of Nepal Queen consort of Nepal Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 13 March 1955 – 31 January 197216 years, 324 days King Mahendra of Nepal 19 August 192895 years, 362 dayshusband's death
Anne-Marie of Greece 2023 (cropped).jpg Queen Anne-Marie of Greece Queen consort of the Hellenes Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 18 September 1964 – 1 June 19738 years, 256 days King Constantine II of Greece 30 August 194677 years, 320 daysMonarchy abolished
2018.1.105(2) V (45767107812) (cropped).jpg Queen Komal of Nepal Queen consort of Nepal Flag of Nepal.svg    Nepal 4 June 2001 – 28 May 20086 years, 359 days King Gyanendra of Nepal 18 February 195173 years, 179 daysMonarchy abolished

Living former consorts of elective monarchs of sovereign states

PortraitNameFormer titleCountryReignLength of reignSpouseBirthAgeCause
Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun Raja Permaisuri Agong Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 26 April 1989 – 25 April 19944 years, 364 days Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak 7 November 193291 years, 282 dayshusband's term ended
Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing portrait.jpg Anne-Aymone Giscard d'Estaing Spouse of the President of France Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra 27 May 1974 – 21 May 19816 years, 359 days Co-Prince Valéry 10 April 193391 years, 127 dayshusband's defeat for re-election as President of France
Bernadette Chirac 1 (2009) (cropped).jpg Bernadette Chirac Spouse of the President of France Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra 17 May 1995 – 16 May 200711 years, 364 days Co-Prince Jacques 18 May 193391 years, 89 dayshusband did not seek re-election as President of France
Tengku Fauziah Perlis 2021.jpg Tuanku Tengku Fauziah Raja Permaisuri Agong Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 13 December 2001 – 12 December 20064 years, 364 days Sultan Sirajuddin of Perlis 6 June 194678 years, 70 dayshusband's term ended
Tuanku Haminah (2014).jpg Che Puan Besar Haminah Raja Permaisuri Agong Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 13 December 2011 – 12 December 20164 years, 365 days Sultan Abdul Halim of Kedah 15 July 195371 years, 31 dayshusband's term ended
Sesiliia Sarkozi i Svetoslav Ivanov (cropped).jpg Cécilia Attias Spouse of the President of France Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra 16 May 2007 – 15 October 2007152 days Co-Prince Nicolas 12 November 195766 years, 277 daysdivorce from husband
Queen Tunku Azizah.JPG Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah Raja Permaisuri Agong Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 31 January 2019 – 30 January 20244 years, 364 days Sultan Abdullah of Pahang 5 August 196064 years, 10 dayshusband's term ended
Carla Bruni-Sarkozy (4).jpg Carla Bruni-Sarkozy Spouse of the President of France Flag of Andorra.svg  Andorra 2 February 2008 – 15 May 20124 years, 103 days Co-Prince Nicolas 23 December 196756 years, 236 dayshusband's defeat for re-election as President of France
Tuanku Siti Aishah (2001).jpg Permaisuri Siti Aishah Raja Permaisuri Agong Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 26 April 1999 – 21 November 20012 years, 209 days Sultan Salahuddin of Selangor 18 November 197152 years, 271 dayshusband's death
Raja Permaisuri Agong 2023.jpg Sultanah Nur Zahirah of Terengganu Raja Permaisuri Agong Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia 13 December 2006 – 12 December 20114 years, 364 days Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu 7 December 197350 years, 252 dayshusband's term ended

Related Research Articles

Queen most commonly refers to:

A style of office or form of address, also called manner of address, is an official or legally recognized form of address for a person or other entity, and may often be used in conjunction with a personal title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal capacity. Such styles are particularly associated with monarchies, where they may be used by a wife of an office holder or of a prince of the blood, for the duration of their marriage. They are also almost universally used for presidents in republics and in many countries for members of legislative bodies, higher-ranking judges, and senior constitutional office holders. Leading religious figures also have styles.

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">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">Great Royal Wife</span> Principal wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt

Great Royal Wife, or alternatively, Chief King's Wife is the title that was used to refer to the principal wife of the pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, who served many official functions.

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">Neithhotep</span> Ancient Egyptian queen consort

Neithhotep or Neith-hotep was an ancient Egyptian queen consort who lived and ruled during the early First Dynasty. She was once thought to be a male ruler: her outstandingly large mastaba and the royal serekh surrounding her name on several seal impressions previously led Egyptologists and historians to the erroneous belief that she might have been an unknown king. As the understanding of early Egyptian writings developed, scholars learned that Neithhotep was in fact a woman of extraordinary rank. She was subsequently considered to be the wife of unified Egypt's first pharaoh, Narmer, and the mother of Hor-Aha.

Haseki Sultan was the title used for the chief consort of an Ottoman sultan. In later years, the meaning of the title changed to "imperial consort". Hurrem Sultan, principal consort and legal wife of Suleiman the Magnificent, was the first holder of this title. The title lost its exclusivity under Ibrahim I, who bestowed it upon eight women simultaneously. The title haseki sultan was used until the 17th century. After that, kadınefendi became the highest ranking title for imperial consorts, although this title was not as prestigious as haseki sultan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naemyeongbu</span> Rank for court women in Joseon

Naemyeongbu, literally Women of the Internal Court, was a category of rank in the royal court of Joseon that referred to concubines and female officials living within the palaces. It was separate from the Oemyeongbu category, which consisted of royal women living outside the palace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheongju Han clan</span> Korean noble family

The Cheongju Han clan is a Korean clan who are well known for their many female members including six queens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queens of the Neo-Assyrian Empire</span>

The queen of the Neo-Assyrian Empire was the consort of the Neo-Assyrian king. Though the queens derived their power and influence through their association with their husband, they were not pawns without political power. The queens oversaw their own, often considerable, finances and owned vast estates throughout the empire. To oversee their assets, the queens employed a large administrative staff headed by a set of female administrators called šakintu. Among the duties of the queens were religious responsibilities and overseeing parts of the royal palaces; their role as "rulers of the domestic realm" is reflected in their title as "Women of the Palace". The power and influence of the queens was increased further under the Sargonid dynasty (722–609 BC), when they more frequently appear in artwork and large military units directly subservient to the queen were created.

References

  1. Mother of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI Passes Away Aged 78