Queen dowager facts for kids

A queen dowager is a special title given to the widow of a king. It means she was once a queen consort (the wife of a king) but her husband has passed away. The word "dowager" means a woman who keeps her title from her deceased husband. If the king's widow is an empress, she is called an empress dowager.

It's important to know the difference between a queen dowager and a queen regnant. A queen regnant is a queen who rules in her own right, like Queen Elizabeth II was. A queen dowager is different because she doesn't rule.

Sometimes, a queen dowager is also called a queen mother. This happens if she is the mother of the king or queen who is currently ruling.

As of 2024, there are four living queens dowager:

• Kesang Choden of Bhutan (she is also the only living queen grandmother in the world).
• Norodom Monineath of Cambodia (she is also a queen mother).
• Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) of Jordan.
• Sirikit Kitiyakara of Thailand (she is also a queen mother).

What is a Queen Dowager's Role?

A queen dowager holds an important royal position. However, she usually doesn't have the right to become the next monarch when the king dies. Her role is more about her past position as queen.

Even though she is no longer "the" queen, a queen dowager still keeps her royal title and special way of being addressed. For example, if a new king takes the throne, his wife becomes the new queen consort, and she is then "the" queen. A queen dowager is still called "Queen," but not "the Queen."

Sometimes, there can be more than one queen dowager alive at the same time. This happens if a king dies, and then his son becomes king, and that son also dies, leaving his own widow.

Queen Dowager vs. Queen Mother

It can be a bit tricky to tell the difference between a queen dowager and a queen mother, but here's a simple way to remember:

A queen mother is a former queen who is the mother of the current ruler. Most queen mothers are also queen dowagers because their husband (the former king) has died.

However:

• Not every queen mother is a queen dowager. For example, Queen Paola of Belgium became queen mother when her husband, King Albert II, stepped down from the throne. He was still alive, so she wasn't a widow, meaning she wasn't a queen dowager.
• Not every queen dowager is a queen mother. She might be related to the current ruler in a different way, like an aunt or grandmother. For example, Mary, Queen of Scots, was a queen dowager of France after her husband died, but she didn't have any children with him, so she wasn't the mother of the next French king.

Also, not every mother of a reigning monarch is a queen mother or a queen dowager. This is because their husband might not have been a king. For instance, Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the mother of Queen Victoria, was never a queen dowager or queen mother because her husband was never a king.

Since there is only one monarch ruling at a time, there can only be one queen mother. But it's possible to have a queen mother and other queen dowagers alive at the same time. This happened in the United Kingdom for a short time when Queen Elizabeth II became queen. There were three queens alive:

• Queen Elizabeth II: The queen who was ruling (the queen regnant).
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: She was the widow of the previous king, King George VI, and the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. She chose to be called "Queen Mother" to avoid confusion with her daughter.
• Queen Mary: She was the widow of King George V (Queen Elizabeth II's grandfather). She was also the mother of the late King George VI.

British Queens Dowager

Many former queens in England, Scotland, and later the United Kingdom, became queen dowagers. Some of them were also queen mothers.

Queens Dowager of England

• Edith of Wessex (1066–1075), wife of Edward the Confessor.
• Adeliza of Louvain (1135–1151), wife of Henry I of England.
• Eleanor of Aquitaine (1189–1204), wife of Henry II of England and mother to Richard I and John.
• Berengaria of Navarre (1199–1230), wife of Richard I of England.
• Isabella of Angoulême (1216–1246), wife of John of England and mother to Henry III of England.
• Eleanor of Provence (1272–1291), wife of Henry III of England and mother to Edward I of England.
• Marguerite of France (1307–1317), wife of Edward I of England.
• Isabella of France (1327–1358), wife of Edward II of England and mother to Edward III of England.
• Isabella of Valois (1399–1409), wife of Richard II of England.
• Joanna of Navarre (1413–1437), wife of Henry IV of England.
• Catherine of Valois (1422–1437), wife of Henry V of England and mother to Henry VI of England.
• Margaret of Anjou (1471–1482), wife of Henry VI of England.
• Elizabeth Woodville (1483–1492), wife of Edward IV of England and mother to Edward V of England.

Queens Dowager of England and Ireland

• Catherine Parr (1547–1548), wife of Henry VIII of England.

Queens Dowager of Scotland

• Margaret of Wessex (1093), wife of Malcolm III of Scotland.
• Ermengarde de Beaumont (1214–1233/34), wife of William I of Scotland and mother to Alexander II of Scotland.
• Marie de Coucy (1249–1285), wife of Alexander II of Scotland and mother to Alexander III of Scotland.
• Yolande of Dreux (1286–1322), wife of Alexander III of Scotland.
• Joan Beaufort (1437–1445), wife of James I of Scotland and mother to James II of Scotland.
• Mary of Guelders (1460–1463), wife of James II of Scotland and mother to James III of Scotland.
• Margaret Tudor (1513–1541), wife of James IV of Scotland and mother to James V of Scotland.
• Mary of Guise (1542–1560), wife of James V of Scotland and mother to Mary, Queen of Scots.

Queens Dowager of England, Ireland, and Scotland

• Henrietta Maria of France (1649–1669), wife of Charles I and mother to Charles II.
• Catherine of Braganza (1685–1705), wife of Charles II.
• Mary of Modena (1701–1718), wife of James II and VII.

Queens Dowager of the United Kingdom

• Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen (1837–1849), wife of William IV.
• Alexandra of Denmark (1910–1925), wife of Edward VII and mother to George V.
• Mary of Teck (1936–1953), wife of George V and mother to Edward VIII and George VI.
• Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (1952–2002), wife of George VI and mother to Elizabeth II.

If Queen Camilla, the current queen consort, lives longer than King Charles III, she will become a queen dowager. King Charles’s son, William, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, would become the new king and queen. Queen Camilla would not be known as a queen mother because she is not Prince William's biological mother.

Queens Dowager Around the World

Many countries have had queens dowager throughout history. Here are some examples from different parts of the world:

East Asia

China

• Queen Dowager Xuan, mother of King Zhaoxiang of Qin.
• Queen Dowager Zhao, mother of Qin Shi Huang.
• Empress Lü, wife of Emperor Gaozu of Han.
• Wu Zetian, wife of Emperor Gaozong. She later became the only female ruler in China's history.
• Empress Dowager Cixi, wife of Xianfeng Emperor and mother of Tongzhi Emperor.

Japan

• Empress Dowager Eishō (1835–1897), wife of Emperor Kōmei.
• Empress Shōken (1849–1914), wife of Emperor Meiji.
• Empress Teimei (1884–1951), wife of Emperor Taishō and mother of Emperor Shōwa.
• Empress Kōjun (1903–2000), wife of Emperor Shōwa and mother of Emperor Akihito.

Korea

• Queen Heonae (997–1009), wife of Gyeongjong of Goryeo and mother of Mokjong of Goryeo.
• Queen Jangryeol (1624–1688), wife of Injo of Joseon.
• Queen Jeongsun (1745–1805), wife of Yeongjo of Joseon.

Europe

Bavaria

• Caroline of Baden (1825–1841), wife of King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria.
• Marie of Prussia (1864–1889), wife of King Maximilian II of Bavaria.

Castile

• Mafalda of Portugal (1197-1256), wife of King Henry I of Castile.
• Constance of Portugal (1313), wife of King Ferdinand IV of Castile and mother of King Alfonso XI of Castile.
• Maria of Portugal (1357), wife of King Alfonso XI of Castile and mother of King Peter I of Castile.
• Isabella of Portugal (1496), wife of King John II of Castile and mother of Isabella I of Castile.
• Joan of Portugal (1475), wife of King Henry IV of Castile.

Croatia

• Helen of Zadar (969–976), wife of King Michael Krešimir II of Croatia.

Denmark

• Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1588–1631), wife of King Frederick II of Denmark.
• Ingrid of Sweden (1972–2000), wife of King Frederik IX of Denmark.

Greece

• Olga Constantinovna of Russia (1913–1924), wife of King George I of Greece.
• Sophia of Prussia (1923–1924), wife of King Constantine I of Greece.
• Frederica of Hanover (1964–1973), wife of King Paul of Greece.

Portugal

• Elizabeth of Aragon (1336), wife of King Dinis I of Portugal and mother of King Afonso IV of Portugal.
• Maria Pia of Savoy (1911), wife of King Luís I of Portugal and mother of King Carlos I of Portugal.
• Amélie of Orleans (1951), wife of King Carlos I of Portugal and mother of King Manuel II of Portugal.

Prussia

• Victoria, Princess Royal (1888–1901), wife of Frederick III, German Emperor.

Romania

• Elisabeth of Wied (1914–1916), wife of King Carol I of Romania.
• Marie of Edinburgh (1927–1938), wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.

Sweden

In Sweden, there was a special title for a dowager queen called Riksänkedrottning, meaning Queen Dowager of the Realm. This title was used in the 16th and 17th centuries. The last time the title queen dowager was used was in 1913.

• Sophia of Nassau (1913), wife of King Oscar II of Sweden.

Two Sicilies

• María Isabella of Spain (1830–1848), wife of King Francis I of the Two Sicilies.
• Maria Theresa of Austria (1859–1861), wife of King Ferdinand II of the Two Sicilies.

Württemberg

• Charlotte, Princess Royal (1816–1828), wife of King Frederick I of Württemberg.
• Pauline Therese of Württemberg (1864–1873), wife of William I of Württemberg and mother of Charles I of Württemberg.
• Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (1891–1892), wife of Charles I of Württemberg.

Pacific

Hawaii

• Dowager Queen Ka'ahumanu, wife of King Kamehameha I.
• Queen Emma of Hawaii, wife of King Kamehameha IV.

South America

Brazil

• Amélie of Leuchtenberg (1812–1873), wife of Pedro I of Brazil.

Southeast Asia

Malaysia

• Raja Perempuan Tengku Anis of Kelantan, widow of Sultan Ismail Petra.
• Tunku Puan Nora of Johor, widow of Sultan Ismail.
• Raja Permaisuri Tuanku Bainun of Perak, widow of Sultan Azlan Shah.
• Tunku Ampuan Najihah of Negeri Sembilan, widow of Tuanku Ja'afar.
• Permaisuri Siti Aishah of Selangor, widow of Sultan Salahuddin.
• Che Puan Besar Haminah of Kedah, widow of Sultan Abdul Halim.
• Cik Puan Besar Kalsom of Pahang, widow of Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah.

Myanmar

• Yun San, wife of King Alaungpaya and mother to three kings.
• Shin Phyo Oo, wife of King Naungdawgyi.
• Me Myat Shwe, wife of King Tharawaddy and mother of King Pagan.
• Kyaut Maw Mibaya, wife of King Tharawaddy and mother of King Mindon.
• Laungshe Mibaya, wife of King Mindon and mother of King Thibaw.

Thailand

• Amarindra (1809–1826), wife of King Rama I and mother of King Rama II of Siam.
• Sri Suriyendra (1824–1836), wife of King Rama II and mother of King Mongkut.
• Saovabha Phongsri (1910–1919), wife of King Chulalongkorn and mother of King Vajiravudh.
• Savang Vadhana (1910–1955), wife of King Chulalongkorn and grandmother of King Ananda Mahidol.
• Sukhumala Marasri (1910–1927), wife of King Chulalongkorn.
• Rambai Barni (1941–1984), wife of King Prajadhipok.
• Sirikit (since 2016), wife of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and mother of King Vajiralongkorn.

West Asia

Jordan

• Musbah bint Nasser (1961), wife of Abdullah I of Jordan and mother of Talal of Jordan.
• Zein Al-Sharaf Talal (1994), wife of Talal of Jordan and mother of Hussein of Jordan.
• Lisa Najeeb Halaby (Noor Al'Hussein) (born 1951), wife of King Hussein of Jordan.

Queens Dowager in Stories

You might also find queen dowagers in books and TV shows!

• In The Princess Diaries books and movies, Princess Clarisse is a dowager queen.
• In A Song of Ice and Fire and Game of Thrones, Cersei Lannister became a queen mother after her husband died.
• In the Indian movie Baahubali, the character "Rajamatha Shivagami Devi" is a queen mother.
• In the video game Long Live the Queen, the queen's widower is called a "king-dowager."
• In the Netflix series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, Augusta is shown as the Dowager Princess of Wales, who is King George's mother.