prince consort

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A prince consort, generally speaking, is a common term for the husband of a queen regnant, unless he himself also is a king in his own right.

Current examples include the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (husband of Elizabeth II, prince consort in each of the realms of which she is Queen), and Prince Henrik of Denmark (husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark).

In recognition of his status, the prince consort can be given a formal title, such as prince, Prince Consort (see below) or king consort, with prince being the most common. However, most monarchies do not have formal rules on the styling of princes consort, so it is quite feasible that such a person may be left entirely without royal titles. Exceptions exist such as in the case of Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld.

Prince Consort (capitalized) is quite different from the above as it is a formal title. Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is the only spouse of a British queen ever to have held it. It was awarded to him in 1857 by his wife, Queen Victoria (reigned 1837–1901). In 2005, Prince Henrik, the spouse of Margrethe II of Denmark, was awarded the same title.

Neither the female counterpart of the term, princess consort, nor the title, 'Princess Consort', has ever been used in Western monarchies, as dynastic wives of kings have been queens consort. However, Clarence House has announced that when the present Prince of Wales becomes the sovereign, his wife will not be known as Her Majesty The Queen but rather as Her Royal Highness The Princess Consort (see Duchess of Cornwall and princess consort).^[1] An example of the title of Princess Consort being used is Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, who is the first Moroccan royal wife to be granted any title.

Non-European usage

The Imperial Chinese title of "駙馬" (fùmǎ), and its Manchu equivalent "額駙" (éfù), is sometimes translated as Prince consort. This is originally an office of the imperial household, later evolving into the title reserved for husbands of imperial princesses. These princes consort may hold other offices and titles in their own right.

References

See also

• List of British consorts
• List of royal consorts of Canada

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