Prince consort

A prince consort is the husband of a monarch who is not a monarch himself. When a woman rules as a queen, her husband is usually called a prince consort instead of a king. This is because many monarchies think the title of king is too high for someone who is not the main ruler. Even though he is not the king, a prince consort often has important duties and helps with the work of the royal family. In some places, the husband of a queen may be called a king consort, but this is less common. The role of a prince consort varies in different countries, but it always shows the special position of supporting the queen.

Usage in Europe

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, the title Prince Consort is unique to Prince Albert. It was given to him in 1857 by his wife, Queen Victoria. Before Prince Albert, there were only five male consorts in English, Scottish, or British history. These were the husbands of Mary I of England, Queen Anne, and Mary, Queen of Scots.

The titles of these earlier male consorts varied. For example, Philip of Spain, husband of Mary I, was declared king during her reign. However, Prince George of Denmark, husband of Queen Anne, had no British titles beyond the Dukedom of Cumberland. The titles of the husbands of Mary, Queen of Scots, were also unclear and caused confusion during her reign.

More recently, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Elizabeth II, was made a prince of the United Kingdom in 1957 after Elizabeth became queen in 1952. There was discussion about what title he should have, with some suggesting the title Prince Consort, like Prince Albert.

Other countries

In 1731, Jacques I became the prince consort of Monaco after his wife, Louise Hippolyte, became the sovereign princess.

In 2005, Prince Henrik, husband of Margrethe II of Denmark, was given the title of prince consort. He had asked to be called "king consort," but this was not allowed. In 2016, he announced that when he retired, he would go back to the title of prince that he had when he married Margrethe in 1967.

King consort

A king consort or emperor consort is a special title for the husband of a ruling queen. This title is used very rarely. One example is Mary, Queen of Scots, whose husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley was called "King of Scots" before officially becoming one. Another example is Isabella II of Spain, whose husband Francis, Duke of Cádiz became king consort when they married. Even after Isabella gave up her throne, he kept his title of king.

List of male consorts

The role of a prince consort is to support the monarch, who is usually a queen. This role does not grant the husband the title of king, as monarchies often see this as a higher status than that of a queen.

Here are some notable male consorts from history:

• Denmark: Prince Henrik of Denmark was the husband of Queen Margrethe II.

• United Kingdom/Great Britain:

  • Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was the husband of Queen Victoria.
  • Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

• Netherlands:

  • Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld was the husband of Queen Juliana.
  • Prince Claus of the Netherlands was the husband of Queen Beatrix.

• Monaco: Jacques I, Prince of Monaco was first the husband of the sovereign princess Louise Hippolyte before becoming a monarch himself.

These examples show how male consorts have supported their queens throughout history.