Editing Prince consort

{{Short description|Husband of a regnant monarch}}
{{confuse|King's Consent{{!}}Prince's Consent}}
{{Royal and noble ranks}}
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.

== Usage in Europe ==

=== United Kingdom ===
In the United Kingdom, the title ''Prince Consort'' is unique to [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]], although the term applies as a description to other British princes consort. The title was awarded to him in 1857 by his wife, [[Queen Victoria]]. Before Prince Albert, there had only been five English, Scottish or British male consorts, being the husbands of [[Mary I of England]], [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Queen Anne]], and [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], the last of whom was married three times during her long reign. The remaining queens regnant before Victoria sidestepped the question of the proper title for a male consort, [[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]] having never married, and [[Mary II of England|Mary II]]'s husband [[William III of England|William III]] having been explicitly made king in his own right.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-05-03 |title=Who Has Held the Queen Consort Title Throughout History? |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/g42860996/queen-consort-title-history-united-kingdom/ |access-date=2023-06-09 |website=Town & Country |language=en-US}}</ref> 

[[File:Prince Albert 405130.jpg|thumb|left|''[[Portrait of Prince Albert]]'' by [[Franz Xaver Winterhalter]]. [[Albert, Prince Consort|Prince Albert]] was awarded the title ''Prince Consort'' in 1857 by his wife, [[Queen Victoria]].]]
The titles of the five pre-Victorian male consorts varied widely. [[Philip II of Spain|Philip of Spain]], the husband of Mary I of England, was declared king ''[[jure uxoris]]'' and given powers equal to his wife while she reigned, but Queen Anne's husband [[Prince George of Denmark]] received no British titles other than the Dukedom of Cumberland (his princely title being Danish). Meanwhile, the titles of the three husbands of [[Mary, Queen of Scots]], was never fully resolved. At least one ([[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]]), was declared king consort, and both he and his predecessor [[Francis II of France]] sought recognition as king ''jure uxoris'' (under a proffered theory of the "[[Crown Matrimonial]] of Scotland"), but the title and powers of the consort were a constant issue during Mary's reign and remained unresolved when Mary was captured and executed.<ref>Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 184.</ref><ref name="Daniel2">Daniel, William S. (Edinburgh, 1852), ''History of The Abbey and Palace of Holyrood'', p. 67.</ref>

The only male consort since Prince Albert's death, [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]], the consort of [[Elizabeth II]], was made a [[Peerage of the United Kingdom|peer of the United Kingdom]] in advance of his marriage to then-Princess Elizabeth in 1947. After Elizabeth's accession in 1952, there was debate in royal circles and among senior politicians (both in Britain and in other [[Commonwealth Realm]]s, particularly [[Canada]]) about her husband's proper title. Some leaders, including the prime minister of the day, [[Winston Churchill]], suggested reviving Prince Albert's title of ''Prince Consort''. Others put forward other styles, including "Prince of the Realm" and "Prince of the Commonwealth" (the latter of which was suggested by [[John Diefenbaker]], at the time a member of the Canadian Opposition front bench). In 1957, Elizabeth created Philip a [[British prince|prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland]], the same title borne by sons of the sovereign.<ref name=Bousfield>{{cite book |last=Bousfield |first=Arthur |author2=Toffoli, Gary |title=Fifty Years the Queen |publisher=Dundurn Press |year=2002 |location=Toronto |page=12 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=w8l5reK7NjoC |isbn = 1-55002-360-8 }}</ref><ref name="veldephilip">{{cite web |last = Velde |first = François |title = Title of Prince: HRH Philip Duke of Edinburgh |work = Royal styles and titles: Files from the UK National Archives |url = http://www.heraldica.org/topics/britain/LCO_6_3677.htm |access-date = 3 November 2022}}</ref>

The distinction between the positions of prince consort and king is important in the British patriarchal hierarchical system. Within this hierarchy, the king holds a higher position in the British social hierarchy than any other, and so more power is attributed to him. When the monarch is female, such as [[Queen Victoria]], who ascended to the throne in 1837, power is attributed to the queen, for she holds the highest position in the absence of a king.<ref>Klein, P. (2017). Kings & Queens. Library Journal, 142(8), 37-39.</ref> Unlike a queen consort, a prince consort is not crowned and anointed alongside his wife at her coronation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consort to Her Majesty The Queen |url=https://www.royal.uk/consort-her-majesty-queen |website=Royal.uk}}</ref>

=== Other countries ===
[[Jacques I, Prince of Monaco|Jacques I]] became the prince consort of [[Monaco]] in 1731 after his wife, [[Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco|Louise Hippolyte]], became the sovereign princess.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-12-03|title=Prince Jacques I of Monaco: Prior Owner of Matignon, the French Prime Minister’s Residence in Paris|url=https://www.hellomonaco.com/news/latest-news/prince-jacques-i-of-monaco-prior-owner-of-matignon-the-french-prime-minister-s-residence-in-paris/|access-date=2022-01-14|website=HelloMonaco|language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2005, [[Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark|Prince Henrik]], the husband of [[Margrethe II of Denmark]], was awarded the title. He had requested the title of "king consort" and style of ''His Majesty'' but was denied.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sorensen |first=Martin Selsoe |date=2018-02-16 |title=Final Resting Place for Danish Prince Who Yearned to Be King: Not Beside the Queen |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/world/europe/prince-henrik-denmark.html |access-date=2023-07-03 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 2016, he announced that upon his retirement, he would revert to the title of prince that he had received upon their marriage in 1967.<ref>{{cite web|language=da|url=http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE2997852/dronningen-i-sin-nytaarstale-prins-henrik-gaar-paa-pension/ |title=Dronningen i sin nytårstale: Prins Henrik går på pension |website=Politiken.dk |date=31 December 2015 |access-date=2017-01-29}}</ref><ref name=xinhuanet>{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-04/15/c_135279487.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419190248/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-04/15/c_135279487.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 19, 2016 |title=Denmark's Prince Henrik renounces title as Prince Consort|website= Xinhuanet, China-Europe|date=15 April 2016 |access-date=2017-09-06}}</ref>

==King consort<!--'King consort' or 'emperor consort' redirect here-->==
A '''king consort'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA--> or '''emperor consort'''<!--boldface per WP:R#PLA---> is a rarely used title to describe the husband of a [[queen regnant]]. Examples include:
*[[Mary, Queen of Scots]] (reigned 1542–1567) was first [[Wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Francis, Dauphin of France|married to Francis]], [[Dauphin of France]] (later [[Francis II of France]]), who became king consort of Scotland upon their marriage.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://special-1.bl.uk/treasures/festivalbooks/BookDetails.aspx?strFest=0021|author=Anonymous|title=Discours du grand et magnifique triumphe faict au mariage du tresnoble & magnifique Prince Francois de Valois Roy Dauphin, filz aisné du tres-chrestien Roy de France Henry II du nom & de treshaulte & vertueuse Princesse madame Marie d'Estreuart Roine d'Escosse|year=1558|location=Paris|publisher=Annet Briere|language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UYVCAAAAcAAJ|author=Teulet, Alexandre|title=Relations politiques de la France et de l'Espagne avec l'Écosse au XVIe siècle|volume=1|year=1862|pages=302–311|publisher=Renouard|location=Paris|language=fr}}</ref> [[Wedding of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Henry, Lord Darnley|She then married]] [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]], the eldest son of the Earl and Countess of [[Earl of Lennox|Lennox]] in July 1565. Darnley was a great-grandson of [[Henry VII of England]] and Mary's first cousin, and he was considered to have a strong claim to the Scottish throne. On the evening before their marriage, Mary proclaimed Darnley "King of Scots", a title that she could not legally grant him without the consent of Parliament, but which was never formally challenged. However, this title did not grant him any automatic right of rule or of succession to the throne should Mary die. For that to happen, it was necessary that Mary grant him the [[Crown Matrimonial]] of Scotland, which never happened.
*[[Mary I of England]] (reigned 1553–1558) married Prince Philip (later [[Philip II of Spain]]) in 1554. Under the terms of [[Queen Mary's Marriage Act]], Philip was to be styled "King of England", all official documents (including [[Acts of Parliament]]) were to be dated with both their names, and Parliament was to be called under the joint authority of the couple, for the duration of the marriage only. This created a [[coregency]] by ''[[jure uxoris]]''.
*When the reigning [[Isabella II of Spain|Isabella II]] (reigned 1833–1868) married [[Francis, Duke of Cádiz]], he became king consort of Spain. Like his wife, he retained the style and title of king even after her abdication in favour of their son, [[Alfonso XII]].
*[[Queen Victoria]] (reigned 1837–1901) wanted to make her husband [[Albert, Prince Consort|Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] "king consort"  but the British government refused to introduce a bill allowing it, as Albert was a foreigner.<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Stanley Weintraub |last=Weintraub |first=Stanley | year=1997 |title=Albert: Uncrowned King |location=London |publisher=John Murray |isbn=978-0-7195-5756-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/albertuncrownedk0000wein |page=88}}</ref> She instead gave him the title of ''prince consort'' in 1857.

== List of male consorts ==

'''Kingdom of Naples''':
* [[Andrew, Duke of Calabria]] – husband of Queen [[Joanna I of Naples|Joanna I]]
* [[James IV of Majorca]] – husband of Queen [[Joanna I of Naples|Joanna I]]
* [[Otto, Duke of Brunswick-Grubenhagen]] – husband of Queen [[Joanna I of Naples|Joanna I]]
* [[James II, Count of La Marche]] – husband of Queen [[Joanna II of Naples|Joanna II]]

'''Netherlands''':
* [[Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin]] – husband of Queen [[Wilhelmina of the Netherlands|Wilhelmina]]
* [[Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld]] – husband of Queen [[Juliana of the Netherlands|Juliana]]
* [[Prince Claus of the Netherlands]] – husband of Queen [[Beatrix of the Netherlands|Beatrix]]

'''Đại Việt''':
* [[Trần Thái Tông]] – he was first a male consort of the empress regnant [[Lý Chiêu Hoàng]], but later became a male monarch

'''Denmark''':
* [[Prince Henrik of Denmark]] – husband of Queen [[Margrethe II]]

'''Luxembourg''':
* [[Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma]] – husband of the sovereign grand duchess [[Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg|Charlotte]]

'''Māori King Movement''':
* [[Whatumoana Paki]] – husband of [[Te Atairangikaahu]]

'''Majapahit''':
* Cakradhara – husband of [[Queen Tribhuwana]]
* Ratnapangkaja – husband of Queen [[Suhita]]

'''Merina Kingdom''':
* [[Rainiharo]] – husband of [[Ranavalona I]]
* {{ill|Rainijohary|nl|Rainijohary}} – husband of [[Ranavalona I]]
* [[Rainivoninahitriniony]] – husband of [[Rasoherina]]
* [[Rainilaiarivony]] – he married three queens in succession: [[Rasoherina]], [[Ranavalona II]] and [[Ranavalona III]]

'''Monaco''':
* [[Jacques I, Prince of Monaco]] – he was first a male consort of the sovereign princess [[Louise Hippolyte, Princess of Monaco|Louise Hippolyte]], but later became a male monarch

'''Bhopal State''':
* Baqi Muhammad Khan – husband of [[Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal|Shah Jahan Begum]]
* [[Siddiq Hasan Khan]] – husband of [[Shah Jahan Begum of Bhopal|Shah Jahan Begum]]
* Ahmad Ali Khan Bahadur – husband of [[Sultan Jahan, Begum of Bhopal|Sultan Jahan Begum]]

'''Sweden''':
* [[Frederick I of Sweden]] – he was first a male consort of the queen regnant [[Ulrika Eleonora of Sweden|Ulrika Eleonora]], but later became a male monarch

'''Kingdom of Scotland''':
* [[Francis II of France]] – husband of Queen [[Mary, Queen of Scots|Mary]]
* [[Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley]] – husband of Queen [[Mary, Queen of Scots|Mary]]
* [[James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell]] – husband of Queen [[Mary, Queen of Scots|Mary]]

'''Spain''':
* [[Francisco de Asís, Duke of Cádiz]] – husband of Queen [[Isabella II]]

'''Silla''':
* {{ill|Galmunwang Eum|ko|음갈문왕}} – husband of [[Queen Seondeok]]
* {{ill|Kim Wi-hong|ko|김위홍}} – husband of Queen [[Jinseong of Silla|Jinseong]]

'''Kingdom of Aragon''':
* [[Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona]] – husband of [[Petronilla of Aragon|Petronilla]]

'''Ecatepec''':
* [[Moctezuma II]] – husband of [[Tlapalizquixochtzin]]

'''Ethiopian Empire''':
* [[Gugsa Welle]] – husband of the empress regnant [[Zewditu]]

'''United Kingdom''':
* [[Prince George of Denmark|Prince George, Duke of Cumberland]] – husband of Queen [[Anne, Queen of Great Britain|Anne]]
* [[Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha]] – husband of [[Queen Victoria]]
* [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh]] – husband of Queen [[Elizabeth II]]

'''Kingdom of England''':
* [[Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou|Geoffrey of Anjou]] – husband of [[Empress Matilda|Matilda]]
* [[Lord Guildford Dudley|Guildford Dudley]] – husband of [[Lady Jane Grey]]

'''Kingdom of Georgia''':
* [[Yury Bogolyubsky]] – husband of [[Tamar the Great]]
* [[David Soslan]] – husband of [[Tamar the Great]]
* [[Ghias ad-Din]] – husband of [[Rusudan of Georgia|Rusudan]]

'''Duchy of Parma''':
* [[Adam Albert, Count of Neipperg]] – husband of the sovereign duchess [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Marie Louise]]
* [[Charles-René de Bombelles]] – husband of the sovereign duchess [[Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma|Marie Louise]]

'''Portugal''':
* [[Auguste, Duke of Leuchtenberg]] – husband of [[Maria II of Portugal|Maria II]]
* [[Ferdinand II of Portugal]] – he was first a male consort of the female monarch [[Maria II of Portugal|Maria II]], but later became a co-monarch

'''Kingdom of Pontus''':
* [[Archelaus of Cappadocia|Archelaus]] – husband of [[Pythodorida of Pontus|Pythodorida]]

'''Ptolemaic Kingdom''':
* [[Seleucus VII Kybiosaktes]] – husband of [[Berenice IV]]
* [[Archelaus (high priest of Comana Cappadocia)|Archelaus I of Comana]] – husband of [[Berenice IV]]
* [[Mark Antony]] – husband of [[Cleopatra VII]]

'''Kingdom of Tahiti''':
* [[Tapoa II]] – husband of [[Pōmare IV]]
* [[Ariifaaite]] – husband of [[Pōmare IV]]

'''Tonga''':
* [[Viliami Tungī Mailefihi]] – husband of [[Sālote Tupou III]]

'''Hawaiian Kingdom''':
* [[John Owen Dominis]] – husband of Queen [[Liliʻuokalani]]

'''Kingdom of Rarotonga''':
* [[Ngamaru Rongotini Ariki]] – husband of [[Makea Takau Ariki]]

'''Travancore'''
* [[Raja Raja Varma Koil Thampuran|Raja Raja Varma]] – [[Koyi Thampuran]] of [[Gowri Lakshmi Bayi]]

==See also==
* [[Consort crown]]
* ''[[Jure uxoris]]''
* [[Princess consort]]
* [[Queen consort]]
* [[List of British consorts]]
* [[:Category:Kings consort]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prince Consort}}
[[Category:Princes| ]]
[[Category:Titles]]
[[Category:Royal consorts| Royal consorts]]