queen consort

noun

|Updated on: 28 Jun 2018

Definition of queen consort

plural queens consort

: the wife of a reigning king

Recent Examples of queen consort from the Web

In 1509, Henry VIII was crowned king of England; his wife, Catherine of Aragon, was crowned queen consort.

— BostonGlobe.com, "This day in history," 23 June 2018
Will the future queen consort be in charge of corralling all the children into the chapel come Saturday?

— elise taylor, Vogue, "Prince George and Princess Charlotte Have a Big Role in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Wedding," 16 May 2018
When a British king marries, his wife is called queen consort, rather than princess.

— morgan evans, Redbook, "9 Things You Didn't Know About Marrying a British Royal," 11 Apr. 2017
As the future king and queen consort, don't expect the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to be standing at the front of the chapel on the big day.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Everything We Know About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding," 23 Mar. 2018
His inspiration: archival photos of pieces designed for Margherita of Savoy, the queen consort of Italy in the late 19th century.

— Vogue, "Charlotte Chesnais’s Emerald Solitaire, and All the Highlights from the Couture Jewelry Presentations," 26 Jan. 2018
The wives of British monarchs tend to receive the ceremonial title of queen—or, more specifically, queen consort.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "The Moment Philip Became a British Prince—And Why He Isn't the King," 4 Oct. 2017
For example, the Elizabeth's mother (also Elizabeth) became queen consort when her husband, George VI became King.

— caroline hallemann, Town & Country, "The Moment Philip Became a British Prince—And Why He Isn't the King," 4 Oct. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'queen consort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.