Queens, living title holders

LadyRohan · #1 03-07-2021, 05:40 PM

As I was preparing a blog post about H.M Queen Elizabeth II, I started thinking about how, when used in English, the phrase 'the Queen' so invariably brings most peoples thoughts to Q.E II. However, my I lost my trail of thoughts when I tried to compile a list of every living woman who has, currently or in pretense, the title of Queen, regnant or consort or another equal title appropriate to the monarchy in question such as empress, grand duchess etc, or who has had it during their lifetime.
I'd love lots of input on people who belong on this list, and I'm sure in asking for it, also posts about why some of you disagree with entries, their titles or claim to fame

Additionally, the inclusion of the sub-national monarchies in current republics would be interesting, as I'm quite unsure about the presence of female regnants or consorts there.

Queens (and those of similar rank) of sovereign and sub-national monarchies (regnant in bold, consorts in italic)

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and 12 other Commonwealth Realms

Queen Margrethe II of the Kingdom of Denmark

Queen Sonja of Norway
Queen Silvia of Sweden

Queen Maxima of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Princess Beatrix of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
Queen Paola of the Belgians

Queen Letizia of Spain
Queen Sofia of Spain
Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
Princess Marie of Liechtenstein
Princess Charlene of Monaco

Queen Rania of Jordan
Queen-Dowager Noor Al-Hussein of Jordan
Princess Muna Al-Hussein of Jordan

Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco

Queen 'Masenate of Lesotho
Queen-Mother Ntfombi of Eswatini
Queen Suthida of Thailand
Queen-Mother Sirikit of Thailand
Queen-Mother Norodom Monineath of Cambodia
Queen Azizah of Malaysia
Empress Masako of Japan
Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan

Queen Nanasipau'u Tuku'aho of Tonga
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
Queen-Mother Dorji Wangmo
Queen-Mother Tshering Pem
Queen-Mother Tshering Yangdon
Queen-Mother Sangay Choden
Queen-Grandmother Kesang Choden

Queen Saleha of Brunei

Titles in pretense (monarchy abolished)

Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
Tsaritsa Margarita of the Bulgarians
Empress Farah Pahlavi of Iran
Queen Komal of Nepal
Queen Hope of Sikkim

The ones I'm unsure of where/if to place

Queen Fadila of Egypt
Empress Catherine Bokassa of the Central African Empire
Royal Consort Atawhai of the Mãori

Prinsara · #2 03-07-2021, 05:46 PM

Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands.

Countessmeout · #3 03-07-2021, 05:51 PM

Well if you are going to include dowager queens (I noticed you added some)

Bhutan actually has six women with the title queen in some form. Jetsun of course but she has company.

The four queen mothers (the four wives of the previous king all hold the title queen mother, not just his actual mother)

Queen Mother Dorji Wangmo
Queen Mother Tshering Pem
Queen Mother Tshering Yangdon (the actual mother of the king)
Queen Mother Sangay Choden

And then there is the king's grandmother.

-Queen grandmother Kesang Choden

The king's great-grandmother died in 2003.

Somebody · #4 03-07-2021, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prinsara

Empress Emerita Michiko of Japan and Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands.

I second that. Beatrix was a queen regnant, never a consort - just like her mother and grandmother before her. So italics is incorrect.

Somebody · #5 03-07-2021, 06:43 PM

If you include Lalla Salma, who never had the title of queen, you probably should also include Princess Muna Al-Hussein (king Abdullah's mother).

And what about 'Her Majesty Margareta Custodian of the Crown'? Given that she uses 'Her Majesty' instead of 'Her Royal Highness' - at least she herself pretends to hold the same rank.

LadyRohan · #6 03-07-2021, 06:53 PM

Appreciate the comments so far, completely agree on the omissions. When it comes to Margareta of Romania, I would put her in the same boat as the other pretenders who were not born with or married to people with the style of Majesty, or equal rank. Romania has seemingly accepted a hybrid solution for the Romanian Royal Family and the usage of Her Majesty when it comes to Margareta, but as long as she doesn't hold the title Queen or equal, she doesn't warrant inclusion on this list.

Mbruno · #7 03-07-2021, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyRohan

As I was preparing a blog post about H.M Queen Elizabeth II, I started thinking about how, when used in English, the phrase 'the Queen' so invariably brings most peoples thoughts to Q.E II.

Queens Margrethe, Letizia, Mathilde, maybe Maxima and Silvia too, and so on, are all also normally referred to simply as "HM The Queen" in their respective countries. The territorial designation "of [xxx]" is only added when they are referenced overseas.

The British Queen is indeed usually referred to as "The Queen" in the Commonwealth and the US, but, in the non-English-speaking countries, I think it is more common to cite her as "Queen Elizabeth". Nobody says, however, "Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain" or "Queen Elizabeth of England" as one would say for example "Queen Margrethe of Denmark". That is quite interesting actually.

Countessmeout · #8 03-07-2021, 07:05 PM

Yet you included women like Lalla Salma who has never been titled queen. Or a Grand Duchess. Or a Sovereign Prince's wife.

In the case of Margareta, 'custodian to the throne' is the equivelant of queen.

If we are going to simply list any women who is/was consort to a sovereign, then the wives of many of the Middle Eastern royals should be included. They may not have gained a new title like queen, but either does Lalla Salma. Women like Mozah who were consort to the Emir but never had the title queen.

LadyRohan · #9 03-07-2021, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Countessmeout

Yet you included women like Lalla Salma who has never been titled queen. Or a Grand Duchess. Or a Sovereign Prince's wife.

In the case of Margareta, 'custodian to the throne' is the equivelant of queen.

If we are going to simply list any women who is/was consort to a sovereign, then the wives of many of the Middle Eastern royals should be included. They may not have gained a new title like queen, but either does Lalla Salma. Women like Mozah who were consort to the Emir but never had the title queen.

As I said in the primary post, the list is restricted to titled consorts of sovereigns. That would be a Queen or an equal title. In several monarchies, a sovereigns wife is titled princess-consort, and unless I have missed any titled consort of a Middle Eastern monarch, I am comfortable with the list inclusions so far.

Prinsara · #10 03-07-2021, 07:32 PM

There was no Romanian monarchy for Margareta to inherit, so I believe it does make a difference, even if she is addressed as Your Majesty. It's not like being the Queen of something active and having the monarchy abolished. She is a queen regnant in semi-pretense, but she never was a real one.

Noble Consort Ming · #11 03-07-2021, 07:42 PM

Technically Maxima is Queen Maxima, Princess of the Netherlands. She is a princess in her own right but as a queen consort is not called Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. But she is often incorrectly called so.

Mbruno · #12 03-07-2021, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noble Consort Ming

Technically Maxima is Queen Maxima, Princess of the Netherlands. She is a princess in her own right but as a queen consort is not called Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. But she is often incorrectly called so.

Likewise, titles like Queen Letizia of Spain and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians are also legally incorrect. However, that is how they are referred to in English-speaking world, which was the premise of the OP.

Tatiana Maria · #13 03-07-2021, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LadyRohan

As I said in the primary post, the list is restricted to titled consorts of sovereigns. That would be a Queen or an equal title. In several monarchies, a sovereigns wife is titled princess-consort, and unless I have missed any titled consort of a Middle Eastern monarch, I am comfortable with the list inclusions so far.

What factors do you rely on to conclude whether a title in a non-European language is more equivalent to "queen" or more equivalent to "princess consort"?

Meraude · #14 09-20-2021, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mbruno

<snip>
The British Queen is indeed usually referred to as "The Queen" in the Commonwealth and the US, but, in the non-English-speaking countries, I think it is more common to cite her as "Queen Elizabeth". Nobody says, however, "Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain" or "Queen Elizabeth of England" as one would say for example "Queen Margrethe of Denmark". That is quite interesting actually.

At least in Sweden we see/hear both "Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain" and "Queen Elisabeth of England", when first mentioning her for example in TV, or in an article, and even in the most royalistic of Swedish magazines.
https://www.svenskdam.se/kungligt/90...zabeth/5745100

Tirilschatz · #15 09-20-2021, 12:08 PM

Well, when in Germany someone mentions "Die Queen" ("The Queen") it is without any doubt, absolutely clear who it is. And I think that is rather nice.

Of course, when it comes to offical mentions, papers or tv speakers refer to her as Queen Elizabeth II. but I don't know anybody who doesn't just say Die Queen.
Funny enough since the other kings and queens of Europe are just referred to by their names, without any titles, at least in my circle.