Prince consort
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A prince consort is the husband of a queen regnant who is not himself a king in his own right.
In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal title, such as Prince, Prince Consort or King Consort, with Prince being the most common. However, most monarchies do not have formal rules on the styling of princes consort, and one may have no royal title.
Prince Consort (capitalized) is a formal title. Prince Albert is the only spouse of a British queen 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 title, but in 2016, he announced that he would no longer use it. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (prince consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms) is a Prince of the United Kingdom but is not titled Prince Consort.
Neither the descriptive phrase princess consort nor the title Princess Consort has yet been used in Western monarchies, as dynastic wives of kings have instead been styled as queen consort, often with the title Queen. However, Clarence House has announced that when Charles, Prince of Wales becomes monarch of the United Kingdom, his second wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall will have the title Princess Consort rather than Queen.[1]
Usage in imperial China
The imperial Chinese title of fuma (simplified Chinese: 驸马; traditional Chinese: 駙馬; pinyin: fùmǎ), and its Manchu equivalent e'fu (simplified Chinese: 额驸; traditional Chinese: 額駙; pinyin: é'fù), are sometimes translated as "prince consort". This was originally an office of the imperial household, later evolving into the title reserved for husbands of imperial princesses. These princes consort could hold other offices and titles in their own right.
See also
References
- ^ "Announcement of the marriage of HRH The Prince of Wales and Mrs Camilla Parker Bowles". www.princeofwales.gov.uk. TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. February 10, 2005. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
Mrs Parker Bowles will use the title HRH The Duchess of Cornwall after marriage. It is intended that Mrs Parker Bowles should use the title HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to the Throne.