Consort

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin consort-, consors partner, sharer, from com- + sort-, sors lot, share

• Date: 15th century
• 1 : associate
• 2 : a ship accompanying another
• 3 : spouse

Description

A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Most of the time, however, queen consorts have no real power.

Most queens in history were queens consort; the other kind, queens regnant (queens in their own right), who inherit the throne on the death of the previous monarch, are far fewer in numbers.