What’s a Queen Dowager?

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A queen dowager is the widow of a deceased king; you may even see her referred to as a queen dowager, depending on stylistic preferences. It is also possible to see a widowed king, who would be the widow of a queen. As a general rule, this woman is treated the same way she was when her husband was alive.
The title of a queen dowager alerts people to the fact that she was queen consort while her husband was alive, rather than queen regnant. This means that she was given the title of her own by virtue of marriage, rather than inheriting the throne as a birthright. As a general rule, a queen consort has no political power, although she is granted the same rank and social status as her husband, and this continues after her death.

It is also possible for a queen dowager to be a queen or king mother, meaning that she is the mother of the current monarch. In some cases, she held the throne as regent for a temporary period of time until her or another eligible heir to the throne’s children had matured to an age when he or she could legally assume power. However, a dowager queen is not legally entitled to take the throne by right, and an attempt to wrest control of the throne from the rightful heir would be considered treason.

While a dowager queen may be a widow, she still tends to be an active member of society and the royal family after an appropriate period of mourning has passed. Many continue to support the same issues and causes they supported while acting as Queens Consort and often act as prominent philanthropists. They are also socially conscious individuals, who can take advantage of their reduced ceremonial duties to travel and attend a wide variety of events.

In some cases, a queen dowager becomes a formidable entity, drawing on years of experience as queen consort to provide advice and guidance to her children. She may also receive royal honors on her birthday and is given a royal funeral on her death.

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