List of Royal Consorts of English Monarchs

The coronation of a king and queen from Liber Regalis , coronation manuscript (14th century)

The list of the Royal Consorts of the English Monarchs chronologically lists all the spouses of the English monarchs known to us to this day , including both the monarchs of the Anglo-Saxon minor kingdoms during the heptarchy and those of the Kingdom of England , which has existed since around 926 . The list does not include the Queen Regnants of England who ruled in their own right (see → List of the rulers of England ), those spouses of the English monarchs who died before their accession to the throne, and Isabel of Gloucester († 1217), their marriage with Johann Ohneland shortly before or after his accession to the throne was canceled .

The wife of the English king is usually referred to as a queen consort or often just a queen . Women as ruling queens ( Queen Regnant ) are rarer, which is why there is no fixed designation for the position of a male royal consort . The usual title for the English Queens Consort was Queen consort of England and from 1543 Queen consort of England and Ireland . From 1603 the title was Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland , since from this point on England and Scotland were ruled in personal union.

With the amalgamation of the kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1707 to form the Kingdom of Great Britain, there are no English, only British Royal Consorts (see → List of Royal Consorts of British Monarchs ).

The English Royal Consorts until 1066

Legend

• Queen Consort: Provides the name and date of death of the Queen Consort so far known. Is there a ? before a given, it is uncertain, at a approximately only about occupied.
• Origin: Names the parents or other known information about the origin.
• Marriage: states the date of the marriage. Is there a ? before a given, it is uncertain, at a approximately only about occupied.
• King: States the name and the period of reign of the king who is (maritally) connected with the Queen Consort.
• Notes: Name specifics of the respective Queen Consort, e.g. B. Information about her eventual coronation.

List of Queens Consort of the English Kingdoms (from the 6th century)

During the so-called heptarchy , several competing small Anglo-Saxon kingdoms developed in England at the end of the 6th century . Very few of these early English kings are known to have had a “queen” by their side. Even the consorts we know today and listed here are mostly missing important information such as names, dates of birth and death and even the existence of a marital relationship is often uncertain.

Queen Consort	origin	marriage	king	annotation
Kingdom of Kent
Bertha † after 600	Daughter of Charibert I , King of Paris and Ingoberga .	before 597 (approx. 580)	Æthelberht I. (560–616)	-
?	-	-		According to sources after 1066, Eadbald married his father's widow (probably not his mother Bertha).
			Eadbald (616-640)
Emma	Daughter of a Frankish king .	? approx. 620		-
Seaxburg (Sexburh)	Daughter of Anna , King of East Anglia.	? approx. 640	Earconberht (640-664)	-
Cynegyth † about 694	-	? approx. 691	Wihtred (690-725)	-
Æthelburh †? 700	-	? approx. 696		-
Werburh	-	? about 700		-
Kingdom of East Anglia
Hereswith	Sister of Hild, Abbess of Whitby	-	Æthelhere (654-655)	-
Kingdom of Sussex
Eafa	Daughter of Eanfrith , King of the Hwicce.	-	Æthelwalh (before 674–680 / 685)	-
Kingdom of Deira
Cwenburh	Daughter of Cearl , King of Mercia.	? approx. 615	Edwin (616-633)	-
Æthelburg called Tate † after 625	Daughter of Æthelberht I , King of Kent.	625		-
Kingdom of Bernicia
Bebba	-	-	Æthelfrith (592 / 593–616)	Bede names a Bebba, but does not say whose queen she is.
Aha	Daughter of Ælle , king of Deira .	-		-
?	-	-	Eanfrith (633 / 634-634)	Perhaps from the Pict royal family .
? (Cyneburh)	Daughter of Cynegils , King of Wessex.	approx. 635	Oswald (634-642)	-
Rhiainfellt	Daughter of Rhwyth, son of Rhun.	approx. 635	Oswiu (642-670)	† (or separately) after 642
Eanflæd	Daughter of Edwin , king of Deira and Æthelburg.	approx. 643		-
Kingdom of Northumbria
Æthelthryth † approx. 679.	Daughter of Anna , King of East Anglia. Separation after 12 years (around 672).	? 660	Ecgfrith (670-685)	-
Iurminburg (Eormenburh)	-	before 678 (approx. 671)		-
Cuthburh	Sister of Ine , King of Wessex.	-	Aldfrith (686-705)	-
Æthelthryth	-	November 1, 762	Æthelwald minor (758–765)	-
Osgearn (Osgifu?)	-	768	Ealchred (765-774)	-
?	-	-	Æthelred I. (774-779)	-
Ælfflæd	Daughter of Offa , King of Mercia.	September 29, 792		-
Kingdom of Jórvík
?	-	-	Sihtric the Blind (921-927)	---
?	Sister of Æthelstan , King of Wessex	January 30, 926		-
Kingdom of Mercia
Cynewise or Heledd			Penda (626 / 632-655)	∞? approx. 635 from Powys
Ahlflæd or	Daughter of Oswiu , king of Bernicia.	-	Peada (655-656)	-
Eormenhilda	-	-	Wolfhere (658-675)	-
Osthryth † 697	Daughter of Oswiu , king of Northumbria.	? approx. 674	Æthelred (675-704)	Was murdered.
Cynethryth	-	before 770	Offa (757-796)	Appears with her portrait on coins
Ælfthryth	-	-	Cenwulf (796-821)	In a dubious document from 799, Cenwulf's Queen is called Cenegitha.
Cynethryth	-	-	Wiglaf (827-840)	-
Sæthryth	-	-	Beorhtwulf (840–852?)	-
Æthelswith † before 887/8	Daughter of Æthelwulf , king of Wessex.	-	Burgred (852? –873/4)	Probably dies on the way to Rome; buried in Pavia 887/8.
Æthelflæd † June 12, 918	Daughter of Alfred , King of Wessex.	886/7	Æthelred II. (879-911)	Rule after her husband from 911 to 918. Buried in Gloucester .
Kingdom of Wessex
?	Sister of Penda , King of Mercia.	-	Cenwalh (642-645) (648-672)	-
Seaxburg † after 674	-	-		Seems to have ruled from 672 to 674 after her husband's death (estimated to be about a year).
?	Sister of Eormenburh (consort of Ecgfrith , King of Northumbria).	-	Centwine (676-685)	-
? Cynethryth	-	-	Caedwalla (685-688)	In the false Canterbury charter dated 687 she appears as Kenedtitha .
Æthelburh	-	-	Ine (688-726)	-
? Frithugyth	-	-	Æthelheard (726-740)	Mentioned in several sources but not explicitly stated as a consort of Æthelheard.
Eadburh †? 820	Daughter of Offa , King of Mercia.	789	Beorhtric (786-802)	-
Redburga	Was a Frankish princess.	before 802	Egbert (802-839)	-
Osburh † before 855	Daughter of ealdorman Oslac (? Of Hampshire .)	820?	Æthelwulf (839–856)	Has the title Princerna , not Queen.
Judith †? after the 870s	Daughter of Charles the Bald , King of the West of France.	October 1, 856		856 crowned in Verberie .
		858	Æthelbald (855–860)	-
Ealhswith † 902	Daughter of Æthelred 'Mucill', ealdorman of 'Gaini', and Eadburg de regali genere Merciorum regis .	868	Alfred (871-899)	-
? Ecgwynn	-	-	Edward the Elder (899-924)	Her name only attested by authors after 1066.
Ælfflæd	Daughter of ealdorman Æthelhelm.	approx. 901		† or separately before approx. 920
Eadgifu † 966/967	Daughter of ealdorman Sigehelm.	approx. 920		-

List of the Queens Consort of England (927-1066)

There are different opinions as to when the Kingdom of England came into being. At least since the conquest of Northumbria by Æthelstan , king of Wessex and Mercia, in 927, the existence of a single English kingdom was taken for granted. With that there were also the first queens of England. Of the 15 kings of England before the Norman conquest of England in 1066, 5 do not seem to have married, these were Æthelstan (924–939), Eadred (946–955), Edward the Martyr (975–978), Hardiknut (1035 / 1040-1042) and Edgar Ætheling (1066).

Queen Consort	origin	marriage	king	annotation
House of Wessex
Ælgifu sancta † 944	?	?	Edmund I. (939-946)	† 944 or maybe after 946 2nd marriage to Ealdorman Æthelstan, then last will? after 975.
Æthelflæd 'of Damerham'	Daughter of Ealdorman Ælfgar.	∞ approx. 940		---
Ælgifu	Daughter of Æthelgifu.	956 or early 957	Eadwig (955-959)	---
Æthelflæd † about 965	Daughter of Ealdorman Ordmær.	circa 959	Edgar (959-975)	---
Wulfthryth	?	?		---
Ælfthryth † 1002	Daughter of Ealdorman Ordgar and widow of Ealdorman Æthelwold.	965		Was crowned with Edgar on May 11, 973 at Bath Abbey by Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury and Oswald, Archbishop of York.
Ælfgifu	Daughter of Ealdorman Thored.	?	Æthelred (978-1013) (1013-1016)	---
Emma of Normandy † March 6, 1052	Daughter of Richard I , Duke of Normandy .	1002		First marriage.
Ealdgyth	Widow of Sigeferth, " Thane of the Seven Boroughs".	1015	Edmund II (April – November 1016)	When John of Worcester mentioned.
House of Denmark
Emma of Normandy † March 6, 1052	Widow of Æthelred .	July 1017	Canute the Great (1016-1035)	Second marriage.
Ælfgifu	?	?	Harald I. 1035 / 1036-1040	Only name known.
House of Wessex
Edith von Wessex † 1075	Daughter of Godwin, Earl of Wessex .	January 23, 1045	Eduard the Confessor 1042-1066	Was crowned in Winchester Cathedral in January 1045 by Eadsige, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Eadgyth Swanneshals	?	?	Harald II Godwinson January - October 1066	Harald's concubine.
Ealdgyth of Mercia	Daughter of Ælfgar , Earl of Mercia .	1066		---

The English Royal Consorts from 1066

Legend

Unlike their female counterparts, the Queens Consort, the male Royal Consorts are highlighted in blue in the listing.

• Royal Consort

• Image: Shows a portrait of the respective Royal Consort. Wherever possible, the portrait closest to the date of the actual lifetime was chosen.
• Name: Provides the usual name in German and English, as well as the life data of the Royal Consorts.
• Duration: indicates the period during which the person was the royal consort of an English monarch.

• coronation

• Date: states the date of the coronation to the "Queen Consort".
• Place: Names the place of the coronation to the "Queen Consort".

• married to

• Name: Provides the name, the period of reign and the dates of life of the English monarch who is maritally related to the Royal Consort.
• Date: states the date of marriage with the respective English monarch.
• Image: Shows a portrait of the respective English monarch with whom the Royal Consort is in marital relationship. Wherever possible, the portrait closest to the date of the actual lifetime was chosen.

List of the Royal Consorts of England (1066–1558)

Of the 24 or with Matilda 25 monarchs from England to the personal union between the kingdoms of England and Scotland in 1603, 4 never married, these were Wilhelm II. (1087–1100), Edward V (1483), Edward VI. (1547–1553) and Elizabeth I (1558–1603).

Royal Consort			coronation		married to
image	Surname	Duration	date	place	Surname	date	image
House of Normandy
	Mathilde von Flanders (English Matilda of Flanders ) * around 1031 † November 2, 1083	1066-1083	May 11, 1068	Westminster Abbey	William I the Conqueror (1066-1087) * around 1027/28 † September 9, 1087	around 1052
	Mathilde (Edith) of Scotland (English Matilda of Scotland ) * around 1080 † May 1, 1118	1100-1118	November 11, 1100	Westminster Abbey	Heinrich I (1100–1135) * 1068 † December 1, 1135	November 11, 1100
	Adelheid von Löwen (English Adeliza of Louvain ) * around 1103 † April 23, 1151	1121-1135	January 30, 1121	Westminster Abbey		January 24, 1121
	Mathilda von Boulogne (English Matilda of Boulogne ) * around 1103 † May 3, 1152	1135-1152	March 22, 1136	Westminster Abbey	Stefan von Blois (1135–1154) * around 1096 † October 25, 1154	around 1125
House Plantagenet
Direct line: Anjou-Plantagenet
	Eleanor of Aquitaine (Engl. Eleanor of Aquitaine ) * um 1122 † April 1, 1204	1154-1189	December 19, 1154	Westminster Abbey	Heinrich II. (1154–1189) * March 5, 1133 † July 6, 1189	May 18, 1152
			together with husband
	Berengaria of Navarre (English Berengaria of Navarre ) * around 1163 † December 23, 1230	1191-1199	May 12, 1191	Chapel of St. George, Limassol , Cyprus	Richard I the Lionheart (1189–1199) * September 8, 1157 † April 6, 1199	May 12, 1191
	Isabella of Angoulême (English Isabella of Angoulême ) * around 1188 † June 4, 1246	1200-1216	October 8, 1200	Westminster Abbey	Johann Ohneland (1199–1216) * December 24, 1166 † 18/19. October 1216	August 24, 1200
	Eleanor of Provence (Engl. Eleanor of Provence ) * um 1223 † about June 25, 1291	1236-1272	January 20, 1236	Westminster Abbey	Henry III. (1216–1272) * October 1, 1207 † November 16, 1272	14./20. January 1236
	Eleanor of Castile (Engl. Eleanor of Castile ) * um 1241 † November 28, 1290	1272-1290	August 19, 1274	Westminster Abbey	Eduard I. (1272-1307) * 17./18. June 1239 † July 7, 1307	November 1, 1254
			together with husband
	Margaret of France (English. Margaret of France ) * 1279 to 14 February 1318 †	1299-1307	crowned date unknown			September 8, 1299
	Isabella of France (English Isabella of France ) * around 1295 † August 22, 1358	1308-1327	February 25, 1308	Westminster Abbey	Edward II (1307-1327) * April 25, 1284 † September 21, 1327	January 25, 1308
			together with husband
	Philippa von Hennegau (English Philippa of Hainault ) * around 1314 † August 14, 1369	1328-1369	February 18, 1330	Westminster Abbey	Edward III. (1327–1377) * November 13, 1312 † June 21, 1377	January 24, 1328
	Anna von Böhmen (English Anne of Bohemia ) * May 11, 1366 † June 7, 1394	1382-1394	January 22, 1382	Westminster Abbey	Richard II. (1377-1399) * January 6, 1367 † around February 14, 1400	January 20, 1382
	Isabella of Valois (English Isabella of Valois ) * November 9, 1389 † September 13, 1409	1396-1399	January 8, 1397	Westminster Abbey		October 31, 1396
Branch line: House Lancaster
	Joan of Navarre (Engl. Joan of Navarre ) * 1370 † 9 July 1437	1403-1413	February 26, 1403	Westminster Abbey	Heinrich IV. (1399–1413) * April 15, 1367 † March 20, 1413	February 7, 1403
	Katharina von Valois (English Catherine of Valois ) * October 27, 1401 † January 3, 1437	1420-1422	February 23, 1421	Westminster Abbey	Heinrich V (1413–1422) * September 16, 1386 † August 31, 1422	June 2, 1420
	Margaret of Anjou (Engl. Margaret of Anjou ) * 23 March 1430 † 25 August 1482	1445-1461 and 1470-1471	May 30, 1445	Westminster Abbey	Henry VI. (1422–1461 and 1470–1471) * December 6, 1421 † May 21, 1471	April 23, 1445
Branch line: House York
	Elizabeth Woodville (also Elisabeth Wydeville ) * around 1437 † June 8, 1492	1464-1470 and 1471-1483	May 26, 1465	Westminster Abbey	Edward IV. (1461–1470 and 1471–1483) * April 28, 1442 † April 9, 1483	May 1, 1464
	Anne Neville (English Anne Neville ) * June 11, 1456 † March 16, 1485	1483-1485	July 6, 1483	Westminster Abbey	Richard III (1483–1485) * October 2, 1452 † August 22, 1485	July 12, 1472
			together with husband
House of Tudor
	Elizabeth of York * February 11, 1466 † February 11, 1503	1486-1503	November 24, 1487	Westminster Abbey	Henry VII (1485–1509) * January 28, 1457 † April 21, 1509	January 18, 1486
	Katharina von Aragón (English Katherine of Aragon ) * December 16, 1485 † January 7, 1536	1509-1533	June 24, 1509	Westminster Abbey	Henry VIII (1509–1547) * June 28, 1491 † January 28, 1547	June 11, 1509
			together with husband
	Anne Boleyn * 1501/1507 † May 19, 1536	1533-1536	June 1, 1533	Westminster Abbey		January 25, 1533
	Jane Seymour * around 1508 † October 24, 1537	1536-1537	never crowned			May 30, 1536
	Anna von Kleve (English Anne of Cleves ) * September 22, 1515 † July 16, 1557	1540	never crowned			January 6, 1540
	Catherine Howard * between 1521 and 1525 † February 13, 1542	1540-1542	never crowned			July 28, 1540
	Catherine Parr * 1512 † September 5, 1548	1543-1547	never crowned			July 12, 1543
	Guildford Dudley * 1536 † February 12, 1554	1553 (consort of an opposing queen)	no coronation		Lady Jane Gray (counter-queen 1553) * October 1537 † February 12, 1554	May 21, 1553
	Philip II. Of Spain (English. Philip of Spain ) * 21 May 1527 † 13 September 1598	1554-1558	no coronation		Maria I (1553–1558) * February 18, 1516 † November 17, 1558	July 25, 1554

List of the Royal Consorts of England (1603–1707)

From 1603 the kingdoms of England and Scotland were ruled by a monarch in personal union and their spouses were now also Royal Consorts of Scotland (for the previous Royal Consorts of Scotland → see: List of Royal Consorts of the Scottish Monarchs ). William III. (1689–1702) is not to be counted among the Royal Consorts and accordingly not listed here, since he was the spouse of Queen Maria II (1689–1694), daughter of James II. (1685–1688), together with her and also ruled as King of England even after her death .

Royal Consort			coronation		married to
image	Surname	Duration	date	place	Surname	date	image
House of Stuart
	Anna of Denmark (English Anne of Denmark ) * December 12, 1574 † March 2, 1619	1603-1619	July 25, 1603	Westminster Abbey	Jacob I (1603–1625) * July 19, 1566 † March 27, 1625	August 20, 1589
			together with husband
	Henrietta Maria of France (English Henrietta Maria of France ) * November 15, 1609 † September 10, 1669	1625-1649	no coronation but: recognized as Queen		Charles I (1625–1649) * November 19, 1600 † January 30, 1649	June 13, 1625
	Katharina von Braganza (English Catherine of Braganza ) * November 25, 1638 † December 31, 1705	1662-1685	no coronation		Charles II (1660–1685) * May 29, 1630 † February 6, 1685	May 21, 1662
	Maria Beatrice von Modena (English Mary of Modena ) * October 5, 1658 † May 7, 1718	1685-1701	April 23, 1685	Westminster Abbey	Jacob II (1685–1688) * October 14, 1633 † September 6, 1701	September 30, 1673
			together with husband
	Prince George of Denmark (Engl. George of Denmark ) April 2nd * 1653 † October 28, 1708	1702-1707	no coronation		Anne (1702–1707) * February 6, 1665 † August 1, 1714	July 28, 1683

→ Main article : List of Royal Consorts of British Monarchs

See also

• List of rulers of England
• List of rulers of Scotland
• List of British monarchs
• List of Royal Consorts of Scottish Monarchs
• List of Royal Consorts of British Monarchs

literature

• EB Fryde, DE Greenway [Ed.]: Handbook of British Chronology. Offices of the Royal Historical Society, London 1986.
• Alan Palmer , Veronica Palmer: The chronology of British history. Century, London a. a. 1992.
• Roy Strong: Coronation: a History of Kingship and the British Monarchy. HarperCollins, London 2005.
• Timothy Venning: Compendium of British Office Holders. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke et al. a. 2005.
• David Williamson: Brewer's British royalty. Cassell, London 1996.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ These were Mary de Bohun (1369-1394), 1st wife of the later Henry IV , and Anne Hyde (1637-1671), 1st wife of the later Jacob II.
2. ↑ Most of the information about these early English queens comes from: Fryde, Greenway [Ed.]: Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 4–25; also Venning: Compendium of British Office Holders , pp. 81f.
3. ↑ Janet L. Nelson: Early Medieval Rites of Queen-Making and the Shaping of Medieval Queenship , in: Anne J. Duggan [Ed.]: Queens and Queenship in Medieval Europe , Woodbridge: Boydell Press 1997, p. 306.
4. ↑ Most of the information comes from: Fryde, Greenway [Ed.]: Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 26-29; also Williamson: Brewer's British Royalty , Appendix XXXV (Coronations before the Norman Conquest), p. 389 and Venning: Compendium of British Office Holders , p. 82f.
5. ↑ After Fryde, Greenway [Ed.]: Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 26-29.
6. ↑ English names according to Venning: Compendium of British Office Holders , p. 83f, German names and dates for medieval royal consorts according to www.genealogie-mittelalter.de and for modern royal consorts (from Elisabeth von York) according to Marita A. Panzer: England's queens - from the Tudors to the Windsors , Regensburg: Pustet 2001.
7. ↑ Information - unless otherwise stated - from: Williamson: Brewer's British royalty , Appendix XXXVI (Coronations since the Norman Conquest), p. 390f.
8. ↑ ^{a b} Data originate - if not stated otherwise - from: Fryde, Greenway [Ed.]: Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 34–45.
9. ↑ After Fryde, Greenway [Ed.]: Handbook of British Chronology , pp. 34–43.
10. ^ ^{A b} Roy Strong: Coronation: a History of Kingship and the British Monarchy , London: HarperCollins 2005, (in the list of coronations).
11. ↑ Juliet Vale: Philippa [Philippa of Hainault] , in: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , Vol. 26, Oxford University Press 2004, p. 35.
12. ^ According to Strong: Coronation , (in the list of coronations) he was crowned together with Maria I on January 15, 1559.
13. ^ According to Strong: Coronation , (in the list of coronations) she was crowned together with Charles II on April 23, 1661.

This version was added to the selection of informative lists and portals on September 8, 2009 .