Prince consort
A prince consort is the husband of a ruling monarch and his official address is usually "Your Royal Highness". Since a king has a higher rank than a queen in terms of protocol , the husband of a reigning queen cannot himself be king ( titular king ) - conversely, the wife of a reigning king can easily carry the title of queen.
The prince consort puts his life in the service of the kingdom and usually performs representative tasks. Above all, however, he has to ensure the continued existence of the dynasty in the functional system of the monarchy by generating offspring capable of following the throne. Your own profiling is only possible within narrow limits and in coordination with the royal family. This can have very different characteristics. Such was Albert, Prince Consort 's closest associate and adviser to his wife Queen Victoria and founder of the currently under the name Windsor ruling British branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha .
Born in Germany, Bernhard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld fought for the Netherlands , the country of his wife Juliana , against Germany.
His predecessor Heinrich zu Mecklenburg was Rear Admiral of the Netherlands, but had very little influence on the politics of the royal family.
Situation in the Netherlands
The constitution of the Netherlands knows the female succession to the throne, but literally only the term Koning (king) for the head of state. If the office of king (royal dignity) is exercised by a woman, her husband cannot use the title of king, since there can only be one king at a time. The wife of a king, on the other hand, is referred to as queen, but only as an honorary title (see e.g. Máxima of the Netherlands ) before the first name. At the same time, she only bears the title of Princess of the Netherlands.
Famous prince consorts of the modern age
- Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , married to Victoria of Great Britain
- Heinrich zu Mecklenburg , married to Wilhelmina , Queen of the Netherlands
- Bernhard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld , married to Juliana , Queen of the Netherlands
- Claus von Amsberg , married to Beatrix , Queen of the Netherlands
- Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh , married to Elizabeth II of Great Britain
- Prince Henrik was married to Margrethe II of Denmark
Individual evidence
- ^ Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands of August 24, 1815, as amended on February 17, 1983 (§ 1. The King), accessed on May 2, 2013
- ↑ Die Welt on April 30, 2013, “The King's Song is a shame for our country” (Dutch aristocratic expert Reinildis van Ditzhuysen explains in an interview), accessed on May 2, 2013
- ↑ Het Koninklijk Huis ( Memento of May 3, 2013 in the Internet Archive ), frequently asked questions, accessed on May 2, 2013
- ↑ Law on membership of the royal family and the associated titles of May 20, 2002 (accessed on May 2, 2013), Article 8, 2 .: "De titel" Prins (Prinses) der Nederlanden "kan bij koninklijk besluit uitsluitend has been denied aan de following leden van het koninklijk huis: a. de Echtgenoot of Echtgenote van de Koning "(" The title "Prince (Princess) of the Netherlands" can only be granted by royal resolution to the following members of the royal house: a. the husband or wife of the king ")