Young Writers Society

So this isn't so much research for a specific topic as it is something I was wondering, the question generated from watching the movie "The Queen". Excuse me if I get things completely and utterly muddled up.

So in the movie, at least, the queen is the queen because she's the closest in blood to the last reigning monarch... I think?... but her husband is not the king because he married into the family... again, I think?...

Then my question was if there ever comes a point when there is a king and a queen at the same time? Or would that only occur if cousins intermarried?


Could someone (preferably but not necessarily) British please help me clear this up?

Thank you.

I don't know for sure, but the only thing I can imagine is that there would only be a king and a queen if the king was the one descended from the royal bloodline and the queen was the one who married into it.

It's just a hypothesis.

I know I'm not much help. >.<

AmeliaOliver wrote:So in the movie, at least, the queen is the queen because she's the closest in blood to the last reigning monarch... I think?... but her husband is not the king because he married into the family... again, I think?...

Yes, you are correct. There are actually two different Queen-terms.

Queen Regnant - A female monarch who possesses all the powers that a king would have.

Queen Consort - Wife of a king. They keep their husbands' rank and hold the name titles, but have no real power.

They same goes for Kings as well, there are Kings Regnant and Kings Consort.

I believe, but I may be not correct, that Prince Philip remains Prince because he married Queen Elizabeth when she was still a Princess.

Hope this helps. Ta.
Cal.

Ah, an interesting topic. Cal is right. Prince Philip married Elizabeth before she took the throne so he could not claim the title of king. If he had married her after she became queen, he would be king consort but instead he is prince consort, also referred to as the consort of the Queen. Wikipedia gives some interesting information on him - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Phi ... _Edinburgh

This is slightly confusing, but here we go... *breaths*

When a princess is the heir to the throne, she becomes queen, but her husband (whether they get married before or after she becomes queen), who is known as the consort, is a prince.

However, if a prince is the heir to the throne (as Prince Charles is now), he will become king, and his wife/consort should become queen (there are a few issues surrounding Camilla becoming queen, but technically, she should be queen).

The Prince Consort used to be King Consort, but, as a Queen Regnant is of a higher rank than her husband, but a king is usually of a higher rank than a queen, so the term Prince Consort is used instead. There hasn't been a King Consort since Mary I was queen of England in the 1500s, so it doesn't make a difference whether the Prince Consort marries the monarch before or after she is crowned, he is always a prince (just to correct kitty and Cal ).

King Consort

So, yeah, that's about it.

I think Kazsmurf's got it bang on ^^

In fact, if you read that wikipedia article on King Consort carefully, Prince Philip has never even been made Prince Consort.

So, basically, there's no expectation/right for the Queen or King's partner to have any title.

This is slightly confusing, but here we go... *breaths*

I'll say! By the way, thanks for your help, everyone!

However, if a prince is the heir to the throne (as Prince Charles is now), he will become king, and his wife/consort should become queen (there are a few issues surrounding Camilla becoming queen, but technically, she should be queen).

So the only time there are monarchs with the titles of King and Queen at the same time is if the two are married before they inherit the throne?

...

okie doke. Thanks for clarifying, Imelda