Posted by Damian on 13/6/2009, 19:43:57, in reply to "Queen mothers"
195.93.21.5
According to Wikipedia,"the term has been used in England since at least 1577".This seems to me doubtful as there was certainly nobody about in England at that time who could have adopted this title.
I have a feeling that there was an equivalent title in France for dowager queens who were the mother of reigning sovereigns,ie.'La Reine Mère' and that Anne of Austria,the mother of Louis XIV was addressed in this way for instance.
It wouldn't surprise me if the title is of French origin as many such terms were adopted and translated by English courts down the ages,eg.the origin of the term 'Princess Royal' can be traced to 'Madame Royale' the title of the French king's eldest daughter.It was introduced on the insistence of Queen Henrietta Maria,the French wife of Charles I.I would hazard a guess that 'Queen Mother' probably has a similar origin in 'La Reine Mère'.
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