There are several types of queens. A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regent's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort. A queen regnant is a queen in her own right with all the powers of a monarch, usually becoming queen by inheriting the throne on the death of the previous monarch; they have been far fewer in number. Queens regnant possess and exercise sovereign powers. The husbands of queens regnant do not usually share their wives' rank, title or sovereignty. A queen dowager is a title or status generally held by the widow of a deceased king. A queen mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort (a queen dowager) whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch.
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