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Showing results for queen mother. Search instead for queenmother.
Synonyms

queen mother

American  

noun

  1. a queen dowager who is mother of a reigning sovereign.


queen mother British  

noun

  1. the widow of a former king who is also the mother of the reigning sovereign

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of queen mother

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I love the monarchy so I will wear this to mourn the queen mother."

From Barron's • Oct. 31, 2025

Charles sidestepped a similar controversy when Buckingham Palace announced that his wife, Camilla, wouldn’t wear the crown of Queen Elizabeth, the queen mother, on coronation day.

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2023

There was also the position of the kentake, or queen mother.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

It was last brought out in public for the 2002 funeral of the queen mother, the last person to wear it, and the crown rested on a purple velvet pillow atop her coffin.

From Washington Post • Oct. 13, 2022

His queen mother stood beside him in a black mourning gown slashed with crimson, a veil of black diamonds in her hair.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin

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