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Showing results for queen mother. Search instead for quite other.
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.

See Examples For:

The existence of Oyo's son was first publicly revealed in the days after the king's death by President Museveni, who said he had been told about the young boy by the queen mother.

From BBC Sep. 10, 2026

"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

Above our heads, gulls wheel and cry, unaware that the queen mother nearly drowned just a dozen yards below.

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz

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