Princes and Such
Posted by Cassia on October 22, 1997 at 20:38:01:
In response to Just curiouse, written by Emmy on October 22, 1997 at 19:52:22
] A couple of questions
] 1)What is a price regent and what is a prince consort? I think that a price consort is a Queen's husband, but i'm not sure.
] 2)Why is a woman who marries a [british] king a queen, but a man who marries the queen isn't? I could take the feminest point of view and say that it's because women are more capable of being the head of the country than men, but I have a feeling that it has more to do with passing on genes or something (holy run-on sentace!)
] Answers anyone?
A prince regent is a prince who runs the upon the country upon the disability of the king. George IV was Prince Regent after his father Geroge III was declared insane and unable to undertake his duties.
The woman who marries a king is the Queen Consort, it's just that people generally don't use the full title. Nowadays they prefer the ever so coy 'Queen Mum'. Tradition holds that a man may raise a woman's station by marrying her but the reverse isn't true; to make a long story short, when a woman married she came under her husband's protection but a woman couldn't extend the same priveledge to a man. Some would argue this had to do with women's status as chattle. This rule holds forth through out all ranks of aristocracy. I.e, Lady Antonia Fraser is married to Mr Harold Pinter and Baroness Margarite Thatcher is married to Mr Denis Thatcher.
He is called Dennis, right? But Sir Laurence and later Lord Laurence Olivier copuld extend first his knighthood to Vivien Leigh and she was Lady Olivier and then to Joan Plowright, who has the right to be called Joan, Lady Olivier, Baroness whatever-it-is-that-he-chose.
Hope that helps.
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