queen mother

noun

: a queen dowager who is mother of the reigning sovereign

Examples of queen mother in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1992, the country finally erected a statue, unveiled by the queen mother, of the command’s lead officer, Sir Arthur Travers Harris. Robert Jervis, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2015 Sculptures like it are common at sites paying homage to queen mothers in the Kingdom of Benin. Alex Greenberger For Artnews, Robb Report, 18 Oct. 2021 Even Oprah Winfrey, queen mother herself, has reportedly considered taking it. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 21 Sep. 2023 Throughout British history, there have been numerous queens dowager who were not queen mothers, including Joan of Navarre, the second wife of King Henry IV and stepmother to King Henry V, and Katherine Parr, the sixth wife of Henry VIII and stepmother to King Edward VI. Town & Country, 4 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for queen mother 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'queen mother.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1560, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of queen mother was in 1560

Dictionary Entries Near queen mother

Cite this Entry

“Queen mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/queen%20mother. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

queen mother

noun
: the widowed mother of the king or queen who is currently reigning
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