List of Australian monarchs
Encyclopedia
This is a list of the monarchs of Australia; that is, those monarch
s who have reigned over the Commonwealth of Australia
since the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 came into force in 1901. Originally, these monarchs reigned in their right as British sovereigns. Australia's status as an independent country developed gradually particularly with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942
which (retroactively) came into force on 3 September 1939. The sovereign's Australian role is now completely separate from the same person's role as monarch of the other Commonwealth realms.
| Victoria
20 June
1837–1901 ||
|| 24 May 1819
Kensington Palace
daughter of Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
|| Albert, Prince Consort
St James's Palace
10 February 1840
9 children || 22 January 1901
Osbourne House
aged 81
|}
| Edward VII
22 January
1901–1910 ||
|| 9 November 1841
Buckingham Palace
son of Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort || Alexandra of Denmark
Windsor
10 March 1863
6 children || 6 May 1910
Buckingham Palace
aged 68
|}
). Elizabeth II is the first to be styled Queen of Australia.
| George V
6 May
1910–1936 ||
|| 3 June 1865
Marlborough House
son of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark || Mary of Teck
6 July 1893
St James's Palace
6 children || 20 January 1936
Sandringham House
aged 70
|-
| Edward VIII
20 January –
11 December 1936 ||
|| 23 June 1894
Richmond
son of George V and Mary of Teck || Wallis, The Duchess of Windsor
France
3 June 1937
no children || 28 May 1972
Paris
aged 77
|-
| George VI
11 December
1936–6 February
1952 ||
|| 14 December 1895
Sandringham House
son of George V and Mary of Teck || Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Westminster Abbey
26 April 1923
2 children || 6 February 1952
Sandringham House
aged 56
|-
| Elizabeth II
6 February
1952–present ||
|| 21 April 1926
Mayfair
daughter of George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother || Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Westminster Abbey
20 November 1947
4 children ||
|}
. Consorts of Australian Monarchs have no constitutional status or power, but are members of the Australian Royal Family, and may have significant influence over their husband or wife.
In the United Kingdom
, all female consorts have had the right to and have held the title of Queen Consort
; as Australia does not have laws laying out the styles of any Royal Family members besides the monarch, they are accorded the same title as they hold in the UK as a courtesy title
. Prince Philip
, husband of Elizabeth II
, does not have the title of Prince Consort
. Victoria (a widow) and Edward VIII (a bachelor) reigned without a consort.
As Wallis Warfield Simpson married the Duke of Windsor
after his abdication
, she was never Queen Consort of Australia. Though Camilla Parker-Bowles
will technically become Queen Consort, Clarence House
has stated that she will be styled as Princess Consort
due to public opinion regarding her relationship with the Prince of Wales
.
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
s who have reigned over the Commonwealth of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
since the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 came into force in 1901. Originally, these monarchs reigned in their right as British sovereigns. Australia's status as an independent country developed gradually particularly with the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942
Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942
The Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 is an Act of the Australian Parliament that formally adopted the Statute of Westminster 1931, an Act of the British Imperial Parliament enabling the legislative independence of the various self-governing Dominions of the British Empire...
which (retroactively) came into force on 3 September 1939. The sovereign's Australian role is now completely separate from the same person's role as monarch of the other Commonwealth realms.
House of Hanover
Victoria became the first monarch to reign over the Commonwealth of Australia since the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 came into force in 1901| Victoria
20 June
1837–1901 ||
|| 24 May 1819Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is a royal residence set in Kensington Gardens in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the Duke and...
daughter of Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn
The Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of King George III and the father of Queen Victoria...
and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld
Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was the mother of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.-Early life:...
|| Albert, Prince Consort
St James's Palace
10 February 1840
9 children || 22 January 1901
Osbourne House
aged 81
|}
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
Although he was the son and heir of Victoria, Edward VII inherited his father's names and is therefore counted as inaugurating a new royal house.| Edward VII
22 January
1901–1910 ||
|| 9 November 1841Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
son of Victoria and Albert, Prince Consort || Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
Windsor
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
10 March 1863
6 children || 6 May 1910
Buckingham Palace
aged 68
|}
House of Windsor
The house name Windsor was adopted in 1917, during the First World War. It was changed from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha because of wartime anti-German sentiment. The heirs of Elizabeth II, by royal proclamation, will remain part of the House of Windsor (even though their legal surname is Mountbatten-WindsorMountbatten-Windsor
Mountbatten-Windsor is the personal surname of some of the descendants of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh under an ambiguously-worded Order in Council issued in 1960, and as such a cadet branch of the House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg , which in turn is a branch of...
). Elizabeth II is the first to be styled Queen of Australia.
| George V
George V
George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover...
6 May
1910–1936 ||
|| 3 June 1865Marlborough House
Marlborough House
Marlborough House is a mansion in Westminster, London, in Pall Mall just east of St James's Palace. It was built for Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, the favourite and confidante of Queen Anne. The Duchess wanted her new house to be "strong, plain and convenient and good"...
son of Edward VII and Alexandra of Denmark || Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
6 July 1893
St James's Palace
6 children || 20 January 1936
Sandringham House
Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
aged 70
|-
| Edward VIII
20 January –
11 December 1936 ||
|| 23 June 1894Richmond
son of George V and Mary of Teck || Wallis, The Duchess of Windsor
Wallis, The Duchess of Windsor
Wallis, Duchess of Windsor, previously Wallis Simpson, was an American socialite whose third husband, Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom and the Dominions, abdicated his throne to marry her.Wallis's father died shortly after her birth, and she and her...
France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
3 June 1937
no children || 28 May 1972
Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
aged 77
|-
| George VI
11 December
1936–6 February
1952 ||
|| 14 December 1895Sandringham House
Sandringham House
Sandringham House is a country house on of land near the village of Sandringham in Norfolk, England. The house is privately owned by the British Royal Family and is located on the royal Sandringham Estate, which lies within the Norfolk Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.-History and current...
son of George V and Mary of Teck || Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
26 April 1923
2 children || 6 February 1952
Sandringham House
aged 56
|-
| Elizabeth II
6 February
1952–present ||
|| 21 April 1926Mayfair
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
daughter of George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother || Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
20 November 1947
4 children ||
|}
List of Royal Consorts of Australia
A royal consort is the spouse of a ruling king or queenMonarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which the office of head of state is usually held until death or abdication and is often hereditary and includes a royal house. In some cases, the monarch is elected...
. Consorts of Australian Monarchs have no constitutional status or power, but are members of the Australian Royal Family, and may have significant influence over their husband or wife.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, all female consorts have had the right to and have held the title of Queen Consort
Queen consort
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 regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
; as Australia does not have laws laying out the styles of any Royal Family members besides the monarch, they are accorded the same title as they hold in the UK as a courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
. Prince Philip
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
, husband of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, does not have the title of Prince Consort
Prince consort
A prince consort is the husband of a queen regnant who is not himself a king in his own right.Current examples include the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and Prince Henrik of Denmark .In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal...
. Victoria (a widow) and Edward VIII (a bachelor) reigned without a consort.
As Wallis Warfield Simpson married the Duke of Windsor
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
after his abdication
Abdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
, she was never Queen Consort of Australia. Though Camilla Parker-Bowles
Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, and is the current holder of the titles of Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay and Countess of Chester...
will technically become Queen Consort, Clarence House
Clarence House
Clarence House is a royal home in London, situated on The Mall, in the City of Westminster. It is attached to St. James's Palace and shares the palace's garden. For nearly 50 years, from 1953 to 2002, it was home to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, but is since then the official residence of The...
has stated that she will be styled as Princess Consort
Princess consort
Princess consort is a title or an informal designation normally given to the wife of a sovereign prince. Since a male sovereign ruler is generally titled as a king and not a prince, the title of princess consort is not widely used. More rarely, it may be given to the spouse of a king, if the more...
due to public opinion regarding her relationship with the Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
.
| Royal Consorts from 1901 to present: | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom... (22 January 1901 – 6 May 1910) |
 |
Wife of Edward VII 10 March 1863 – 6 May 1910 |
| 2 | Mary of Teck Mary of Teck Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V.... (6 May 1910 – 20 January 1936) |
 |
Wife of George V George V George V was king of the United Kingdom and its dominions from 1910 to 1936.George V or similar terms may also refer to:-People:* George V of Georgia * George V of Imereti * George V of Hanover... 6 July 1893 – 20 January 1936 |
| 3 | Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (11 December 1936 – 6 February 1952) |
 |
Wife of George VI 26 April 1923 – 6 February 1952 |
| 4 | Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch.... (6 February 1952 – Present) |
Husband of Elizabeth II 20 November 1947 – Present |
|
See also
- Monarchy of Australia
- History of monarchy in AustraliaHistory of monarchy in AustraliaAustralia is a constitutional monarchy whose Sovereign also serves as Monarch of the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Canada and twelve other former dependencies of the United Kingdom, as well as Papua New Guinea, which was formerly a dependency of Australia. They are now all fully independent nations,...
- History of AustraliaHistory of AustraliaThe History of Australia refers to the history of the area and people of Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by boat from the Indonesian archipelago between 40,000 to...
- Prince consortPrince consortA prince consort is the husband of a queen regnant who is not himself a king in his own right.Current examples include the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and Prince Henrik of Denmark .In recognition of his status, a prince consort may be given a formal...
- List of current heads of state and government