Hanoverian to Windsor Consorts Power, Influence, and Dynasty

This book examines the lives and tenures of the consorts of the Hanoverian, Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and Windsor monarchs from 1727 to the present. Some of the consorts examined in this volume—such as Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, consort to George VI—are well known while others, including Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, consort to William IV, are more obscure. These innovative and authoritative biographies bring a fresh approach to the consorts of this period, revealing their lasting influence on the monarchy. In addition to covering a period that has seen the development of constitutional monarchy and increased media scrutiny of the whole royal family, this volume also looks to the future of the British monarchy, suggesting ways that future consorts can learn from the example of their predecessors. This volume and its companions reveal the changing nature of British consortship from the Norman Conquest to today.

1. Volume Introduction.- 2. Section Introduction.- 3. Caroline of Ansbach.- 4. Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz.- 5. Caroline of Brunswick.- 6. Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.- 7. Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.- 8. Essay on Hanoverian Consorts.- 9. Section Introduction.- 10. Alexandra of Denmark.- 11. Mary of Teck.- 12. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.- 13. Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.- Essay on Windsor Consorts.- Essay: Consorts Now and In the Future.