Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
prince consort

prince consort

1 7.8
The husband of a ruling queen who has the title prince not king
  • noun
  • /prɪns ˈkɒnsɔrt/
  • Formal
translation icon : príncipe consorte
  • This is generally true, but Queen Elizabeth's daughters are princesses, and they are not the daughters of a king (her husband is prince consort since she is the one who inherited the monarchy).

Examples

  • As the prince consort, he supported his wife in her royal duties and public engagements.

  • First the crown prince consort, then the little princess.

    Broadway Bill (1934)

  • After their marriage, he became known as the prince consort to the reigning queen.

  • The royal family hosted an event to celebrate the achievements of the prince consort.

Synonyms

prince
vsprince consort
433 1.4

A male member of a royal family who is not the ruler, often the son of a king or queen

is instead a husband by marriage not a male family member by birth
consort
vsprince consort
  • Formal
8 7.7

The husband or wife of the ruling monarch

is the husband of a female sovereign who does not become king

Surface Forms

prince consort singular
princes consort plural

Morphology

prince + consort

The meaning is directly derivable by combining 'prince' (male royal) and 'consort' (spouse of a reigning monarch): a consort who is a prince = the husband of a queen. This is a regular, compositional compound mirrored in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Prince consort: The title prince consort names the husband of a queen. Here consort means a close 'companion' who stands at her side, and he is called prince rather than king so he does not 'rule' on his own.