Queen Mother

A queen mother is a former queen consort, often a queen dowager, who is the mother of the reigning monarch. The term's usage in English dates back to the early 1560s. It arose in hereditary monarchies in Europe and is also used to describe a number of similar yet distinct monarchical concepts in non-European cultures around the world. "The Queen Mother" usually, in English, refers to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (queen consort, 1936–1952; queen mother, 1952–2002), who was the mother of Queen Elizabeth II and one of the few people to use the term as an official style. However, it was also used as an official title in Thailand where Sirikit, the mother of King Vajiralongkorn, was officially styled "The Queen Mother".