Jure uxoris

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2010)

Jure uxoris is a Latin term that means "by right of his wife" or "in right of a wife".[1] It is commonly used to refer to a title held by a man whose wife holds it in her own right. In other words, he acquired the title simply by being her husband. The husband of an heiress became the possessor of her lands and titles jure uxoris, "by right of [his] wife". In the Middle Ages, this was invariably true even for queens regnant and princesses regnant. Accordingly, the husband of the reigning female monarch became monarch. In some cases, the king thus ascended, remained king even after the death of the wife, and in some cases left the kingdom to their own heirs who were not issue of the wife in question (cf. Wadysaw II Jagieo of Poland, who ascended as husband of Queen Jadwiga). In the event of a divorce between a reigning female monarch and her husband, the husband would remain the monarch and the wife could lose her status. One example of this is when Marie of Boulogne and Matthew I of Boulogne were divorced in 1170. Marie ceased to be Countess, while Matthew I continued to reign until 1173. In later times, the woman remained the monarch, but the husband had some power. For example, Maria Theresa of Austria was queen regnant of Hungary and Bohemia, but her husband Francis was Holy Roman Emperor. In Britain, because women were excluded from the House of Lords until the present reign, certain offices could be exercised jure uxoris. For example, in 1780, when Lady Priscilla Bertie was allowed to inherit the title Baroness Willougby de Eresby which was divided between herself and her sister, she was also accepted as the representative of the position of Lord Great Chamberlain, which was equally split; however, her husband Sir Peter Gwydyr acted on her behalf in that office instead. In Portugal, there was a specific condition for a male consort to become a king jure uxoris: fathering a royal heir. Queen Maria I already had children by her husband when she became Queen, so he became King Peter III of Portugal at the moment of his wife's accession. In 1836, Queen Maria II married her second husband, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Ferdinand became monarch jure uxoris the next year (in 1837), as soon as their first child was born, and he reigned as Ferdinand II, together with his wife. Queen Maria's first husband, Auguste of Beauharnais, was not monarch jure uxoris, because he died before he could father an heir. Jure uxoris monarchs are not to be confused with kings consort, who were merely consorts of their wives, not co-rulers.

[edit] See also

Jure matris List of Latin phrases Suo jure Royal male consorts in Portugal

Jure matris
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search Jure matris (iure matris) is a Latin phrase meaning "by right of his mother" or "in right of his mother". It is commonly encountered in the law of Inheritance when a noble title or other right passes from mother to son. It is also used in the context of monarchy in cases where a woman holds a title in her own right but grants exercise of the power to her son.

[edit] Notable "jure matris" rulers

Baldwin III of Jerusalem was jure matris King of Jerusalem from 1189 to 1199 through his mother Melisende of Jerusalem.[1] Richard I of England was jure matris Duke of Aquitaine from 1189 to 1199 through his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine who was Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right. John of England (11991216), was jure matris Duke of Aquitaine through his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine from 1199 to 1204. Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was King of Castile through his mother Joanna of Castile from 1516 to 1555. Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, was Archduke of Austria from 1765 to 1780 through his mother Maria Theresa of Austria.

[edit] See also

Jure uxoris List of Latin phrases List of queens regnant Primogeniture Suo jure

Suo jure
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2010)

Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right". It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage. A queen in her own right is termed a queen regnant.

[edit] Examples of suo jure titles

Henrietta Godolphin, 2nd Duchess of Marlborough, a suo jure English peeress Margaret of Mar, 31st Countess of Mar, a suo jure Scottish peeress Maria Theresa of Austria, an Austrian archduchess, Hungarian and Bohemian queen regnant Elizabeth of Russia, a Russian empress regnant Cayetana Fitz-James Stuart, 18th Duchess of Alba, a Spanish noblewoman lisabeth Marguerite d'Orlans, Duchess of Alenon, a French noblewoman