Republican Queen

English

Etymology

republican +‎ queen. From the United States being a republic, and queens being the martial consort of the leader of a kingdom (a king), where the US had recently became independent from such an entity (Great Britain, under King George); thus terming the consort of the male president a form of queen.

Noun

Republican Queen (plural Republican Queens)

  1. (US, politics, obsolete) Former name of First Lady (of the United States of America).; FLOTUS.[1][2][3] [18th–19th c.]

Usage notes

The term First Lady was not used until the 1849 funeral of Dolley Madison, wife of ex-president James Madison (term 1809-1817), by then-President Zachary Taylor, for the wife of a president of the United States.[4][5][6]

References
  1. Government of Maryland; '"First Lady" and "Official Hostess": Origins of the Titles';
  2. Nancy F. Cott;"Presidential Column: Potus, Flotus, and...."; The American Historian;
  3. Associated Press; "First Ladies Gowns Return to Smithsonian Display"; WJZ-13 CBS Baltimore; 18 November 2011;
  4. History Channel; "Dolley Madison"; eds. History.com; 9 November 2009
  5. SoftSchools.com; "First Ladies of the White House"
  6. Côté, Richard N. (2005) Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison, Corinthian Books, →ISBN, page 261
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