1. Biblical Foreshadowing: The Queen Mother in Israel
In the Davidic kingdom, the queen was not the king’s wife, but his mother—the gebirah, or “Great Lady.” Solomon’s treatment of his mother, Bathsheba, in 1 Kings 2:19, is a type pointing to Mary:
“Then the king arose to meet her and bowed before her, and sat on his throne, and he had a throne set for the king’s mother; and she sat at his right hand.”
The Church Fathers recognized in this a prophetic glimpse of the heavenly enthronement of the Virgin Mary as Queen at the side of Christ, the true Son of David and King of kings.
2. Patristic and Early Devotion
As early as the 4th century, St. Ephrem the Syrian called Mary “Lady” and “Queen,” while St. Gregory Nazianzen spoke of her as being “truly Mother of God,” indicating her exalted status. In the East, the title Theotokos (God-bearer) implied not only her divine maternity but her sovereign dignity.
In the West, St. Peter Chrysologus declared:
“She is Queen because she gave birth to the King.”
3. Saints and Mystics on Mary’s Queenship
Many saints and mystics saw Mary’s coronation as the crowning of all her virtues and her unique role in salvation history. Their lives and writings testify to the reality of her Queenship:
- St. Louis de Montfort (1673–1716), in his True Devotion to Mary, writes: “God the Father made Mary His treasurer; He gave her the right to distribute the treasures of His grace to whom she wills. She is Queen of heaven and earth by grace, as Jesus is King by nature and by conquest.”
- St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his Glories of Mary, portrays Mary as a queen who never forgets her lowliest subjects: “The glory of Mary as Queen consists in being able to obtain for her servants the graces which they desire. Let us then often address her with confidence, saying: ‘Queen of Heaven, pray for us.’”
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux said: “Let us not imagine that we can honor Mary too much, because she is the Queen of Mercy and will never allow herself to be outdone in generosity.”
4. The Liturgical Witness
The Traditional Roman Rite, especially in the octave following the Assumption, honors the Queenship of Mary in hymns, antiphons, and the Feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (originally celebrated on May 31, now traditionally observed on August 22 in the 1962 Missal).
The Salve Regina, sung at Compline and in Marian devotions, encapsulates this hagiographic view of Mary’s role:
“Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope…”
5. Mary, Queen of Saints and Angels
In heavenly glory, the Blessed Virgin Mary reigns as Queen over all saints, not by mere honor, but by her unique cooperation in the work of Redemption. The saints saw themselves as her humble knights and servants:
- St. Maximilian Kolbe called her the Immaculata and “our Queen, to whom we give ourselves entirely.”
- St. Catherine of Siena referred to her as the “Mother and Queen of all that is Christian.”
- St. John Eudes called for the formation of hearts devoted to Mary as Queen, urging that we mirror her virtues to become subjects worthy of such a Sovereign.
✧ A Hagiographic Prayer to Mary, Queen of Heaven ✧
O Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth,
enthroned beside your Divine Son,
you reign not in majesty alone but in mercy.
You are our Advocate, our Mother, and our Sovereign Lady.
Lead us, poor exiles, to the courts of the Eternal King.
Enkindle in us the love that made the saints your devoted children.Regina Coeli, laetare, alleluia!