Queen: Mary’s Royalty in Christian Tradition

The title of Queen (Regina) is attributed to Mary by the Christian tradition as early as the 4th century, becoming an expression of both liturgical worship (Salve Regina, Regina Caeli, Ave Regina Coelorum) and popular piety (Litanies Lauretane, the 5th Glorious Mystery of the Rosary). In 1954, Pius XII declared that it is not “a new truth proposed to the Christian people” when he instituted the liturgical feast of Mary, Queen, and published the encyclical *Ad caeli Reginam* (10.11.1954), a major document of the Magisterium on the subject.

Biblical Foundations: The Gəbîrāh and Lucan Texts

Mary’s biblical mariology of royalty rests on two pillars. The first is the establishment of the *gəbîrāh* (queen-mother) in the Old Testament: in the tradition of the Davidic dynasty, only the king’s mother held an official role with dignity and special powers. The paradigmatic case is that of Bathsheba: while David’s favorite wife, she prostrated herself before him. But when she presented herself to Solomon as a mother, it was the king himself who rose to receive her, prostrated himself before her, and had her sit on a throne to his right (1 Kings 2:12-20). Mary is the *gəbîrāh* of the messianic king, present with her Son from the *Annunciation* to the *Calvary*.The second pillar is the Lucan texts: the angel Gabriel reveals the regal mission of the Son Mary is about to conceive, “the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will reign forever over the house of Jacob” (Luke 1:32-33). Elizabeth greets Mary as “mother of my Lord” (Luke 1:43), a regal title derived from Psalm 110:1, with eschatological and messianic overtones.

Pio XII and the Theological Foundations of Mary’s Reign

Pio XII outlines two theological pillars. The first is divine motherhood: “The principal argument on which rests the royal dignity of Mary is, without doubt, her divine motherhood. Of the Son who would be born of the Virgin, it is said that ‘he shall be called Son of the Most High’… From this it follows that she herself is a queen, having given birth to a Son who, from the moment of his conception, was King and Lord of all things, by the hypostatic union of the human nature with the Word.” The second is her role as associate of the Redeemer: “The most blessed Virgin must be proclaimed queen not only by divine motherhood, but also by the unique part she had in the work of our eternal salvation, associated with the new Adam as the ‘New Eve’ present at the Cross, offering the Son to the Eternal Father.”

Assumption and Reign: The Coronation in Glory

Just as Jesus, with his Resurrection, was seated at the right hand of the Father as a messianic king (Acts 2:33-36), so Mary, assumed into celestial glory, sits as a queen beside the Son. Psalm 44:10, “At thy right hand is the queen in gold of Ophir,” is traditionally seen as a figure of Mary’s Assumption and coronation. Christ promised to associate his disciples to his reign (2 Timothy 2:11-12, Revelation 3:21). By logical extension, this applies to Mary as well. The Assumption inaugurates for Mary the full and actual exercise of her regal function: the humanity of the Virgin is fully engulfed by the glory of the risen Son.

Mary, Queen in an Evangelical Sense: Reign through Service

Post-conciliar theology emphasizes that Mary’s reign should be understood in an evangelical context. “Mary queen because servant”: her greatness lies not in worldly power but in complete surrender to God’s plan, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord” (Luke 1:38). The Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55) serves as the “charter” for this reversed reign: God “has thrown down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the humble.” Mary reigns “accepting God’s kingdom,” “taming the forces of evil” through humility and faith, and “crowned with glory” not to be served, but to intercede maternally for the children of the Son (Lumen Gentium 62). The tension between “mariology of privileges” and “mariology of service” resolves: Mary’s reign is genuine precisely because it is service, a “leader” to the fullness of salvation, not a dominator.

The Liturgical Memory

Mary, Queen’s feast was established by Pius XII in 1954 and fixed to August 22 (the octave of the Assumption) by the reformed Missal of Paul VI. The antiphona *Regina Caeli* (12th-13th century) is sung during Paschaltime in place of *Salve Regina*. The *Litanies Lauretane* accumulate over the centuries the regal titles of Mary: Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Apostles, Queen of All Saints, Queen conceived without original sin, Queen assumed into heaven, Queen of the Rosary, Queen of Peace.Deepen your studies: explore Mariology, Mariana Theology, Marian Dogmas, and Post-Graduate in Mariology.

Magisterium of the Church

We believe that the Virgin Mary has been raised to the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, and we recognize that she must be honored as Queen of kings and Lady of lords.
Pius XII, Enc. Ad Caeli Reginam (11 October 1954)

📚 Literal Translation: We believe that the Virgin Mary has been raised to the highest degree of the celestial kingdom and recognize that she must be honored as Queen of kings and Lady of lords.

Graduate Studies in Mariology

Do you want to deepen your formation in Mariology? Get to know the Graduate Program in Mariology from Locus Mariologicus, an academic formation that combines theological rigor, spiritual life, and the living tradition of the Church.

Register or learn more →