First Lady or First Gentleman is the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.
It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime minister's (or ministerial) consort.[1][2]
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The title "First Lady" originated in the United States in 1849, when United States President Zachary Taylor called Dolley Madison "First Lady" at her state funeral while reciting a eulogy written by himself.[3]
In the early days of the United States, there was no generally accepted title for the wife of the President. Many early first ladies expressed their own preference for how they were addressed, including the use of such titles as "Lady," "Mrs. President," "Mrs. Presidentress" (in the case of Julia Tyler) and "Queen of the White House."
Harriet Lane, niece of bachelor President James Buchanan was the first woman to be called First Lady while actually serving in that position. The phrase appeared in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Monthly in 1860, when he wrote, "The Lady of the White House, and by courtesy, the First Lady of the Land." Once Harriet Lane was called First Lady, the term was applied retrospectively to her predecessors.
The title first gained nationwide recognition in 1877, when Mary C. Ames wrote an article in the New York City newspaper The Independent describing the inauguration of President Rutherford B. Hayes. She used the term to describe his wife, Lucy Webb Hayes.
In the past, occasionally another woman, such as the President's daughter, has filled the duties of First Lady as hostess in the White House, if the President's wife was unwilling, unable, or if the President was a widower or bachelor.
The current First Lady of the United States is Michelle Obama, wife of Barack Obama. In American media the term First Lady is often applied to the wife of a head of state in another country, irrespective of whether a different appellation (or none) is used in that country.
The entire family of the head of state may be known familiarly as the "First Family".[4] The spouse of the second-in-command (such as a Vice President) may be known as the "Second Lady", or Vice-First Lady. Less frequently, the family would be known as the "Second Family".
The spouse of the governor of a U.S. state is commonly referred to as the First Lady or First Gentleman of that state, for example "First Lady Jessica Doyle of Wisconsin." The practice is less common for spouses of mayors but is nevertheless used for some, particularly in large cities; example: "First Lady Magie Daley of Chicago" or "First Lady Kris Barrett of Milwaukee."[5] Mike Gregoire, husband of Washington's governor Chris Gregoire, website prefers to use his name instead of a common noun, calling himself "First Mike".[6] Former U.S. President Bill Clinton also joked that perhaps his title would be "First Lad" or "First Mate" if his wife Hillary Clinton were to be elected President.
Following the leadership spill (reorganization) which installed Julia Gillard as the first female Prime Minister of Australia on 24th June 2010, media outlets began to focus on her defacto partner, Tim Mathieson, with the the first reference to him as the "First Bloke" appearing in newspapers three days later. Wilst the term was used in jest to begin with, in time it has become a common and accepted term of reference to Matheison, particularly with regard to his involvement in volunteer and charity work.
The title "First Gentleman" is used for the head of state's husband in the Philippines.
In some situations, the title is bestowed upon a non-spouse.
In the past, occasionally another woman, such as the President's daughter, has filled the duties of First Lady as hostess in the White House, if the President's wife was unwilling, unable, or if the President was a widower or bachelor. Harriet Lane, niece of bachelor President James Buchanan was the first woman to be called First Lady.
Park Geun-hye, former head of the Grand National Party of Korea, has been referred to as the First Lady to South Korean President Park Chung Hee. Although she is President Park's daughter, the title was bestowed upon her after her mother's death.[7]
In 1994, Peruvian president Alberto Fujimori officially named his daughter Keiko First Lady after he had separated from his wife Susana Higuchi.
It has become commonplace in the United States for the title of "First Lady" to be bestowed on women, as a term of endearment, who have proven themselves to be of exceptional talent, even if that talent is non-political. For example, the term has been applied in the entertainment field to denote the "First Lady of Television" (Lucille Ball), the "First Lady of Song" (Ella Fitzgerald), the "First Lady of Country Music" (Tammy Wynette, although Loretta Lynn was also known by the title), the "First Lady of Star Trek" (Majel Barrett), the "First Lady of American Soul" (Aretha Franklin),[8] the "First Lady of the Grand Ole Opry" (Loretta Lynn), and the "First Lady of the American Stage" (Helen Hayes) .[9]
The term "first lady" is also used to denote a woman who occupies the foremost social position within a particular locality.[10]