dowager
n.n. a woman who has been married to a man who has died. She usually keeps the title and the money from her husband's family.
n. a woman who has been widowed and retains the title and estate of her deceased husband. Often used in historical or formal contexts to describe the status of a queen or noblewoman after her husband's death.
The dowager queen lived in a large palace in the city.
The dowager spent her retirement years traveling across Europe, visiting the many palaces she had once owned.
Historians often study the dowager's influence on court politics, noting how her wealth and social standing allowed her to maintain significant power even after her husband's passing.
From Middle French douagere, douagiere, from douage (“dower”), from the verb douer (“to endow”), from Latin dōtō (“to endow”), from dōs (“dowry”).