First Lady orFirst Gentleman is an unofficial title usually used for the spouse, and occasionally used for theoffspring or other relative, of a non-monarchicalhead of state orchief executive.[1][2][3] The term is also used to describe a person seen to be at the top of her profession or art.[4]
The title has also been used for the spouse of a head of government who is not also head of state.[5][6][7][8] It has also been used to refer to the spouses of the leaders ofadministrative divisions within a country.[9] The title is often used for the wives of Christianpastors indenominations where married clergy are the norm.[10]
It has been noted that the earliest use of the term "first lady" is in reference to person of a high ranking or outstanding person in their field,[11] and that the term, as used to describe the spouse of thepresident of the United States, saw its first documented use in 1838 in reference toMartha Washington, who was never referred to as such duringGeorge Washington's time as president.[11]
The first person to have been referred to as "first lady" on a regular basis during their time in the position wasHarriet Lane, who was actuallyJames Buchanan's niece, as Buchanan was a lifelong bachelor.[11]
The male equivalent of the title in countries where the head of state's spouse has been a man, such as thePhilippines orMalta, isfirst gentleman. In 2020,Doug Emhoff, spouse of Vice PresidentKamala Harris, became the first male spouse of a U.S. vice president. "First gentleman" is used in the United States for the male spouse of amayor orgovernor.
First spouse andfirst partner, both rare variations of the title, can be used in either case where the spouse of a political leader is of any gender. This term is used to promotegender equality andgender neutrality.[12]
In the United States, collectively, the president of the United States and his spouse are known as thefirst couple[13] and, if they have children, they are usually referred to as thefirst family.
French-speakingcountries have used the termpremière dame for first ladies,[14] regardless of where the first lady is from.[15] At least one article, published in 2017, used the termpremier monsieur for first gentleman. For that particular article, it was used to discuss the possibility ofLouis Aliot becoming first gentleman, should his domestic partner,Marine Le Pen, win that year'spresidential election.[16]Emmanuel Macron defeated Le Pen in that year's election.
Portuguese-speakingcountries have used the termprimeira-dama[17] or "Primeira Dama"[18] for first ladies. The term is used regardless of where the person is from.[19] The termprimeiro-cavalheiro is used for first gentlemen.[20]
InSpanish-speakingcountries, the termprimera dama is used for first ladies,[21][22][23] regardless of the country the person is from.[24] The termprimer caballero has been used for first gentlemen.[25]
Sinophone countries have used the term 第一夫人 (dìyī fūrén) as a term for first ladies,[8][26] also without regards as to where the first lady is from.[27]
Foreign press reports have referred to the wife of theRussian president as first lady.[30] Russian first ladies have been less visible than their western counterparts due to historical reasons.[30]
It has been noted thatSoviet leaders generally preferred to keep their wives and families out of the spotlight, resulting in "invisible first ladies". As a result, low-profile first ladies remain common in post-Soviet countries, due to the leaders of those countries having grown up during the Soviet era.[30]
The wife of the country'spresident has been referred to as перша леді (persha ledi) by the country's government.[33] The term "first lady" has also been used by the government in English language news releases.[34]
While some first ladies, likeMaryna Poroshenko[35][36] andOlena Zelenska,[34] have played a role in social activism, other first ladies, like Lyudmila Yanukovych, have rarely taken part in public roles.[30]
The wife of thepresident of Armenia has been referred to as "Հայաստանի Առաջին տիկին" (Hayastani Arrajin tikin).[37] The term "first lady" has also been used.[38] The spouse of the current president, however, is only referred to as "հանրապետության նախագահի տիկին" (hanrapetut'yan nakhagahi tikin),[39] or "wife of the president of Armenia".[40]
First Lady of India or First Gentleman of India is the title given to the host of theRashtrapati Bhavan, usually the spouse of thepresident of India. There are no official roles or duties assigned to the spouse. The Spouse generally attends official ceremonies, functions & accompanies the president on his or her official international tour.
The termibu negara (lady/mother of the state) is used for wife of thepresident of Indonesia.[41] The term is also used to refer to first ladies of other countries.[42]
Before the 1979 revolution there was the queen Shahbano. There is no office of first lady or first female (or madam بانوی اول Banuye Aval). September 2023 Iranian wife of president denied news of being the first lady and said that actually wife of Supreme leader of the revolution is the first lady. Minister of Foreign relations also said the same thing. The wife of Supreme leader is remaining hidden there is no image from her.[43][44][45][46][47]
InJapan, the termNaikaku Souri Daijin Fujin (内閣総理大臣夫人, literally "the wife of the Minister of the Comprehensive Administration of the Cabinet") is the title used for the wife of theprime minister of Japan.[48]
Currently, thespouse of the President of Vietnam is calledphu nhân chủ tịch nước (lit: wife of the state president).[49] The termđệ nhất phu nhân (lit: first lady) is also unofficially used by the press and on social media.[50]
Irina Karamanos, the domestic partner and girlfriend ofGabriel Boric, accepted the title of first lady despite both Karamanos and Boric's initial opposition to the position's existence.[54] Karamanos said that taking on the role would involve "adapting it to the times."[55]
During the first half ofBertie Ahern's term asTaoiseach, he was separated from his wife Miriam (née Kelly) and the role of first lady was filled by his then domestic partner,Celia Larkin.[56][57]
During the last five years ofPark Chung Hee's time as president, his daughter,Park Geun-hye, served as first lady following her mother,Yuk Young-soo's death.[58] She has been regarded as a de facto first lady of South Korea by some modern sources.[59]
Thomas Jefferson was a widower by the time he took office aspresident, and his daughter,Martha Jefferson Randolph, who served as the lady of the president's house on occasion,[61] has been recognized by theFirst Ladies National Historic Site as being a first lady,[62] even though the White House website recognizes her mother,Martha Jefferson, as first lady.[61] WhileDolley Madison also served as hostess and Jefferson's escort on occasion,[63] she is recognized as a spousal first lady by way of her husband's presidency following Jefferson.[64]
Andrew Jackson's wife,Rachel Jackson, died before Jackson's presidency. Jackson's niece,Emily Donelson, carried out the duties of first lady until her death, and Jackson's daughter-in-law,Sarah Jackson, presided over the White House during the final months of Jackson's presidency.[65] Both are recognized by theFirst Ladies National Historic Site as being first ladies,[62] despite the White House website recognizing Jackson's wife as first lady.[65]
James Buchanan was a lifelong "bachelor". During his time in office, his niece,Harriet Lane, served as "hostess". She is recognized as having acted in the capacity of a contemporary first lady during her uncle's time in office, and is listed among other spousal first ladies on theWhite House website.[66]
Jared Polis, who was elected asgovernor in 2018, is openly gay,[67] and was in a long-term relationship with his partner,Marlon Reis, at the time of his election. Reis was referred to as "first man" by Polis during a speech on the night of his election, and members of Polis' campaign said that Reis will take on the title of "first gentleman".[68] The pair subsequently married in 2021.[69]
Not all non-married partners of Colorado governors are called first lady or first gentleman, as Robin Pringle was referred to byThe Denver Post asJohn Hickenlooper's girlfriend prior to their marriage.[68]
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 or unique notoriety in non-political areas. The phrase is often, but not always, used when the person in question is either the wife or "female equivalent" of a well-known man (or men) in a similar field. 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, althoughLoretta Lynn was also known by the title), the "first lady ofStar Trek" (actor/producerMajel Barrett), the "first lady of Americansoul" (Aretha Franklin),[71] the "first lady of theGrand Ole Opry" (Loretta Lynn), "the first lady of American cinema" (Lillian Gish), the "first lady of the American stage" (Helen Hayes),[72] and "the first lady of (American) football" (Norma Hunt).[73]
The term has also been used to refer to wives of college and university presidents in some cases.[74][75][76]
The term "first lady" is also used to denote a woman who occupies the foremost social position within a particular locality, in this sense being particularly popular inAfrica, where the pre-eminent female noble in some chieftaincy hierarchies, such as those of theYoruba people, is often referred to by the title.[77][78]
^abLin, Yijun (September 19, 2021)."【第一配偶】最會賺錢第一夫人：何晶將從新加坡淡馬錫退休 年薪至今仍是謎" ['First Spouse'- The most moneymaking First Lady: Ho Ching set to retire from Temasek (Holdings). Her annual salary is still a mystery].United Daily News (in Chinese (Taiwan)). RetrievedSeptember 27, 2021.
^Innocenti, Maeliss (17 September 2021)."Photo – Brigitte Macron étincelante en rose pour sa visite officielle à Athènes" [PHOTO - Brigitte Macron sparkling in pink for her official visit to Athens].Gala. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2021.La première dame a accompagné le président pour son déplacement en Grèce. (The first lady accompanied the president on his trip to Greece.)
^"Primera Dama de la República de Panamá" [First Lady of the Republic of Panama].Office of the First Lady (in Spanish). Government of Panama. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2021.
^Li, Ciyin (October 24, 2020)."「永遠的第一夫人」逝世17週年 宋美齡晚年這樣過" ['Eternal First Lady' passed away 17 years ago: how Soong Mei-Ling spent her twilight years].China Times (in Chinese (Taiwan)). RetrievedSeptember 27, 2021.
^"巴西第一夫人來美接種疫苗 國內狂批「假愛國」" [Brazil's First Lady went to the U.S. to get vaccinated. People within Brazil criticized her as a 'fake patriot'].World Journal (in Chinese (Taiwan)). September 26, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 27, 2021.
^[x/en/news/marina-poroshenko-riven-inklyuziyi-v-osviti-pokaznik-stupeny-36072 "Maryna Poroshenko: The level of inclusion in education is an indicator of the state development degree"]. President of Ukraine. RetrievedNovember 15, 2017.{{cite web}}:Check|url= value (help)
^"First Lady Biography: Martha Jefferson".National First Ladies Library. Archived fromthe original on October 9, 2018. RetrievedSeptember 17, 2021.whenever he had women dinner guests, he invited Dolley Madison (1768-1849), the wife of his highest-ranking Cabinet member, Secretary of State James Madison, as his escort, his vice president Aaron Burr also being a widower. At large open functions in the White House, Dolley Madison also assumed a public role as hostess, assisting the President in welcoming the general citizenry.
^Preston, Richard (May 25, 2007). "Are you ready to think outside the box? The abuses of the English language that readers hated most have inspired a new Telegraph book, explains Richard Preston".Daily Telegraph. p. 24.
^Didion, Joan (March 4, 2007). "The Year Of Hoping For Magic".The New York Times. p. 1.
Abrams, Jeanne E.First Ladies of the Republic: Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, and the Creation of an Iconic American Role (NYU Press. 2018)online review
Bailey, Tim. "America's First Ladies on Twentieth-Century Issues: A Common Core Unit",History Now 35 (Spring 2013)onlineArchived October 15, 2013, at theWayback Machine, curriculum unit based on primary sources
Berkin, Berkin, ed., "America's First Ladies",History Now 35 (Spring 2013)onlineArchived March 18, 2013, at theWayback Machine; popular essays by scholars
Burns, Lisa M. (2008).First Ladies and the Fourth Estate: Press Framing of Presidential Wives. DeKalb: Northern Illinois University Press.ISBN978-0-87580-391-3
Caroli, Betty Boyd (2010).First ladies : from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.ISBN9780195392852.
Horohoe, Jill, "First Ladies as Modern Celebrities: Politics and the Press in Progressive Era" (PhD dissertation, Arizona State University, 2011). DA3452884.
Lugo-Lugo, Carmen R. and Mary K. Bloodsworth-Lugo. "Bare Biceps and American (In) Security: Post-9/11 Constructions of Safe(ty), Threat, and the First Black First Lady",Women's Studies Quarterly (2011) 39#1 pp 200–217, on media images of Michelle Obama
Watson, Robert P. "Toward the Study of the First Lady: The State of Scholarship",Presidential Studies Quarterly (2003) 33#2 pp 423–441.
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