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First Lady

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This article is about the use of the term "first lady" internationally. For use in the United States, see First Lady of the United States

For the term in Italian opera, see Prima donna.
Not to be confused with Eve (first woman).

Bella Kocharian, Laura Bush, Liudmila Putina and Zorka Parvanova – first ladies of Armenia, the United States, Russia and Bulgaria respectively in 2003.

First Lady is an unoffical term that is applied to the female spouse of an elected male head of state or head of government. On certain circumstances the term is applied to another female relation (such as daughter Keiko Fujimori in Peru).

Development of the title to refer to the spouse of an executive is credited to the United States where it was first widely used in 1877 to refer to Lucy Webb Hayes, popular wife of President Rutherford B. Hayes.

In many countries (such as the United Kingdom), the Prime Minister's spouse has no recognized function, duties or title, and the term is not used. In Commonwealth Realms the closest equivalent is the Viceregal Consort, the husband or wife of the Governor General (who can in turn be male or female).

Several First Ladies have, however, exerted considerable power and influence over the course of government despite the lack of a legal mandate (example, Edith Wilson, wife of Woodrow Wilson and Henriette Conte, the first wife of Lansana Conte, the ailing President of the Republic of Guinea). They have exercised personal and charismatic authority and have, in some cases, been the de facto head of state acting in the name of their spouse. That use of power has also been a frequent source of controversy and scandal when discovered.

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[edit] Duties and ceremony

While the traditions and expectations of a First Lady vary by country and have changed significantly over time, they typically include responsibilities such as:

  • hosting receptions at the executive residence;
  • advocating on behalf of public causes and charities;
  • accompanying their spouse in official travel abroad;
  • State functions and other like duties.

[edit] Variations

The entire family of the head of state may be known familiarly as the "First Family".

The spouse of the second in command (such as a Vice President) may be known as the "Second Lady". Less frequently, the family would be known as the "Second Family". While this term has been used in the United States, it is considered outmoded and is not commonly used. Instead, the wife of the Vice President is officially called by her subordinate marital name (in the present circumstance, Mrs. Richard Cheney, on occasions when protocol is enforced, and by her professional name, Lynn Cheney in more informal settings).

In Canada, the spouse of the Prime Minister is referred to as simply the "wife (or husband) of the Prime Minister". The Governor General of Canada's husband or wife is referred to as the Viceregal consort of Canada. There have been three men in this role.

In situations where the head of state or government is a woman, the term "First Gentleman" is sometimes, but infrequently, used. See [1] for an example.

Park Geunhye, currently the 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 to her after her mother's death.

In Peru, Alberto Fujimori stripped his wife Susana Higuchi of the title of First Lady after she accused him of torture and corruption, appointing their daughter Keiko Sofia to replace her.

Mireya Moscoso Arias of Panama conferred the title of First Lady on her sister, Ruby Moscoso.

[edit] Non-Political Uses

It has become commonplace 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 American Soul (Aretha Franklin), the First Lady of Hip-Hop/RnB (Faith Evans), the First Lady of the Grand Old Opry (Loretta Lynn) and the First Lady of the American Stage (Helen Hayes).

[edit] Notable First Ladies & Gentlemen

[edit] Notable First Ladies

See also: List of first ladies

[edit] Notable First Gentlemen

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

de:First Lady es:Primera Dama eu:Lehen Dama fr:Première dame it:First lady he:הגברת הראשונה nl:First Lady ja:ファーストレディ pl:Pierwsza dama pt:Primeira-dama sq:First Lady sv:First Lady zh:第一夫人

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