Catholicism 101: Why is Mary called “Queen of Heaven?”

It sounds strange to some that we call the Blessed Mother “Queen of Heaven” if Jesus is the King of Kings. How can Mary be a queen if Jesus is the king? The understanding of this concept is rooted in Sacred Scripture and must also be considered according to Biblical teaching as opposed to the current understanding of royalty or monarchy. With the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla of Britain, eyes are once again focused on royalty. However, the world’s idea and concept of royalty is not the same as Sacred Scripture. The queen of any kingdom in the Bible was not the wife but, in fact, was the mother.

One of the primary reasons for the mother being named as queen, as opposed to the king’s wife, is most kings had multiple wives during their reign. In Biblical times it was not unusual for a king to have several wives at once and, thus, creating quite the conundrum in naming a queen. On the other hand, a king could only have one mother. We see the concept of a queen mother clearly in Sacred Scripture when we read of King Solomon and his mother, Bathsheba.

“King David answered, ‘Call Bathsheba here.’ When she re-entered the king’s presence and stood before him, the king swore, ‘As the Lord lives, who has delivered me from all distress, this very day I will fulfill the oath I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel that your son Solomon should reign after me and should sit upon my throne in my place.’” (I Kings 1:28-30)

King David is the reigning king at this time, and he promises Bathsheba that her son, Solomon, would be king after him. This establishes the relationship between Bathsheba and Solomon as mother and son. In the following chapter, I Kings 2, we see the establishment of Bathsheba as queen following the start of Solomon’s kingship. “Then Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king stood up to meet her and paid her homage. Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat at his right. There is one small favor I would ask of you,’ she said. ‘Do not refuse me.’ ‘Ask it, my mother,’ the king said to her, ‘for I will not refuse you.’” (I Kings 2:19-20)

These two verses are essential in understanding the dynamics between the king and the queen, between mother and son. If you notice, verse 19 begins by telling us Bathsheba approaches the king to intercede for someone even before she has a throne beside him. Bathsheba used her position not originally as queen, but as his mother, to intercede for what she perceived was best for someone.

The mother of our Lord, Mary, did the same thing. She was an intercessor before she was queen. The wedding at Cana shows us the intercession of Mary before she was queen. She started interceding for others while she was still on earth. How much more intercession is she doing while sitting next to her son?

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servers, ‘Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:1-5)

In I Kings 2:19, we see where King Solomon gives his mother a throne. “Then he sat down upon his throne, and a throne was provided for the king’s mother, who sat at his right.” We also see when Bathsheba enters King Solomon’s presence, the king bows in honor and respect to his mother. Even the highest of officials in the court were required to bow before the king when entering his presence. The king would certainly not bow to anyone. He did, however, bow to his mother.

When Queen Bathsheba sat on her throne beside her son, Solomon told her he would grant whatever she asked of him. Bathsheba had given birth to a child that became king. Regardless of the lowliness of her birth, and the lack of royal heritage herself, she had given birth to the one who was king. It was this position, as mother, which provided her the honor of a throne beside her son. What is more fitting than honoring the one who gave birth to the king?

The same is true of Mary, however, even to a larger extent. The greater truth is that Mary had been chosen to be the bearer of the King of Kings. She had been chosen and had given birth to the Messiah. If Solomon honored his mother, Bathsheba, with such a royal position then what greater honor should Mary, the mother of God, be given?