Follow TV Tropes

Following

Context Main / RulingCouple

Go To

1%% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1660057604051462300&page=1
2%% Previous thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1442880753037800500
3%% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread.
4%%
5[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ferdieandizzy.png]]
6[[caption-width-right:350:[-''Catholic Monarchs Administering Justice'' (detail), Victor Manzano y Mejorada-]]]
7%%
8->'''UsefulNotes/BobDole:''' [[UsefulNotes/BillClinton Bill]], I thought perhaps it would be best if we could talk in private. It would be appreciated.\
9'''UsefulNotes/HillaryRodhamClinton:''' This ''is'' private.\
10'''Dole:''' Now, I would hope that the leader of the opposition and the President could--\
11'''Clinton:''' I happen to be the ''Co''-President of the United States.
12-->-- ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''
13
14Most rulers have [[HotConsort spouses]] and many have [[TheMistress mistresses]] (or [[SpearCounterpart "misters"]]) as well. However, often only one of the couple exercises rule and the other is merely to decorate the palace, provide heirs, seal alliances and entertain the king/queen.
15
16A ruling couple, on the other hand, are equal or [[TheConsigliere near equal]] partners, and may even be HappilyMarried. Rather than one ruling and [[StayInTheKitchen one staying in the palace]] they jointly rule. The rulers will rely on each other as trusted counselors and they will be TheGoodKing and TheHighQueen in one. Perhaps they will show this by receiving audiences on two thrones. Perhaps the consort will have a regular seat in the royal council and a vote. Perhaps even the two of them will discuss deep and labyrinthine affairs of state [[TalkingInBed during matrimonial activities]]. And likely they will be addressed as partners and written down as such in the chronicles. If historians refer only to the reign of Alice or the reign of Bob then this trope might be averted. If however historians regularly refer to the reign of "Alice and Bob" then it is a ruling couple.
17
18This usually refers to a monarchial government, as monarchy is intentionally a FamilyBusiness. This tends to happen on a somewhat rarer basis in TheRepublic, although the couple can still very much get away with this if they both are socially and politically strong and savvy and able to complement each other as individuals.
19
20On many occasions, they will also be a BattleCouple.
21
22See also SiblingsShareTheThrone.
23
24----
25!!Examples:
26[[foldercontrol]]
27
28[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
29* In ''Manga/RedRiver1995'', Prince Kail Mursili and {{Time Travel}}er Yuri Ishtar aspire to become this so they can justly rule over the Hitite Empire and fend off the BigBad, Queen Nakia. [[spoiler: They succeed.]] For more bonus points, Yuri is [[spoiler: an {{expy}} of the below-mentioned Queen Puduhepa, who in history was Mursili's daughter-in-law and later became a key part in the rule of her husband Hattusili.]]
30* In ''Manga/SallyTheWitch'', Sally's mother is both the HotConsort and the advisor of her husband, the King of Astoria.
31* ''Manga/TheSevenDeadlySins'': [[spoiler:At the end of ''Cursed by Light'', Meliodas and Elizabeth are married and have become King and Queen of Liones.]]
32* ''Literature/RecordOfGrancrestWar'' ends with the protagonists becoming one. [[SimpleMindedWisdom Theo]] holds the Grancrest and handles most social matters, Siluca advises him on politics and aristocratic etiquette. Both of them know they wouldn't have gotten anywhere near where they are without each other's help.[[note]]Siluca had a good deal more power than Theo (at least at the story's outset), but Mages cannot use a crest of any kind, so they cannot be a regnant monarch.[[/note]]
33[[/folder]]
34
35[[folder:Comics]]
36* The ComicBook/MetabaronsUniverse has the brother-sister ruling couple Magellan and Magaella, and then in the next generation, it's taken up to eleven with the Siamese twin "emperoratriz" Janus-Jana, which is the two components of this trope folded into a grotesque single entity.
37* ''Franchise/WonderWoman'':
38** While such a relationship is hinted at elsewhere in ''ComicBook/SensationComicsFeaturingWonderWoman: Generations'' Queen Hippolyta and Captain Philippus's relationship is made explicit, where Philippus is the captain of the guard and in charge of Themyscira's military while Hippolyta is the queen and trusts Philippus to look after Themyscira when she goes to help [[Franchise/WonderWoman Diana]].
39** ''ComicBook/WonderWomanRebirth'': The flashback child Diana stories show that Philippus and Hippolyta's relationship is official, and as Queen and Captain of the Guard they are the two most powerful women among the Amazons.
40[[/folder]]
41
42[[folder:Fan Works]]
43* In ''[[Fanfic/ThingsWeDontTellHumans Things We Don't Tell Humans]]'', Optimus Prime and Elita-One, as well as Megatron and Nightbird, are this. Despite Optimus and Megatron being the ones with the Matrix/official title, their consorts are held as equal (or at least, equally capable) ruling partners. It's Elita who takes over as leader of the Autobots in the [[Film/TransformersRevengeOfTheFallen Revenge Arc]], rather than Prowl, his second-in-command.
44* At the end of ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9901020/1/A-Warm-Blizzard A Warm Blizzard]]'', a ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' fanfic, [[spoiler:[[AntiHero Prince]] [[HeelFaceTurn Hans]]]] is revealed to be a [[PlayingWithFire pyrokinetic]] as a counterbalance [[AnIcePerson to Elsa's cryokinesis]], and [[spoiler:uses it to thaw her out after a witch casts a spell on her. When he was a child, a [[{{Depowered}} magical binding was put in place]] [[PowerNullifier so he wouldn't be able to use his fire powers]], but a magical scissor removes this binding. He and Elsa later become Arendelle's magical Ruling Couple.]]
45* By the end of ''Fanfic/BeyondHeroes: Of Sunshine and Red Lyrium,'' [[VideoGame/DragonAgeII Varric]] has (as in canon) been named Viscount of Kirkwall, and is also HappilyMarried. With the events of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' behind them, he and his wife are set to be this.
46* A ''WesternAnimation/SonicUnderground'' fan-made reboot has Sonic and Amy share power over the rulership of Mobius. Before Dr. Robotnik's takeover, it is said that King Jules and Queen Aleena also ruled the planet together after they were married. Amy's duties include not just intercession and acting as regent in her husband's absence from courtr, but also giving counsel to her husband.
47[[/folder]]
48
49[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
50* It's unclear if ''WesternAnimation/{{Brave}}'''s queen, [[WomenAreWiser Elinor]], has any official power, but she's the one who runs the day-to-day affairs of her kingdom; her husband, [[BoisterousBruiser Fergus]], defends it from invaders or [[BearsAreBadNews enchanted demon-bears]].
51* In a more implied example, the King and Queen in ''WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}}'' are always referred to jointly whenever who rules Corona is mentioned. Even at the end [[spoiler: when Rapunzel reclaims her birthright, the closing monologue states that she rules "with all the grace and wisdom that her ''parents'' did before her"]]. The only way we know the Queen is the royal consort is that the King wears Corona's symbol.
52* A rare twist in ''WesternAnimation/TheBookOfLife''. Xibalba and La Muerte are rulers, but each governs different worlds.
53* In ''WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragonTheHiddenWorld'', [[spoiler:Hiccup and Astrid become one when they get married as Hiccup is the Chief of Berk, and are explicitly hailed as Chief and Chieftess at the end of the wedding.]]
54* Bowser's plan in ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' is intended to invoke this by having him marry Princess Peach and rule over the Mushroom Kingdom.
55* Mufasa and Sarabi (until [[ItWasHisSled the former's death]]), and later Simba and Nala from ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994'', with [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKingIISimbasPride Kiara and Kovu]] being next in line.
56* [[spoiler: [[IChooseToStay Milo]] and [[TheHighQueen Kida]]]] become [[GiveGeeksaChance the new King and Queen]] of Atlantis at the end of ''WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'' after [[spoiler: [[Creator/LeonardNimoy King Kashekim]], Kida's father dies from internal bleeding after being fatally injured by Rourke.]]
57* King Stefan and Queen Leah, Aurora's parents from ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty''.
58* Elsa and Anna's parents King Agnarr and Queen Iduna from ''WesternAnimation/Frozen2013'' were this back when they were still alive, with their death via shipwreck resulting in Elsa being Queen in their place. [[spoiler: At the end of ''WesternAnimation/FrozenII'', Elsa AbdicatestheThrone and permanently remains in Northuldra, resulting in Anna and Kristoff becoming respectively the new Queen and King of Arendelle in her place.]]
59* Subverted with King Magnifico and Queen Amaya from ''WesternAnimation/Wish2023'': Magnifico is the BigBad of the film, who plots to steal everyone in the kingdom's wishes, [[spoiler: while Amaya ultimately betrays him and sides with Asha and her friends and ultimately helps them defeat him.]]
60[[/folder]]
61
62[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
63* Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his wife, Tsarina Alexandra, as portrayed in ''Film/NicholasAndAlexandra''. They are really ''really'' bad at it (see Real Life below).
64* In a bit of an odd example, the ruling couple of Denmark in ''Film/ARoyalAffair'' are the queen and the king's physician, who are carrying on the titular affair and manipulating the cruel, mentally ill king to pass the laws and reforms they want to improve the country. It works, until some of the more conservative members of the court catch on and inform the king... And he's fine with it.
65[[/folder]]
66
67[[folder:Literature]]
68* ''Literature/BelisariusSeries'': Justinian and Theodora (and in Real Life) for the Romans; Rao and Shakuntala for the Marathans; Kungas and Irene for the Kushans.
69* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'':
70** Drasnia's King Rhodar and Queen Porrenn divide their duties: one handles internal affairs, while the other is in charge of external ones.
71** The Kings and Queens of Arendia are political equals, each representing one of the two duchies that comprise the kingdom. In the ''Malloreon'', this proves instrumental in resolving the ancient civil war between the duchies, simply by sorting out which proclamations are made under their ducal authority and which are royal.
72** {{Invoked|Trope}} by Belgarion of Riva when he [[RightfulKingReturns claims his royal title]]. Ancient treaty [[ArrangedMarriage requires him to marry]] the Tolnedran princess Ce'Nedra, to Ce'Nedra's absolute disgust at being reduced to a political pawn. When he accepts her proposal, he publicly declares that they will rule jointly with equal authority, a gesture of respect that lays the foundation for a more genuine relationship and [[HappilyMarried happy marriage]], though it also upsets a xenophobic faction who sees Ce'Nedra as an interloping outsider.
73* ''Literature/ACourtOfThornsAndRoses:'' Most of the courts have a male "High Lord" whose consort is addressed as "Lady." When Feyre marries Rhysand, it's a big deal that he makes her "High Lady" and treats her as equal in power. However, some fans have criticized this as an InformedAttribute, as even afterwards, he seems to be the one doing all the political stuff off-screen.
74* Selenay and Daren of the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series. Queen Selenay inherited the throne as King Sendar's only child, while Daren married into the family and remains a Prince, though he has an equal vote in Council and nearly as much say in ruling the Kingdom as she does. In fact, any royal spouse will become a co-consort provided that he/she is also chosen as a Herald. There are several examples of this in the back story.
75* ''Literature/{{Deryni}}'': This seems to be Kelson's plan for Araxie in ''King Kelson's Bride'', as it had been for Rothana in ''The Quest for Saint Camber''. Since things with Rothana [[CartwrightCurse didn't pan out]], and since Araxie is also a Haldane by birth, Kelson suggests triggering the Haldane potential in her as it has already been done in himself. Araxie is not averse to the idea and enters into thoughtful speculation on the matter; no Haldane has ever been Queen of Gwynedd before, and it isn't known if a female Haldane could have her potential triggered (or even that she carries it). Kelson's mother, Queen Jehana, was a member of the King's Council suggesting that it is normal for Haldane Kings to treat their consorts as partners.
76* Eugenides and Irene in ''Literature/TheQueensThief'' series.
77* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': Celeborn and Galadriel.
78* After the second book in ''Literature/TheSwordOfTruth'' series, the hero, Richard Rahl, ascends to his hereditary title as ruler of the D'Haran Empire. Two books later, he marries Kahlan Amnell, the Mother Confessor (basically, the ruler of a race of women who can permanently brainwash anyone just by touching them) and become, ostensibly, the most powerful husband and wife duo in the world. While Richard is undoubtedly the more active and usually the more dominant of the two, the two are practically equals, with people sworn to serve Richard also sworn to serve Kahlan and vice-versa. There are not many moments in the story where the two are allowed to rule as a partnership (almost every time they get together, they're torn apart or one is taken out of commission via Diabolus Ex Machina), but there are smatterings of it here and there.
79* Cayleb and Sharleyan in ''Literature/{{Safehold}}''. There are married rulers in the books, but these two are the only case where they're co-rulers with equal authority. A number of their decisions after their marriage are made partly to emphasize this fact.
80* ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'': Manwë and Varda, the King and Queen of [[PhysicalGod the Valar]].
81** Thingol and Melian also count to a degree; while Thingol does most of the day-to-day business of ruling, it's Melian's powers as a [[OurAngelsAreDifferent Maia]] that protect the kingdom from outside threats.
82* ''Literature/SixteenThirtyTwo'': Mike Sterns and Rebecca, though of course, Grantsville/USE is not a monarchy. Still, the same sort of interaction applies.
83* ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'': Aral and Cordelia are Viceroy and Vicereine of Sergyar. Not bad for a culture where, just a few years earlier, a woman had to have a sex change operation to be allowed onto the Council of Counts.
84* A couple of instances in ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
85** The Sea Folk have the Mistress of the Ships (always female political leader) and the Master of the Blades (always male military leader), who are commonly a married couple. Which of them takes precedence depends on whether the Sea Folk are currently at peace or war.
86** Among the [[ProudWarriorRace Aiel]], male clan chiefs are the political and military leaders, female Wise Ones are the spiritual leaders, and female Roofmistresses control all the land (including settlements), so it's not uncommon for this trope to ensue. Chief Rhuarc, Amys the Wise One, and Lian the Roofmistress are [[{{Polyamory}} jointly married]] in a ruling ''throuple''.
87** In Tarabon, the King handles external affairs and the Panarch (highest-ranked noblewoman) handles internal ones, though they're not necessarily married (both are elected independently from among the nobility following the death or downfall of their predecessor).
88* Princess Kristin and Prince Mark rule Tasavalta together in Fred Saberhagen's ''[[Literature/BookOfSwords Books Of Lost Swords]]''. Strictly speaking, Kristin is the ruler, and Mark is her consort, but in practice, the two of them share power. When Kristin was dominated by Murat using the Mindsword, the Tasavaltan army, and the royal court wizard, Karel (who is also Kristin's uncle), obeyed Mark's orders without question.
89* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
90** This is instituted as a compromise when Daenerys conquers the eastern city-state of Meereen with an army of freedmen and a handful of (untrained but still scary) dragons, but she annoys a lot of the city's former ruling elite, and her officers start getting assassinated in the middle of the night in protest at her rule. Eventually, she consents to marry one of the nobles and rule jointly, despite not liking or trusting him.
91** In the backstory, Aegon the Conqueror and his [[BrotherSisterIncest sisters/wives]], Visenya and Rhaenys, functioned as this. He was closer with his younger sister than his older sister, though.
92** Princess Nymeria and Prince Mors Martell were crowned together when they defeated the other Dornish kings.
93** Jaehaerys Targaryen I, widely agreed in-universe to have been one of the best, if not ''the'' best, kings of Westeros, also formed one with his sister-wife Alysanne, who was known as "Good Queen Alysanne". While she was by law just his consort, she had just as much of an impact as he did, and was his most trusted adviser. In-story, she is credited with breathing new life into the Night's Watch organization and convincing Jaehaerys to outlaw [[DroitDuSeigneur "the right of first night".]]
94* Eric [[TheButcher Bloodaxe]] and Gunnhild [[TheMagnificent Mother of Kings]], in ''Mother of Kings'' by Creator/PoulAnderson.
95* ''Literature/MalazanBookOfTheFallen'': Starting in the ninth book, ''Literature/DustOfDreams'', the recently crowned King Tehol Beddict and his [[NewOldFlame newlywed wife and previous professor]] Queen Janath Anar are seen jointly ruling the Kingdom of Lether. Janath also happens to be the kingdom's historian and Tehol never fails to ask her opinion on everything.
96* In the ''Literature/TairenSoul'' series, Dorian and Annoura are Celeria's rulers. Dorian is slightly more powerful (as he deals with military matters and has the right to invoke ''primus'') but he often asks for political advice from Annoura, and Celeria's court is specifically molded by ''her'' preferences. When [[spoiler:Ellysetta's engagement to Den is legally challenged]], both Dorian and Annoura sit in judgment. Unfortunately, when their relationship starts to deteriorate, so does Celeria's safety...
97* ''Literature/{{Eldraeverse}}'': The Empire of the Star is ruled by the Imperial Couple, the Emperor and Empress having equal power under the Imperial Charter.
98* In ''Literature/TheDeathGateCycle'', King Stephen and Queen Anne are like this, their marriage having unified the previously separate kingdoms of Volkaran and Ulyndia. Officially it's a political marriage that barely holds together, where both parties hate each other and scheme to have the other assassinated so they could take sole control. In actuality, Stephen and Anne are very much HappilyMarried and carry out the charade in order to better play the various court factions off one another.
99* ''Literature/TenSixtySixAndAllThat'' plays with this by combining William III and Mary II into "the memorable Dutch King Williamanmary," though it also portrays this CompositeCharacter as a non-anthropomorphic orange.[[note]]Prior to becoming king, the real William III was titled Prince of Orange.[[/note]]
100* In ''Literature/IronGold'', Virginia [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname "Mustang"]] au Augustus and her husband [[TheHero Darrow]] are a unique case. While she's the only one ruling the Solar Republic, Darrow is the one in command of their military.
101* ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'': Jagged Fel and his wife Jaina Solo-Fel, as the first Emperor and Empress of the Fel Empire.
102* In ''Literature/TheSunneInSplendour'' this is the case for the future UsefulNotes/RichardIII and his wife, Anne Neville during his stint as the Lord of the North. As the daughter of the powerful and in-that-region beloved Earl of Warwick, Anne brings a great deal of her deceased father's popularity into the marriage with Richard. Together, they build a strong power base. She continues to advise him when he becomes king, but it's not as equal a pairing.
103* In the ''Literature/TalesOfTheOtori'' sequel ''The Harsh Cry of the Heron'', the antagonistic General Saga offers an AltarDiplomacy marriage proposal to Lord Takeo Otori's daughter Shigeku, which she counters with the condition that she would remain co-ruler of her father's lands. [[spoiler:He accepts, probably not least because she's an ActionGirl who once shot out his eye from across a battlefield and forced his forces to retreat, so he does ''not'' want her as an enemy.]]
104* Deliberately averted by Tsar Alexei II in the AlternateHistory novel ''Literature/TriumphOfATsar''. One of the things he realizes as he takes the throne is that his father Nicholas II's reliance on his wife Alexandra's counsel (and by extension Rasputin's) to the exclusion of anyone else did immense damage to the country, particularly as Alexandra was... not all that competent as a ruler. As a result, while he confides everything, including matters of state, to his own wife Tsarina Ileana and respects her opinions and advice tremendously, hers is not the only voice guiding his decisions; he chooses competent ministers and listens closely to their counsel as well before making final decisions as a ruler.
105* Indicated to be the case for the realm at the end of the ''Literature/ChroniclesOfPrydain''. [[spoiler:Taran, the protagonist, is declared High King of Prydain, and his first act is to marry Princess Eilonwy (whom he has loved for years) and make her his queen. She assures him that anytime he's not sure what to do, he can always listen to her, and the ending narration makes it clear that they do in fact rule together.]]
106* King Verence II and Queen Magrat of Lancre in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', although they're honestly ''both'' pretty ineffectual most of the time.
107[[/folder]]
108
109[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
110* Sheridan and Delenn on ''Series/BabylonFive''. In this case, it is a bit complicated, as rather than being heads of government, they are heads of a trans-state LaResistance that includes some government leaders. Later they both lead an interstellar confederation. Also, did we mention that they are two parts of a [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything three-part]] [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]]?
111* King Arthur and Queen Guinevere as of the end of series four of ''Series/Merlin2008'' and throughout season five.
112* Arthur and Joan [[TheSpymaster Campbell]] in ''Series/CovertAffairs'' aren't royalty but they kind of act like a Ruling Couple.
113* ''Series/{{Farscape}}'': This is why John ends up married to a Sebacean princess--their laws state that a couple must rule together and the princess can only marry a man who can provide her with healthy children. [[spoiler: When it turned out he didn't have the necessary [[WeAreAsMayflies lifespan]] he suggested she marry a counselor she actually loved, as she was already pregnant with John's child.]]
114* ''Series/GameOfThrones'' portrays King Renly Baratheon and Queen Margaery Tyrell (who got very little focus in the books) as an example of this. Margaery is [[ClosetGay Renly]]'s [[TheBeard Beard]] since his real lover is her brother Loras, but she's also his ambitious LadyMacbeth (jointly with Loras--a Ruling OneTrueThreesome, perhaps? Actress Natalie Dormer has described them as a trinity, and Renly is seen TalkingInBed with Loras about matters of state), his [[TheGoodChancellor counsellor]], his [[SlaveToPR spin doctor]] and his guarantee of support from her wealthy and powerful family. (Renly himself is rightfully the SpareToTheThrone, and needs all the legitimate power he can get.) When we see them holding an informal court, they're sitting on two equally prominent thrones. Renly even incorporates the Tyrell colors into his sigil. [[spoiler:We never get to see what they would have been like as true rulers due to Renly's death, but as of season three, Margaery is busy getting her hooks into her new fiancée, King Joffrey. When Joffrey himself is killed via poisoning, she's married off to his younger brother Tommen, and they are on the road to being something close to this, at least until her death.]]
115** ''Series/HouseOfTheDragon'': Rhaenyra Targaryen proposes to Daemon not only because she's crazy about him but also because she wants to rule together.
116* ''Series/TheLordOfTheRingsTheRingsOfPower'': Disa reassures Durin that no matter what his father says or does, he will be the next in line and not his brother, and they will both inherit and rule Khazad-dum together as king and queen.
117* ''Series/TheWhiteQueen'': [[UsefulNotes/RichardIII King Richard III]] and Queen Anne; she's his TheConsigliere even before they're crowned. Their joint coronation, the first for English royalty in 176 years, is emblematic of their powerful union, and their victorious MeaningfulLook during the ceremony exudes their pride at accomplishing this goal. While there are noblemen who help Richard run his kingdom, he confers with Anne on political matters more often than with his highest-ranked courtiers, and he's also more likely to heed her counsel. Relatively speaking, Richard treats Anne more like his equal than the lords who serve him (and the Duke of Buckingham even complains to Lord Stanley that they're only expected to obey Richard, who doesn't welcome their contributions).
118[[/folder]]
119
120[[folder:Religion & Mythology]]
121* In Myth/ClassicalMythology, Hades and Persephone may have co-ruled the Underworld, at least during the part of the year when she was there. Some artwork seems to give her equal or greater emphasis, and it's worth noting that evidence suggests that ''she'' may have been the sole monarch in the earlier, Mycenaean myths.
122* In Myth/NorseMythology, Frigg and Odin rule Asgard together. Notably, Frigg is frequently conflated with Freya, who divides up the honored dead between herself and Odin in their realms of Folkvangr and Valhalla.
123[[/folder]]
124
125[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
126* In the ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' expansion "Theros", the city of Akros has [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=373396 Amax and Cymede]], a married couple who serve as rulers, and are also the most renowned heroes of the city-state.
127* Thomas Moore and Princess Fayiltha from ''TabletopGame/RocketAge''. Fayiltha mostly deals with the management of Polintal and its affairs of state, while Thomas mostly handles the army. Surprisingly Thomas is much loved by the people despite being an Earthling married to a Martian princess.
128* ''TabletopGame/{{Battletech}}'': The marriage of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner. With Hanse being the First Prince of the Federated Suns and Melissa the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, the two realms entered what was in practice a personal union during their lifetime with both in charge over it. Due to their personal charisma, this union kept together even after Hanse's death until their son Victor came of age, with Melissa ruling for a short time as regent of the Federated Suns with little issue.
129[[/folder]]
130
131[[folder:Video Games]]
132* Graham and Valanice of ''VideoGame/KingsQuest''. It's implied that Alexander and Cassima will be this as well.
133* ''Franchise/DragonAge'':
134** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': Depending on how the player handles things at the Landsmeet, you may wind up with Ferelden being led by such a couple. There are three options.
135*** The first is between the widowed Queen Anora and [[spoiler:her brother-in-law Alistair]], though both have to be persuaded to agree to such a marriage and the latter has to be hardened to fully embrace becoming king.
136*** The next is for a Female Human Noble Warden, who can marry [[spoiler:Alistair]] and become his HotConsort. It's lampshaded in the second game that she is clearly the one wearing the trousers in the relationship, with the people of Ferelden absolutely adoring her and the other countries becoming downright ''terrified'' of how much of a badass their Queen is. [[AmazonChaser Her husband also kind of worships the ground she walks on]], and when he refers to her as "the old ball and chain" it's said with obvious affection.
137---->'''[[spoiler:Alistair]]:''' Just because she killed an ''Archdemon'', she doesn't scare me!\
138'''Teagan:''' You keep ''telling'' yourself that, Your Majesty...
139*** While the Female Human Noble is the only one able to ''officially'' become Queen, the other female Wardens can opt to become the unofficial HotConsort for [[spoiler: Alistair]] if he remains single, or his mistress if he's hardened and married to Queen Anora.
140*** Lastly, a male Human Noble can marry Anora. He won't become king, because Anora's not the type to share power if she can get away with it; however, her new husband is the one who commands all of the Grey Wardens in Ferelden and has a terrifying reputation throughout the continent, so they're on roughly equal footing even if he's only a Prince-Consort.
141** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' can potentially lead to this for Sebastian, Prince of Starkhaven, and female Hawke. In particular, if she ends the game [[spoiler:by (temporarily) becoming Viscountess of Kirkwall]], he remarks that their union could be the mightiest in the entire Free Marches.
142* All over the place in ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'':
143** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden'' and its remake, ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEchoesShadowsOfValentia'', [[spoiler: Alm and Celica become the Emperor of Rigel and the Queen of Zofia, respectively. Then, [[ChildhoodFriendRomance they marry]] and unite their lands, creating the Kingdom of Valentia and reigning together.]]
144** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBindingBlade'', if [[WarriorPrince Prince Roy of Pherae]] marries [[LadyOfBlackMagic Princess Lilina of Ostia]], they unite their territories. Even more, they also manage to reunite the ''other'' territories of Lycia into the Lycian Kingdom and rule wisely over them, with ''[[TheHighQueen Lilina]]'' being implied to have the biggest share of leadership (Ostia is the most powerful realm in Lycia and she ''also'' creates the Lycian League in her solo ending).
145** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'', if either Ephraim of Renais or Innes of Frelia marries L'Arachel, they become this since L'Arachel is the heiress of the Theocracy of Rausten by her own birthright. It can also happen if Ephraim marries Innes's sister Tana or Innes marries Ephraim's sister Eirika, as both guys are the Crown Princes ''and'' both women are [[LadyOfWar ladies of war]].
146** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'', if Elincia and Geoffrey, or [[spoiler:Micaiah and Sothe]], max out their support rank, then the epilogue states that said couple are fantastic rulers who lead their kingdoms into a golden age.
147** Happens automatically in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening''--Prince Chrom becomes Exalt in Chapter 11, and marries whichever of his [[LoveInterest Love Interests]] he has the most support points with. They are stated to be a good match for the country and aren't afraid to [[BattleCouple step out onto the battlefield again]].[[note]]Unless he marries the Village Maiden, which only happens either if he has no support points with anyone at all OR said Love Interests are all already married to other people. In that case, she, who is not a warrior or healer but a GirlNextDoor, only shows up once before promising to take care of little Lucina and vanishing from the game forever.[[/note]]
148** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', [[spoiler: when the player finishes the ''Revelation'' path, Corrin is crowned as the King or Queen of the reborn Kingdom of Valla. If Corrin is married, his/her consort are specifically said to double as the new sovereign's NumberTwo and, in Azura's case, advisor.]]
149** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'': At the end of the Azure Moon route, [[spoiler:Dimitri is crowned King of Faerghus and Byleth becomes archbishop of the Church of Seiros. If Byleth is female and has achieved S-support with Dimitri, they get married, thus becoming a literal union of church and state]].
150* In ''VideoGame/TearsToTiara2'' we have Hamil and Tart. The former is TheHero and TheGoodKing, while the latter is [[OurElvesAreDifferent the Goddess]] that he's ritually married to. Any decision goes through both of them, and they advise each other regularly.
151* Ashe and Rasler from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'' were like this, [[spoiler: until he died. [[SpiritAdvisor Then things]] [[GodisEvil got weird]].]]
152* The conclusion of ''VideoGame/MortalKombatX'' seats [[spoiler:Liu Kang and Kitana]] as the rulers of the Netherrealm following [[spoiler:the EvilPowerVacuum left behind by the death of Quan Chi and the permanent incapacitation of Shinnok]].
153* In ''VideoGame/CrusaderKings'', your spouse (or first wife if your religion practices [[{{polygamy}} polygyny]]) adds half their stats to your character's, implying that they are using their abilities and skills to aid your rule. For feudal characters, having spouses with high Diplomacy or Stewardship can be vital to keeping your realm together. However, due to the game's mechanics (you can only control one character at a time), it's impossible for two characters to be exact ''equals''. Even if you marry your character to another ruler, the two realms do not enter into a personal union until a single character inherits both your titles (or, if you marry another of your vassals, you're not given direct control of that vassal's territory).
154* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'': [[WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse King Mickey]] and [[WesternAnimation/MinnieMouse Queen Minnie]] are the HappilyMarried rulers of Disney Castle, and interacts with characters implies an equivalent power dynamic between them. Within the series, though, Mickey primarily serves as a [[RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething Royal Who Actually Does Something]], traveling the multiverse fighting bad guys, while the more administrative aspects are done by Minnie. (This makes sense since this franchise uses ''WesternAnimation/MickeyDonaldGoofyTheThreeMusketeers'' as backstory, making Minnie the one with RoyalBlood.)
155* In ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'', the player character will become this with Silk Fox in the end if they romance her.
156[[/folder]]
157
158[[folder:Web Original]]
159* In ''WebVideo/EmpiresSMP Season 1'', there's King Joel of Mezalea and Queen Lizzie of the Ocean Empire, in a rare variation form of the trope. While Joey refers to their marriage in-universe as "the union between two empires" while officiating it, both monarchs ruled their respective lands in their own rights from before marriage, and continue to do so afterward.
160[[/folder]]
161
162[[folder:Webcomics]]
163* The [[InsistentTerminology Elven]] Kingdom's [[AndIMustScream King]] and [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen Queen]] of ''Webcomic/DubiousCompany''. It leads to [[TennisBoss problems]] for their subordinates when they have a [[HappyMarriageCharade marital spat]].
164* Arthur and Guenevere in the Space Arc of ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace'' (and also pretty much in the baseline arc, but much less officially -- and when Arthur becomes President in the modern arc, he feels he has to be more moderate in his statements, but "nobody will expect ''you'' to tone things down", meaning she ends up taking point on controversial subjects).
165[[/folder]]
166
167[[folder:Western Animation]]
168* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' has [[LoveGoddess Cadance]] and [[DorkKnight Shining Armor]], who rule the Crystal Empire.
169* Queen Moon and King River, the parents of the titular character of ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'', have shades of this. They are almost always shown together when it comes to making decisions about Mewni and both are treated as if they were the reigning monarch. Downplayed a bit later, as it is established that Moon is the actual ruler, having inherited the throne from her own mother, and appears to have more duties than River, as fitting for their matriarchal kingdom.
170[[/folder]]
171
172[[folder:Real Life]]
173* [[UsefulNotes/AncientGreece Spartans]] had a subversion of this. They had two kings and on top of that a whole busload of other institutions to rule. Most of the time, though, one king tended to get the upper hand, even though theoretically speaking both were equal. Another important point is that neither of the Spartan kings had any direct authority over domestic affairs; their ''only'' role was as a war leader and ceremonial religious figure (both of which were of course a huge deal in [[BloodKnight warlike]] and deeply religious Sparta); their only domestic political authority came from their ''ex officio'' positions in the ''gerousia'' (the Spartan Senate or Council of Elders). Actual lawmaking power was vested in the ephors (more-or-less elective magistrates),[[note]]More or less, because the way they were chosen was a little weird; they were chosen at random from among candidates elected by the citizens. While weird to modern sensibilities--and to some contemporaries ([[AncientRome Romans]] found it delightfully odd)--it was a fairly common arrangement among the ancient Greek republics (Athenians used a similar system for some offices, saying they liked to give the gods the final say in such matters).[[/note]] the popular assembly,[[note]]That is, the assembly of all adult male Spartan citizens[[/note]] and the ''gerousia''. However, for complicated reasons Spartan women were often so rich they could buy votes in the assembly and ''gerousia'' (to say nothing of being able to bribe ephors), meaning that if a Spartan king married the right heiress he and his wife could have absolute control over the state's domestic and foreign affairs.
174* UsefulNotes/TheRomanEmpire:
175** UsefulNotes/{{Augustus}} and his third wife, Livia. After his death, she and her son Tiberius, Augustus' successor, shared power for a few years.
176** Emperor Claudius, Livia's grandson, had this sort of relationship with his third wife, Messalina, and his fourth wife, Agrippina... They didn't end well.
177* UsefulNotes/CleopatraVII co-ruled [[AncientEgypt Egypt]] with her first and second husbands, [[RoyallyScrewedUp who were]] [[BrotherSisterIncest also her brothers]], though she was clearly the one in charge. Later she and Mark Antony were more or less ruling their combined empire together, though it's ambiguous if they ever formally married, and officially she was ruling Egypt with her son, Caesarion.
178* Hattusili III and his wife Puduhepa from the Hittite Empire. They ruled together, with Hattusili in charge of the military while Puduhepa handled the diplomatic issues.
179* Justinian and his wife Theodora co-led the [[UsefulNotes/TheByzantineEmpire Eastern Roman Empire]]. This had some interesting effects (particularly given their religious disagreements, by which standard she was technically a [[UsefulNotes/HeresiesAndHeretics heretic]]...), but his regime only survived the Nika revolt by virtue of her fortitude, so... all is forgiven, we guess? As well, during the Black Death, an outbreak of plague in 542 CE, Justinian fell into a coma and Theodora firmly controlled the empire during her husband´s incapacity.
180* In general, queens in [[TheMiddleAges Medieval]] UsefulNotes/{{Europe}}, even if they were officially just a consort, had a good deal of power and, accordingly, duties to fulfill. [[http://www.thefinertimes.com/Middle-Ages/queens-in-the-middle-ages.html Among these duties]] were acting as an advisor, organizing festivities, and in some cases making financial or legal decisions or serving as regent (should the reigning monarch be indisposed or away). And if the queen herself is the one holding the title, her husband (rarely called the "king" if he wasn't the one in charge) served similar roles.
181* UsefulNotes/HenryTheSecond of UsefulNotes/{{England}} and UsefulNotes/{{Eleanor of Aquitaine}}... at least until she and their sons rebelled against Henry.
182* [[UsefulNotes/TheCatholicMonarchs Ferdinand and Isabella]] of UsefulNotes/{{Spain}}. Isabella was an effective queen regnant of Castile in her own right, and marrying Ferdinand of Aragon united their two kingdoms into [[UsefulNotes/TheKingdomOfSpain one Spain]].
183* Ferdinand and Isabella's daughter, UsefulNotes/JoannaOfCastile, and Joanna's husband, Philip of Burgundy, were ''supposed'' to be this. But they spent their first year or two as rulers of Castile bickering with Ferdinand (Isabella had predeceased him in 1504) about whether he should be regent of Castile until he died and passed the whole kingdom down to his daughter, or if Joanna and Philip should rule in Castile right now. The issue became moot when Philip died unexpectedly in 1506, and then Joanna's depression and mental illness popped up, and the whole thing ended rather badly.
184* During the UsefulNotes/TangDynasty in UsefulNotes/{{China}}, Tang Gaozong and his second empress, UsefulNotes/WuZetian, ruler together power during his reign. She specially exercised great power in the later half when he was marred by ill health. While traditional Chinese historians had rated Tang Gaozang weak and ineffectual, modern evaluations of his and Wu Zetian's reigns were more positive, with many attributing the couple as setting foundations for the prosperity of their grandson Xuanzong's early reign.
185* In the [[UsefulNotes/{{Turkey}} Ottoman empire]] had UsefulNotes/SuleimanTheMagnificent and his wife Roxelana, who was an important advisor to him after being freed from his harem and becoming the first Haseki Sultan (aka "chief wife" to the Ottoman ruler).
186* This was the case when [[UsefulNotes/MaryTudor Mary I of England]], the country's first official queen regnant, decided to marry Prince Philip of Spain. At the time, law dictated that a man was entitled to possession of his wife's titles and property (known as the concept of ''jure uxoris''). Philip was next in line to inherit the Spanish throne, and the English were worried the marriage would turn the country into a satellite of Spain. Parliament passed the Queen Mary's Marriage Act, essentially a prenup and business contract between England and Spain, to regulate the marriage, which stipulated that Philip would be titled as king and serve as Mary's co-monarch and govern England with her, but placed some limitations on his power and stipulated he would have no right to succeed her as sole monarch if he outlived her. Mary predeceased him, ending his ''jure uxoris'' claim as king, and the crown passed to Mary's half-sister UsefulNotes/ElizabethI.
187* William III and Mary II reigned as co-monarchs over England, Scotland, and Ireland as a compromise - Mary had the better claim as the oldest eligible child of James II, but William was also her cousin and next line for the throne after Mary and her sister Anne, and he already had considerable power in the Netherlands in his own right, while also being more popular with those who didn't want to see a woman on the throne. Also, the pair had kind of shown up at the head of a (mostly) Dutch army, and while they (mostly) didn’t need to use that army, everyone knew where their power to execute their coup came from. (Hint: It was the Dutch guy.) Mary herself also refused to reign as sole sovereign, because she felt it would be unfair to her husband. As co-sovereigns, Mary mostly deferred to William, but acted alone when he was away on military campaigns. Parliament also declared that William would continue to reign if he outlived Mary, which was considered a remote possibility as Mary was known to enjoy much better health than both her husband and sister, but Mary died of smallpox five years into her reign and left William as sole sovereign.
188* UsefulNotes/QueenVictoria and Prince Albert. Victoria and Albert had nine children, so needless to say, Victoria spent a lot of time pregnant (and, therefore, unable to attend to many matters of state); Albert often performed Victoria's royal duties when she was otherwise occupied with carrying and nursing the forbears of nearly every royal family of Europe. Still, even when Victoria was at her best, she relied a great deal on Albert's advice and support. While ''officially'' they were not equals, Victoria disagreed with this and wanted to title him as "king consort", but Parliament would not allow it as Albert was a foreigner and the title of king is reserved for monarchs.[[note]](They settled on "prince consort".)[[/note]] It also was arguably the case that Victoria was the first European monarch to marry for love rather than purely political reasons. Tragically, this came to an end when he died at the age of just 42, forcing Victoria to live out half of her life without both her most trusted advisor ''and'' the love of her life.
189* UsefulNotes/{{Tsar|Tsar Autocrats}} UsefulNotes/NicholasII and Alexandra Feodorovna from the [[UsefulNotes/TsaristRussia Russian Empire]], at least after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI broke out. After he took personal command of the army and went to the front, she ruled in [[UsefulNotes/SaintPetersburg Petrograd]] in his stead. It didn't work out so well, because both were incompetent - Nicholas as a military leader (though half-competent as a peacetime monarch, we should give him at least some credit), Alexandra in the affais of State, as she had zero experience and her government was incredibly unstable, with repeated changes of ministers.
190* After UsefulNotes/WoodrowWilson suffered a stroke, First Lady Edith Wilson became a presidential "shadow steward", vetting what matters of state were important enough to bother him with. Such was her influence, it has been argued that she became the ''de facto'' co-president or even acting president.
191* In a minor case, UsefulNotes/{{Bill|Clinton}} and UsefulNotes/{{Hillary|Rodham Clinton}} Clinton during Bill's presidency. Bill advertised the fact that the couple will be working together during the presidency as a "two-for-the-price-of-one" deal, and Hillary, as first lady, publicly involved herself in policy decisions in a manner never seen before or since, notably chairing a task force to devise a new health care plan (other first ladies tend to stick to philanthropy and nonpartisan causes like healthy eating or improving education). This was ''not'' universally viewed positively; see the page quote for a case of it being parodied for comedic purposes.
192[[/folder]]

Top