Note that in precedence Prince Philip does not rank next to The Queen in virtue of being her consort, but because she specifically gave him that rank. Although the wife of a king automatically becomes Queen and ranks first among women, the husband of a Queen has no official precedence as such, unless she or Parliament grant it to him.

Queen Victoria's husband, HRH Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, was ultimately granted rank next to his wife, much to the annoyance of Victoria's uncles, who were then pushed down one notch. Queen Anne's husband, HRH Prince George of Denmark, was never given any special status and ranked after all other members of the royal family, immediately before the Archbishop of Canterbury. Queen Mary II's husband, William of Orange, was in line for the throne of England anyway and they reigned as joint sovereigns, although Mary's claim to the throne was superior to his. Elizabeth I, of course, never married, and her half-sister, (Bloody) Mary I, married Philip, who was also king of Spain, and was strangely granted the title of King of England as well.

Of course, some countries, like France, got around the issue of what to do with a Queen Regnant's consort by disallowing female sovereigns to begin with.