A dowager is a widow whose entitlement to a portion of her deceased husband's real property, known as dower, is protected by common law and feudal custom. In the context of the British peerage, the style is formally adopted to prevent confusion when the incumbent peer is married; for instance, the widow of a Duke becomes the 'Dowager Duchess' once her husband's heir marries and a new Duchess Consort assumes the primary title. This distinction ensures the widow retains her precedence and social rank while clarifying that she no longer holds the status of the senior female representative of the house.
Heraldically, a dowager's achievement of arms is typically displayed on a lozenge or a shield, impaling her paternal arms with those of her late husband, often encircled by a true lover's knot if she remains unmarried. Historically, the status was inextricably linked to the 'dower house,' a smaller residence on the estate provided for the widow's habitation, ensuring her maintenance without impeding the management of the primary seat by the new peer. While the legal necessity of dower has evolved, the title remains a vital component of courtly protocol and genealogical record.