2 Kings 21:1-2 "Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel."

Throughout the Books of Kings, and elsewhere in the Bible, we are frequently told about the king's mother. (See, for example, 2 Kings 18:2, 2 Kings 22:1, 2 Kings 23:31). It might be just her name, or it might be a lot more information. We might see her influence for evil, as in the case of Athaliah, the mother of an Ahaziah (see 2 Kings 11), or for good, as in the case of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The mother of the king is a very important person. It is she who is the queen mother, a role of great power in Israelite society. The king's wife does not have the kind of power and influence the king's mother has. "In traditional Jewish life, the “gebirah” occupied a unique and powerful position throughout the history of ancient Israel’s monarchy. When the Queen Mother, or gebirah, entered the room, the king would rise to his feet as a sign of respect; and the king always acceded to his mother’s wishes." (The Queenship of Mary is Deeply Rooted in Scripture, National Catholic Register, August 22, 1019).

This makes sense from a psychological point of view, since sons are very influenced by their mothers. The bond between a mother and son, or the lack thereof, has a profound effect on the child. By consistently pointing out the kings' mothers' names, the Bible is stressing this important relationship, and therefore the behind-the-scenes power that king's mother has simply by virtue of her motherhood. This is one way we can be assured of Mary's influence, and can be assured of her special role in not just Jesus' earthly life, but in His exercise of His power and dominion as King of the Universe. 

Mary is our Queen Mother, she is the Queen of the Universe! She is also a role model for women on how feminine power should be exercised - not trying to compete with the king, nor tell him how to run his kingdom, but a strong, steady presence in his life, helping him in whatever way she can and exerting her powerful influence humbly, for the good of the kingdom and his subjects, not in accordance with her own will (we have Athaliah as an example of that!). We are so incredibly blessed to have her as our Queen Mother!