dowager
Merriam-Webster
A widow holding property or a title from her deceased husband : a dignified elderly woman.
Wiktionary
Any lady of dignified bearing.
(Also had the same definition as M-W above)
Additional info
Dowagers in romance novels are often depicted as formidable women, either as the widowed mother or aunt of the hero or a particularly powerful woman in society. A reader may also run into the term “dower house.” Wikipedia defines this as, “A dower house is usually a moderately large house on an estate which is occupied by the widow of the late owner. The widow, often known as the “dowager” usually moves into the dower house, from the larger family house, on the death of her husband, the new heir occupies the now vacated principal house.”
