In no. 227 of his book True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, in which he describes the Marian devotion known as "Total Consecration to Jesus Christ through the hands of Mary", St Louis Marie de Montfort says,

Those who desire to take up this special devotion (which has not been erected into a confraternity, although this would be desirable) should spend at least twelve days...

In fact it was not until 1899 that the first confraternity of the sort desired by St Louis Marie was erected, in Ottawa, Canada. It was called the Confraternity of Mary, Queen of All Hearts. In 1913, Pope Pius X raised it to the status of "Archconfraternity" in Rome. In 1955, the Holy See established a special form of the confraternity for priests, called the "Association of Priests of Mary". Following the Vatican Council, and the renewal of Religious Congregations around the world, a fresh look was taken at the Confraternity and the Association of Priests, and it was decided to re-unite the two Associations in one. Also, in accord with the teachings of the Vatican Council on the place of the laity in the Church, and with the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope John Paul II, Vita Consecrata, which is basically about the Religious Life, but speaks also about "the mission of the lay faithful", new Statutes were drawn up, and on 26 April 2001, the Congregation for Consecrated Life and for Associations of Apostolic Life gave approval for the new Statutes for the Association, henceforth to be called the "Association of Mary Queen of All Hearts. Over the next few months and years, the new Statutes will be put into effect, and the work of renewal of the Association will be taking place.

There are today 140 centres of the Association around the world, the headquarters being at the General House of the Company of Mary in Rome. The Superior General of the Company of Mary is the Director General of the Association, and it is he who establishes or suppresses branches or centres.

Up till now, the Confraternity has been known by a number of different names in different countries. For example, in France it was known until recently as the "Fraternité Montfortaine" (Montfortian Fraternity). In the United States it became known rather as "The Association of Mary Queen of All Hearts", while in other places, the term "Confraternity" was still used. But, whatever its name, and wherever it is, it is recognized as "Organically united to the Company of Mary, ... an 'extension' of the Company of Mary, not in the sense that the SMM would seek to recruit all for itself, but rather that 'in the near or distant future the Blessed Virgin will have more children, servants and slaves of love than ever before, and that through them Jesus Christ, my beloved Master, will reign more than ever in the hearts of men and women.' ... Its members participate, each in his or her own life situation, in the mission of the Montfortians in the Church: to prepare the Reign of Jesus through Mary" (Statutes art. 2,3).

There is no hierarchical structure to the association. Its members are expected to live the consecration, especially its interior practices as outlined by Saint Louis Marie de Montfort in his works. Anyone who, "after the necessary formation and preparation, pronounces the consecration to Jesus, Eternal and Incarnate Wisdom, by the hands of Mary, according to the formula of Saint Louis-Marie de Montfort, may be received into the Association. The incorporation is made, following the motivated request of the candidate and acceptance by the Director, at the moment when the consecration is made in the presence of the Director or his delegate and its inscription in the register of the Association" (Statutes art. 9).