A
queen regnant (plural "queens regnant") is a qualifying reference to a female
monarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication...
(queen) possessing and exercising all of the monarchical powers of a ruler, in contrast to a "
queen consortA queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles...
", who is the wife of a male reigning as
monarchA monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication...
and who is without any official powers of state.
In Ancient Egypt, Pacific cultures, and even in historical European countries, as noted below, women monarchs have been given the title,
king or its equivalent, such as
pharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. In antiquity this title began to be used for the ruler who was the religious and political leader of united ancient Egypt. This was true only during the New Kingdom, specifically during the middle of...
, when gender is irrelevant to the office. Also the
ByzantineThe word Byzantine may refer to:Topics directly related to the Byzantine Empire* A citizen of The Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
Empress Irene called herself
basileusBasileus , signifies "sovereign" or "king". It is perhaps best known in English as a title used by Byzantine emperors, but also has a longer history of use for persons of authority in ancient Greece, as well as for the kings of modern Greece.-Etymology:The etymology of basileus is unclear...
(βασιλεύς), 'emperor', rather than
basilissa (βασίλισσα), 'empress'. And
Jadwiga of PolandJadwiga was a monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elisabeth...
was crowned as
Rex Poloniae,
King of Poland.
Among the Davidic Monarchs of
JudeaJudea or Judæa is the name given to the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel , an area now divided between Israel and the West Bank Judea or Judæa (Hebrew: יהודה,
Standard Yəhuda
Tiberian , "praised, celebrated"; Greek: Ιουδαία, Ioudaía; ) is the...
, there is mentioned a single queen regnant,
AthaliahAthaliah, Athalie, Athalia, or Atalia was the queen of Judah during the reign of King Jehoram, and later became sole ruler of Judah for six years. William F. Albright has dated her reign to 842 – 837 BC, while Edwin R. Thiele's dates, as taken from the third edition of his magnum opus, were...
, though the Bible regards her negatively as an usurper. The much later
HasmoneanThe Hasmoneans were the ruling dynasty of the Hasmonean Kingdom of Israel , an independent Jewish state. The Hasmonean dynasty was established under the leadership of Simon Maccabaeus, two decades after his brother Judah the Maccabee defeated the Seleucid army during the Maccabean Revolt in 165 BC...
Queen
Salome AlexandraSalome Alexandra or Alexandra of Jerusalem , was the only Jewish regnant queen, with the exception of her own husband's mother whom he had prevented from ruling as his dying father had wished, and of the much earlier usurper Athaliah...
(Shlomzion) was highly popular.
Technically a male king also may be a
king regnant or a
king consortKing consort is a position given in some monarchies to the husband of a queen regnant. Nowadays, it is a symbolic title only, the sole constitutional function of the holder being similar to a queen consort, namely to produce an heir to the throne....
—but this distinction is unusual and, for example, has been used only twice in the history of the British monarchy and its predecessor monarchies. In all current monarchies that allow a queen to take the throne, the husband of such a queen is not titled
king, generally ranking as a
princePrince, from French "Prince" , is a general term for a monarch, for a member of a monarchs' or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in some members of Europe's highest nobility...
. The husband of Queen
Mary I of EnglandMary I , was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death. She was the oldest daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, she is remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism after succeeding her short-lived...
and the first two husbands of Queen
Mary I of ScotlandMary I was Queen of Scots from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V. She was six days old when her father died and made her Queen of Scots...
were all created
kings consort of their wives' realms. The husband of
Mary II, Queen of England and Ireland, and Queen of ScotsMary II reigned as Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 until her death. Mary, a Protestant, came to the thrones following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of her Roman Catholic father, James II and VII...
, was named king regnant co-sovereign with her, as
William III and IIWilliam III was a sovereign Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland, and as William II over Scotland...
. The latter arrangement was the only occasion of co-sovereignty in Britain.
Accession of a regnant occurs as a nation's
order of successionAn order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
permits. Methods of succession to queendoms, kingdoms,
tribalA tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists hold that...
chiefships, and such include nomination when the sitting monarch or a council names an heir,
primogeniturePrimogeniture is the common law right of the first-born son to inherit the entire estate, to the exclusion of younger siblings. It is the tradition brought by the Normans to England in 1066. According to the Norman tradition, the first-born son inherited the entirety of a parent's wealth, estate,...
when the children of a monarch or chief become
regentA regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor....
s in order of birth from eldest to youngest, and
ultimogenitureUltimogeniture, also known as postremogeniture or junior right, is the tradition of inheritance by the last-born of the entirety of, or a privileged position in, a parent's wealth, estate or office...
when the children become regents in the reverse order of birth from youngest to eldest. The scope of succession may be matrilineal, patrilineal, or both; or, rarely, open to general election when necessary. The right of succession may be open to men and women, or limited to men only or women only.
The most typical succession in European monarchies from the
Late Middle AgesThe Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries . The Late Middle Ages were preceded by the High Middle Ages, and followed by the Early Modern era ....
through most of the twentieth century was male-preference primogeniture; i.e., the order of succession cycled through the sons of the monarch in order of their birth, followed by the daughters or grandsons. Historically, many realms forbade succession by women or through a female line in obedience to the
Salic lawSalic law was an important body of traditional law codified for governing the Salian Franks in the early Middle Ages during the reign of King Clovis I in the 6th century...
, and some still do. No queen regnant ever ruled
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
, for example. Only one woman,
Maria Theresa
ruled the
Holy Roman EmpireThe Holy Roman Empire was a union of territories in Central Europe during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period under a Holy Roman Emperor. The first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was Otto I, crowned in 962. The last was Francis II, who abdicated and dissolved the Empire in 1806 during...
, she held the title
Holy Roman Empress first by marriage and was the
de facto ruler for forty years. As noted in the list below of widely-known ruling queens, many ruled in European monarchies.
In the waning days of the twentieth century,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
,
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
,
BelgiumThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
, and the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
amended their acts of succession to primogeniture with no preference as to sex. In some cases the change does not take effect during the lifetimes of people already in the line of succession at the time the law was passed.
In
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, Wu Zetian became the Chinese Empress Regnant and established the Zhou Dynasty (also known as Wu Zhou 武周) after dismissing her sons and becoming the Empress Regnant. Although the
Chrysanthemum ThroneThe Chrysanthemum Throne is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, as in the raised thrones constructed in the Shishin-den for Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun on November 10, 1928...
of
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
is barred to women, this has not always been the case; eight of the ruling empresses of Japan are listed below.
Partial list of queens regnant
The following is a list of some queens who are well-known from popular writings, although many ancient and poorly-documented ruling queens (such as those from Africa and
OceaniaOceania is a geographical, often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. The term "Oceania" was coined in 1831 by French explorer Dumont d'Urville...
) are omitted. A notable queen regnant of antiquity, the
Queen of ShebaThe Queen of Sheba was the woman who ruled the ancient kingdom of Sheba and is referred to in Habeshan history, the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Qur'an....
, had different names and even different locations were attributed to the kingdom of
ShebaSheba was a kingdom mentioned in the Jewish scriptures and the Qur'an...
in various traditions, although the Biblical tradition did not give her name.
Indigenous dynastiesThe term indigenous peoples can be used to describe any ethnic group of people who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest known historical connection, alongside more recent immigrants who have populated the region and may be greater in number...
- Merneith
Merneith was a consort, a regent, and possibly, the fourth pharaoh of Ancient Egypt during the first dynasty. Her rule was in the thirtieth century B.C., for an undetermined period of time. Merneith’s name means Beloved by Neith and her stela contains symbols of that deity...
of the first dynasty
- Nimaethap
Nimaethap was an ancient Egyptian queen of the 3rd dynasty. She was probably the wife of Khasekhemwy and the first Dowager Queen of Egypt that is known with certainty to have acted as regent for her son, Djoser, during the Third dynasty of Egypt. Some consider her to have been reigning Pharaoh in...
of the third dynasty
- Ahhotep I
Ahhotep I , was an Ancient Egyptian queen who lived circa 1560- 1530 BC, during the early New Kingdom...
- Khentkaues
- Nitocris
Nitocris has been claimed to have been the last pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty. Her name is found in the Histories of Herodotus and writings of Manetho but her historicity is questionable....
(disputed)
- Sobekneferu
Sobekneferu was an Egyptian female pharaoh of the Twelfth dynasty. Her name meant "the beauty of Sobek." She was the daughter of Pharaoh Amenemhat III. Manetho states she was also the sister of Amenemhat IV but this claim is unproven...
- Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut , meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies, was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt...
- Ahmose-Nefertari
Ahmose-Nefertari of Ancient Egypt was the royal sister and the great royal wife of pharaoh, Ahmose I. Upon the death of Ahmose I, their heir, Kamose, became pharaoh, but was killed in war. Ahmose-Nefertari then became the regent for another son and ruled until he could attain the age to ascend the...
- Smenkhkare
Smenkhkare is an ephemeral Pharaoh of the late Eighteenth Dynasty of whom very little is known for certain...
(disputed, possibly NefertitiNefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for changing Egypt's religion from a polytheistic religion to a henotheistic religion. They revered only one god, Aten, the sun disc...
or MeritatenMeritaten also spelled Merytaten or Meryetaten was an ancient Egyptian queen of the eighteenth dynasty, who held the position of Great Royal Wife to Pharaoh Smenkhkare, who may have been a brother or son of Akhenaten...
)
- Twosret
Queen Twosret was the last known female king of Egypt of a local indigenous dynasty and the final Pharaoh of the Nineteenth Dynasty. She is recorded in Manetho's Epitome as a certain Thuoris who ruled Egypt for seven years, but this figure included the nearly six year reign of Siptah, her predecessor...
Ptolemaic dynasties
- Berenice I of Egypt
Berenice I, daughter of Magas, was first the wife of Philip, an obscure Macedonian nobleman, with whom she gave birth to Antigone and the future Magas of Cyrene. Upon Philip's death, she came to Egypt as a lady-in-waiting to Eurydice, bride of Ptolemy I, Alexander's general and founder of the...
- Arsinoe I of Egypt
Arsinoe I was queen of Egypt 284/1-ca. 274 BC and first wife of Ptolemy II of Egypt.Arsinoe I was the daughter of Lysimachus, king of Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedon. She bore Ptolemy II's the three children, including his successor Ptolemy III of Egypt. She married Ptolemy II in 284/1 BC...
- Arsinoe II of Egypt
Arsinoe II , was queen of Thrace, Asia Minor and Macedonia as wife of King Lysimachus , and later co-ruler of Egypt with her brother and husband Ptolemy II Philadelphus...
- Berenice II of Egypt
- Arsinoe III of Egypt
Arsinoe III was Queen of Egypt . She was a daughter of Ptolemy III and Berenice II.Between late October and early November 220 BC she was married to her brother, Ptolemy IV...
- Cleopatra I of Egypt
Cleopatra I Syra , c. 204–176 BC was a queen of Ptolemaic Egypt, the daughter of Antiochus III and Laodice III. She married Ptolemy V in 193 BC...
- Cleopatra II of Egypt
Cleopatra II was a queen of Ptolemaic Egypt, daughter of Ptolemy V and Cleopatra I....
- Cleopatra III of Egypt
Cleopatra III was queen of Egypt 142–101 BC.She was born in 161 BC to Ptolemy VI and Cleopatra II of Egypt. Ptolemy VII Neos Philopater was her brother. After the death of her father, her brother became the King of Egypt, and her mother was regent. In an attempt to gain control of Cleopatra...
- Cleopatra IV of Egypt
Cleopatra IV was the daughter of Ptolemy VIII Physcon and Cleopatra III . She reigned as Queen of Egypt briefly from 116-115 BC, jointly with her husband Ptolemy IX Lathyros. She later became queen consort of Syria.She married Lathyros, her brother, in 116 BC, and thus became joint ruler of Egypt...
- Berenice III of Egypt
Berenice III , sometimes called Cleopatra Berenice, ruled as queen of Egypt from 81 to 80 BC, and possibly from 101 to 88 BC jointly with her uncle/husband Ptolemy X Alexander...
- Cleopatra V of Egypt
Cleopatra V Tryphaena of Egypt was a Ptolemaic Queen of Egypt. She is the only surely attested wife of Ptolemy XII.-Descent and marriage:...
- Cleopatra VI of Egypt
Cleopatra VI Tryphaena was an Egyptian Ptolemaic queen. She may be identical with Cleopatra V.There were at least two, perhaps three Ptolemaic women called Cleopatra Tryphaena:...
- Berenice IV of Egypt
Berenice IV , born in Alexandria, Egypt in 77 BC, died in Alexandria 55 BC, was the daughter of Ptolemy XII of Egypt and probably Cleopatra V of Egypt Tryphaena, sister of Cleopatra VI Tryphaena of Egypt, and the famous Cleopatra VII . Berenice loved fashion, parties, and jewels...
- Cleopatra VII of Egypt
Cleopatra VII Philopator was the last effective pharaoh of Egypt's Ptolemaic dynasty. She originally shared power with her father Ptolemy XII and later with her brothers Ptolemy XIII and Ptolemy XIV, whom she also married, but eventually gained sole rule...
- Arsinoe IV of Egypt
Arsinoë IV was the youngest daughter of Ptolemy XII Auletes, half-sister of Ptolemy XIII and Cleopatra VII, and one of the last rulers of the Ptolemaic dynasty of ancient Egypt...
EthiopiaEthiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast. Its size is 1,100,000 km² with an...
- Makeda, claimed to be Queen of Sheba
- Zewditu, Empress of Ethiopia.
MadagascarMadagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the fourth-largest island in the world, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are endemic to...
- Ranavalona I
Ranavalona I was a Merina Queen of Madagascar. After succeeding her husband, Radama I, and becoming Queen, she was also known as Ranavalo-Manjaka I...
- Rasoherina
Rasoherina was Queen of Madagascar from 1863 to 1868, succeeding her assassinated husband Radama II....
- Ranavalona II
- Ranavalona III
Ranavalona III was the last Queen of Imerina, a kingdom which dominated what is now Madagascar, from 1883 to 28 February 1897, when she was deposed by France, who subsequently ruled the island as a colony.The Queen, the daughter of Andriantsimianatra, was born at Amparibe as Princess...
NubiaNubia is the region in the south of Egypt, along the Nile and in northern Sudan. Most of Nubia is situated in Sudan with about a quarter of its territory in Egypt...
KandakeKandake or Kentake, also known as Candace, was the title for queens and queen mothers of the ancient African empire of Kush...
was a title for queens, queen mothers, and queens consort in
NubiaNubia is the region in the south of Egypt, along the Nile and in northern Sudan. Most of Nubia is situated in Sudan with about a quarter of its territory in Egypt...
, but ruling
KandakeKandake or Kentake, also known as Candace, was the title for queens and queen mothers of the ancient African empire of Kush...
s may have included
- Candace of Meroe (c. 345-332 BCE)
- Alakhebasken (c. 295 BCE)
- Shanakdakhete
Shanakdakhete was a ruling queen of Kush, when the Kingdom was centered at Meroe. She is the earliest known ruling queen of Nubia, and reigned from about 177 to 155 BC ....
(177-155 BCE)
- Amanikhabale (50-40 BCE)
- Amanirenas
Amanirenas was a warrior-queen of Kush, who challenged the Romans who took over Egypt after the passing of Cleopatra VII. She reigned from about 40 BCE to 10 BCE. She is one of the most famous kandakes, because of her role leading Kushites armies against the Romans from in a war that lasted five...
(40-10 BCE)
- Amanishakheto
Amanishakheto was a kandake of Nubia. She seems to have reigned from 10 BCE to 1 CE, although most dates of Nubian history before the Middle Ages are very uncertain.Amanishakheto is known from several monuments...
(c. 10 BCE-1 CE)
- Amanitore
Amanitore was a Nubian Candace, a ruling queen of the ancient Kushitic Kingdom of Meroë, which also is referred to as Nubia in many ancient sources. An alternate spelling is Kandace, Kandake, or Kentake. In Egyptian hieroglyphics the throne name of Amanitore reads as Merkare...
(1 CE-20 CE)
- Amanikhatashan
Amanikhatashan was a ruling queen of Kush . Her proper title is Kandake. Her pyramid is at Meroe in the Sudan. She was preceded by Amanitenmemide and succeeded by Teritnide....
(62-85)
- Maleqorobar (266-283)
- Lahideamani (306-314)
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
There has been only one empress regnant documented in Chinese history, Wu Zetian, but there have been many powerful empress consorts or empress
dowagerA dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
s, some of whom effectively ruled, as noted below. Powerful empress consorts or empress dowagers were
de facto rulers, but not
de jure empress regnants. A concubine who gave birth to a crown prince also could become empress dowager, although her status still was a little lower than an empress dowager who had been the former empress consort.
- Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian , personal name Wu Zhao , often referred to as Tian Hou during Tang Dynasty and Empress Consort Wu in later times, was the only woman in the history of China to assume the title of Empress Regnant...
武則天 (ruled 684-705, reigned 690-705) - the sole official Chinese Empress Regnant, the empress consort of Tang GaozongEmperor Gaozong of Tang , personal name Li Zhi , was the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683...
, the mother of Tang ZhongzongEmperor Zhongzong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Xiǎn , at times during his life Li Zhe and Wu Xian , was the fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710.Emperor Zhongzong was the son of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Empress Wu...
and Tang RuizongEmperor Ruizong of Tang , personal name Lǐ Dàn , known at times during his life as Li Xulun , Li Lun , Wu Lun , and Wu Dan , was the fifth and ninth emperor of Tang Dynasty...
, she established the Zhou Dynasty (also known as Wu Zhou 武周) after dismissing her sons and becoming the Empress Regnant
- Empress Lü Zhi
Empress Lü Zhi , commonly known as Empress Dowager Lü or formally as Empress Gao , was the wife of Emperor Gao of the Han Dynasty. They had two known children—the eventual Emperor Hui and Princess Luyuan...
(ruled 195BC-180BC) - the empress consort of Emperor Gaozu of Han
- Empress Dou (Wen)
Empress Dou , formally Empress Xiaowen , was a Chinese empress during the Han Dynasty who greatly influenced the reigns of her husband Emperor Wen and her son Emperor Jing with her adherence of Taoist philosophy...
- the empress consort of Emperor Wen of HanEmperor Wen of Han was an emperor of the Han Dynasty in China. His given name is Heng.Liu Heng was a son of Emperor Gao of Han and Consort Bo, later empress dowager...
- Empress Deng Sui
Empress Deng Sui , formally Empress Hexi was an empress during Han Dynasty. She was Emperor He's second wife. She later, as empress dowager, served as regent for his son Emperor Shang and nephew Emperor An, and was regarded as an able and diligent administrator...
(ruled 105-121) - the empress consort of Emperor He of HanEmperor He of Han, ch. 漢和帝, py. hàn hé dì, wg. Han Ho-ti, was an emperor of the Chinese Han Dynasty who ruled from 88 to 105. He was the 4th emperor of the Eastern Han dynasty....
- Empress Chu Suanzi
Empress Chu Suanzi , formally Empress Kangxian , at times as Empress Dowager Chongde , was an empress of Jin Dynasty...
- the empress consort of Emperor Kang of JinEmperor Kang of Jin , personal name Sima Yue , courtesy name Shitong , was an emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty . He was a son of Emperor Ming and younger brother of Emperor Cheng...
- Empress Feng (Wencheng)
Empress Feng , formally Empress Wenming was an empress of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei. Her husband was Emperor Wencheng...
- the empress consort of Emperor Wencheng of Northern WeiEmperor Wencheng of Northern Wei , personal name Tuoba Jun , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
- Empress Dowager Hu (Xiaoming)
Empress Dowager Hu , formally Empress Ling , was an empress dowager of the Chinese dynasty Northern Wei. She was a concubine of Emperor Xuanwu, and she became regent and empress dowager after her son Emperor Xiaoming became emperor after Emperor Xuanwu's death in 515...
- the concubine of Emperor Xuanwu of Northern WeiTuoba Ke , later Yuan Ke was known as Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei during the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei....
, the mother of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern WeiEmperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei , personal name Yuan Xu , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei dynasty Northern Wei...
- Empress Dugu Qieluo
Empress Dugu Qieluo , formally Empress Xian , was an empress of the Chinese dynasty Sui Dynasty...
- the empress consort of Emperor Wen of SuiEmperor Wen of Sui , personal name Yang Jian , also known by the Xianbei name Puliuru Jian during Northern Zhou, nickname Naluoyan , was the founder and first emperor of China's Sui Dynasty. He was a hard-working administrator and a micromanager...
- Empress Xiao (Taizu) (ruled 926-947) - the empress consort of Emperor Taizu of Liao
Taizu of the Liao Dynasty was emperor of the Khitan Empire . His given name was Abaoji . Some sources also suggest that the surname Yelü Taizu of the Liao Dynasty was emperor of the Khitan Empire (907-926). His given name was Abaoji (阿保機). Some sources also suggest that the surname Yelü Taizu of...
- Empress Xiao
Empress Xiao was married to Emperor Jingzong of Liao. At his death in 982, she became regent for her son Shengzong. She commanded her own army of 10,000 cavalry which she stayed at the head of until she was over the age of sixty....
(ruled 975-1009) - the empress consort of Emperor Jingzong of LiaoEmperor Jingzong of Liao Dynasty reigned from 969 to 982.Yēlǜ Zōngzhēn succeeded Muzong in 969 after Muzong was murdered in a hunting trip. He had support from both Khitan and Han officials....
- Empress Liu (ruled 1020-1033) - the empress consort of Emperor Zhenzong of Song
Emperor Zhenzong was the third emperor of the Song Dynasty of China. He reigned from 997 to 1022. Zhenzong was the third son of Emperor Taizong. His personal name was Zhao Heng and his temple name Zhenzong means "True Ancestor".Zhenzong's reign was noted for the consolidation of power and the...
- Empress Gao (ruled 1085-1093) - the empress consort of Emperor Yingzong of Song
Emperor Yingzong was the fifth emperor of the Song Dynasty of China. His personal name was originally Zhao Zongshi but he later changed it to Zhao Shu. He reigned from 1063 to 1067...
- Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang - the concubine of Emperor Huang Taiji, the mother of Shunzhi Emperor
The Shunzhi Emperor was the second emperor of the Manchu-led Qing dynasty, and the first Qing emperor to rule over China proper from 1644 to 1661...
, the grandmother of Kangxi EmperorThe Kangxi Emperor was the third Emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, from 1661 to 1722...
- Empress Dowager Ci'an
The Empress Dowager Ci'an 1837 - 8 April 1881, popularly known in China as the East Empress Dowager , before she was widowed known as Empress Zhen , and officially known posthumously as the Xiaozhen Empress , was the second Empress Consort of the Xianfeng Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in...
(ruled 1861-1881) - the empress consort of Xianfeng EmperorThe Xianfeng Emperor , born Yizhu, was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Early years:...
- Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi
1 , popularly known in China as the West Dowager Empress , was from the Manchu Yehe Nara Clan...
(ruled 1861-1908) - the concubine of Xianfeng EmperorThe Xianfeng Emperor , born Yizhu, was the eighth Emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1850 to 1861.-Early years:...
- the mother of Tongzhi EmperorThe Tongzhi Emperor , born Zaichun, was the ninth emperor of the Manchu-led Qing Dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China, from 1861 to 1875. His reign, which effectively lasted through his adolescence, was largely overshadowed by the rule of his mother, the Empress Dowager Cixi...
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Queen Himiko, of Yamatai
was an ancient country in Wa during the late Yayoi period. The circa 297 CE Chinese history Sanguo Zhi first records Yamataikoku as the domain of shaman Queen Himiko...
- Queen Toyo, of Yamatai
- Empress Jingū (ruled 206–209?) — legendary and possibly mythical; removed from the list of Emperors in the nineteenth century
- Empress Iitoyo
- Empress Suiko
}} was the 33rd tenno of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the first of eight women to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne...
(554-628), (ruled 593–628) — first ruling empress
- Empress Kōgyoku
Empress Kōgyoku , also Empress Saimei was the 35th and 37th sovereign empress of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
(594-661), (ruled 642–645) — formerly Princess Takara (Empress Consort of Jomei)
- Empress Saimei (594-661), (ruled 655–661) - same person as Empress Kōgyoku, second reign under a second name
- Empress Jitō
was the 41st imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. She was the fourth woman to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. Her reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.-Genealogy:...
(645-702), (ruled 690–697)
- Empress Gemmei
was the 43rd imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This sovereign is sometimes identified as Empress Genmyō. She was the fifth woman to ascend to the Chrysanthemum Throne...
(661-721), (ruled 707–715)
- Empress Genshō
Empress Genshō was the 44th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. She was the sixth woman to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne...
(680-748), (ruled 715–724) — formerly Princess Hidaka
- Empress Kōken
Empress Shōtoku was both the 46th and the 48th imperial ruler of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. The period in which she was the reigning sovereign stretched from 749 through the year of her death in 770.Shōtoku initially ruled as Empress Kōken from 749 to 758...
(718-770), (ruled 749–758)
- Empress Shōtoku (718-770), (ruled 764–770) - same person as Empress Kōken, second reign under a second name
- Empress Meishō
Empress Meishō was the 109th Monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. She was the seventh woman to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. The years of her reign spanned the period from December 22, 1629 to November 14, 1643.-Genealogy:She was the second daughter of Emperor...
(1624-1696), (ruled 1629–1643)
- Empress Go-Sakuramachi
Empress Go-Sakuramachi was the 117th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. She is the last and most recent woman to reign as Empress regnant, out of eight in the history of Japan. She was the eighth woman to ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne...
(1740-1813), (ruled 1762–1771) — most recent ruling empress
KoreaKorea is a civilization and formerly unified nation currently divided into two states. Located on the Korean Peninsula, it borders China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the east by the Korea Strait....
- Queen Seondeok of Silla
Seondeok reigned as Queen of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 632 to 647. She was Silla's twenty-seventh ruler, and its first reigning queen.-Selection as Heiress:...
(ruled 632-647)
- Jindeok of Silla
Queen Jindeok of Silla reigned as Queen of Silla, one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, from 647 to 654. She was the kingdom's 28th ruler, and its second reigning queen following her predecessor Queen Seondeok...
(ruled 647-652)
- Jinseong of Silla
Queen Jinseong of Silla was the fifty-first to ruler of the Korean kingdom, Silla. She was also Silla's third and final reigning queen . Her reign saw the end of Unified Silla and the beginning of the Later Three Kingdoms period.Jinseong was the daughter of King Gyeongmun...
(ruled 887-897)
MongoliaMongolia is a landlocked country in East and Central Asia. It borders Russia to the north and the People's Republic of China to the south, east and west. Although Mongolia does not share a border with Kazakhstan, its western-most point is only 24 miles from Kazakhstan's eastern tip. Ulan Bator,...
- Töregene Khatun
Töregene Khatun was a Khatun and regent of the Mongol Empire from the death of her husband Ögedei Khan in 1241 until the election of her eldest son Güyük Khan in 1246. She was effectively the temporary Great Khatun of the Mongol Empire....
(ruled 1242-1246)
- Oghul Qaimish
Oghul Qaimish was the principal wife of Güyük Khan and ruled as regent over the Mongol empire after the death of her husband in 1248. She was a descendant from the Merkit tribe. However, H.H.Howorth believed that she was an Oirat.- Life :...
(ruled 1248-1251)
- Mandukhai Khatun
Mandukhai Khatun was the Empress of Mongolian Khaganate . She united the Mongols with her husband Dayan Khan and overthrew Oirat rule....
(ruled 1479-1510?)
Viet Nam
- Trưng Sisters
The Trung Sisters , known in Vietnamese as Hai Bà Trưng , and individually as Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị , were two 1st century Vietnamese women leaders who successfully repelled Chinese invasions for three years, and are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam.The sisters were born in Northern...
(ruled 40-43)
- Isanavarman of Champa (ruled ?-653)
- Lý Chiêu Hoàng
Lý Chiêu Hoàng , empress of Vietnam, was the last ruler of the Lý Dynasty. She ascended to the throne at the age of seven in 1225, when she was appointed to power by her ailing father Lý Huệ Tông, on the advice of Trần Thủ Độ...
(ruled 1224-1225)
- Nguyễn Thị Anh
Nguyễn Thị Anh was a queen of Vietnam, mother of the Vietnamese King Lê Nhân Tông, and effective head of state of Vietnam from 1451 until she allowed a servant to kill her in 1459 to avoid being captured or killed in a coup....
(ruled 1451-1459)
Middle East
Greater IranGreater Iran refers to the regions that have significant Iranian cultural influence...
- Tomyris
Tomyris, from the Persian تهمرییش Tahm-Rayiš, was a queen who reigned over the Massagetae, an Iranic people of Central Asia east of the Caspian Sea, at approximately 530 B.C.-History:...
, queen of the MassagetaeThe Massageteans or Massagetaeans were an Iranian nomadic confederation in antiquity known primarily from the writings of Herodotus. Their name was probably akin to Getae and Thyssagetae.-Customs:According to Herodotus:...
(ruled c. 530 BC)
- Borandukht, (ruled 630-631)
- Azarmidokht
Azarmidokht was the twenty-seventh Sassanid Monarch of Persia, and daughter of Khosrau II. She ruled Persia after her sister Purandokht.After the death of her father Khosrau II anarchy spread in the Sassanid empire. The subsequent rulers could stay for only a relatively brief time on the throne,...
, (sister of Borandukht, ruled 631)
CrusaderA crusader is someone who participates in a crusade.Crusader may also refer to:In the military:* Crusader tank, a British cruiser tank of World War II* Operation Crusader, a British attack in North African campaign in World War II...
Kingdom of JerusalemThe Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 after the First Crusade. It lasted nearly two hundred years, from 1099 until 1291 when the last remaining possession, Acre, was destroyed by the Mamluks....
- Yolande of Jerusalem
For Isabella of England, the daughter of Edward III of England and Philippa of Hainault, see Isabella de Coucy.Isabella II , also known as Yolande of Brienne, was a princess of French origin who became monarch of Jerusalem.-Infant Queen:Isabella II was the only child of Maria of Montferrat, Queen...
, also known as Isabella II of Jerusalem, (ruled 1212–1228)
South AsiaSouth Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries on the west and the east...
Mamluk Dynasty
- Raziyyat-ud-din Sultana of Slave Dynasty
The Mamluk Dynasty or Ghulam Dynasty , directed into India by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, a Turkic general of Central Asian birth, was the first of five unrelated dynasties to rule India's Delhi Sultanate from 1206 to 1290...
(ruled 1236-1240)
Princely States
Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of
TravancoreTravancore was a princely state from the Indian subcontinent, with its capital at Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. It comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, the Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of Tamil Nadu. Its ruler was accorded a 19-gun salute during the...
(ruled 1811-1814)
The
Begums of BopalThe term Begum of Bhopal may refer to any of several ladies who ruled the princely state of Bhopal in Central India in the 19th and 20th centuries...
were several women who ruled the
princely stateThere were as many as 568 states in India before independence. A Princely State was a nominally sovereign entity of British rule in India that was not directly administered by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule such as suzerainty or paramountcy.-The British...
of
BhopalBhopal state was an independent state of 18th century India, a princely state of India from 1818 to 1947, and an Indian state from 1949 to 1956...
in Central
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
in the 19th and 20th centuries.
-
- Qudsia Begum, Regent of Bhopal (regent from 1819-1837)
- Nawab Sikandar Begum (ruled from 1860-1868)
- Begum Sultan Shah Jehan
Sultan Shahjahan Begum, GCSI, CI, KIH was the Begum of Bhopal for two times: 1844-60, and secondly during 1868-1901....
(ruled from 1844-1860 and 1868-1901)
- Begum Kaikhusrau Jahan
Nawab Begum Sultan Kaikhusrau Jahan was a notable and progressive Begum of Bhopal who ruled from 1901 to 1926.-Early Life:...
(ruled from 1901-1926)
- Begum Sajida Sultan
Sajida Sultan was a Begum of Bhopal in her own right, and consort to a Nawab of Pataudi.Sajida was the second daughter of Nawab Hamidullah Khan, last ruling Nawab of Bhopal...
(ruled from 1961-1995)
AcehAceh is a special territory of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Nanggröe Aceh Darussalam. Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin.It is thought to have been in Aceh where Islam was first established in Southeast Asia...
- Seri Ratu Niharsyah the Sultana of Samudera Pasai
- Seri Ratu Ta'jul Alam Shah the Sultana of Atjeh (Aceh) Darussalam, formerly known as Puteri Seri Alam the Daughter of The Great Sultan Iskandar Muda
Iskandar Muda was the twelfth Sultan of Aceh, under whom the sultanate achieved its greatest territorial extent, and was the strongest power and wealthiest state in the western Indonesian archipelago and the Strait of Malacca. "Iskandar Muda" literally means "young Alexander," and his conquests...
, and wife of Sultan Iskandar ThaniIskandar Thani Alauddin Mughayat Syah was the thirteenth sultan of Aceh, following the powerful Iskandar Muda. Iskandar Thani was the son of the sultan of Pahang, Ahmad Syah, who was brought to Aceh in the conquest of Pahang in 1617 by Iskandar Muda...
(ruled Atjeh for nearly 36 years)
- Seri Ratu Keumalat Shah the god-daughter of Ratu Ta'jul Alam
- Seri Ratu Inayat Shah the god-daughter of Ratu Ta'jul Alam
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
- Pulcheria
Aelia Pulcheria was the daughter of the Eastern Roman Emperor Arcadius, a great influence on her brother Theodosius II and wife to Emperor Marcian. She is honoured as a saint by the Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches....
- Irene
- Theodora the Armenian
- Theodora the Macedonian
GeorgiaGeorgia Georgia Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan...
- Tamar
Tamar , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia from 1184 to 1213...
- Rusudan
Queen Rusudan , from the Bagrationi dynasty, ruled Georgia in 1223-1245.- Life :Daughter of Queen Tamar of Georgia by David Soslan, she succeeded her brother Giorgi IV Lasha on January 18, 1223. Giorgi’s untimely death marked the beginning of the end of the Georgian “golden age”...
GeorgiaGeorgia Georgia Georgia is a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Situated at the juncture of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the south by Turkey and Armenia, and to the east by Azerbaijan...
- Tamar
Tamar , of the Bagrationi dynasty, was Queen Regnant of Georgia from 1184 to 1213...
- Rusudan
Queen Rusudan , from the Bagrationi dynasty, ruled Georgia in 1223-1245.- Life :Daughter of Queen Tamar of Georgia by David Soslan, she succeeded her brother Giorgi IV Lasha on January 18, 1223. Giorgi’s untimely death marked the beginning of the end of the Georgian “golden age”...
Europe
BosniaHistorically and geographically, the region known as Bosnia lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders...
- Helen the Tough
Jelena Gruba was the Queen regnant of Bosnia from 1395 to 1398. She was the only female ruler of Bosnia.Jelena came from the noble House of Nikolić, which ruled a part of Zachlumia....
(elected after her husband's death, ruled 1395-1398)
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
- Margaret I
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century.-Name:...
, Queen of Denmark (ruled 1375–1412), Queen of Norway (ruled 1388–1412), Queen of Sweden (ruled 1389–1412)
- Margaret II
Margrethe II is the Queen of Denmark...
(ruled 1972–present)
HungaryHungary , in English officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Its capital is Budapest. Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU, V4 and is a Schengen state...
- Mary
Mary was queen regnant of Hungary from 1382 until her death in 1395.-Childhood:...
(ruled 1382-1385 and 1386-1395)
- Maria Theresa
(ruled 1740-1780)
Navarra
- Joan I
Joan I , the daughter of king Henry I of Navarre and Blanche of Artois, reigned as queen regnant of Navarre and also served as queen consort of France.-Life:...
(ruled 1274-1305)
- Joan II
Joan II of Navarre was Queen of Navarre 1328–1349. She was the only daughter of King Louis X of France and his first wife, Margaret of Burgundy...
(ruled 1328-1349)
- Blanche I
Blanche I of Navarre was Queen of Navarre from 1425 to 1441.-Life:She was the daughter of King Charles III of Navarre and infanta Eleanor of Castile ....
(ruled 1425–1441)
- Eleanor I
Eleanor of Aragon , Regent and the queen regnant of Navarre in 1479...
(ruled in 1479)
- Catherine I de Foix
Catherine , was Queen of Navarre , duchess of Gandia, Montblanc, and Peñafiel, countess of Foix, Bigorre, and Ribagorza, and viscountess of Béarn....
(ruled 1483–1517)
- Joan III (ruled 1555-1572)
The Netherlands
- Wilhelmina
Wilhelmina was queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from 1890 to 1948. She ruled the Netherlands for fifty-eight years, longer than any other Dutch monarch. Her reign saw World War I and World War II, the economic crisis of 1933, and the decline of the Netherlands as a major colonial...
(ruled 23 November 1890 – 4 September 1948)
- Juliana
Juliana was Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands from her mother's abdication in 1948 to her own in 1980.-Early life:...
(ruled 4 September 1948 – 30 April 1980)
- Beatrix
Beatrix has been the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands since 30 April 1980, when her mother, Queen Juliana, abdicated.-Early life:...
(ruled 30 April 1980 – present)
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
- Jadwiga of Poland
Jadwiga was a monarch of Poland from 1384 to her death. Her official title was 'king' rather than 'queen', reflecting that she was a sovereign in her own right and not merely a royal consort. She was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the daughter of King Louis I of Hungary and Elisabeth...
(ruled 1384-1386) - was crowned as, Rex Poloniae, King of Poland, to emphasize that she was monarch in her own right
- Anna Jagiellon
Anna the Jagiellonian , daughter of Poland's King Sigismund I the Old, wife of Stefan Batory. She was elected, along with her then fiance, Stefan Batory, as co-ruler in the second election of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth...
(ruled 1575-1595)
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
- Beatrice of Portugal
Beatrice was the only daughter of King Ferdinand I of Portugal and his wife, Leonor Telles de Menezes, a Portuguese noble woman...
(ruled de jure 1383-1385)
- Maria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious, Maria the Mad, she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
(ruled 1777-1816)
- Maria II of Portugal
Maria II da Glória was Queen of Portugal from 1826 to 1853. She was the second Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves, and the 29th or 30th Portuguese monarch.-Life:...
(ruled 1826-1828 and 1834-1853)
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
- Catherine I of Russia
Catherine I , the second wife of Peter the Great, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1725 until her death.-Lowly origins:...
(ruled 1725-1727)
- Anna of Russia
Anna Ivanovna reigned as Duchess of Courland from 1711 to 1730 and as Empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.-Accession to the throne:Anna was the daughter of Ivan V of Russia, as well as the niece of Peter the Great...
(ruled 1730-1740)
- Elizabeth of Russia
Elizaveta Petrovna , also known as Yelisavet and Elizabeth, was the Empress of Russia who took the country into the War of Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War...
(ruled 1741-1762)
- Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II , also known as Catherine the Great, born . She was Empress of Russia from until . Under her direct auspices the Russian Empire expanded, improved its administration, and continued to modernize along Western European lines...
(ruled 1762-1796)
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, CastileThe Crown of Castile, as a historic entity, is usually considered to have begun in 1230 with the third and almost definitive union of the monarchies of kingdoms Castile and Toledo in one hand, and the kingdoms of Leon and Galicia in other hand, and with the union of their parliaments a few decades...
, AragonThe Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.At the height of its power by the 14th and 15th centuries, the Crown of Aragon was a thalassocracy controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain, Southwestern France, as well as...
- Petronila of Aragon
Petronila Ramírez , whose name is also spelled Petronilla or Petronella , was Queen of Aragon from 1137 until 1164. She was the daughter and successor of Ramiro II and Agnes of Aquitaine.Petronila came to the throne through special circumstances...
- Urraca of Castile
Urraca of León was Queen of Galicia, León and Castile from 1109 to her death. She was the first woman ever to reign in a western European monarchy. Urraca was the daughter of Alfonso VI of León by his second wife, Constance of Burgundy...
- Berenguela of Castile
Berengaria , was briefly queen of Castile and León. The eldest daughter of Alfonso VIII of Castile and Eleanor of England, she was briefly engaged to Conrad II, Duke of Swabia, but he was murdered in 1196 before they could be married.-Marriage:Berengaria married King Alfonso IX of León in 1198, but...
- Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I was Queen of Castile and León. She and her husband, Ferdinand II of Aragon, laid the foundation for the political unification of Spain under their grandson, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor....
- Joanna of Castile
Joanna , called Joanna the Mad reigned as Queen of Castile jointly with her husband Philip the Handsome and later also as Queen of Aragon jointly with her son the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. She is most famous for having been obsessed with her husband, never recovering from his loss...
- Isabella II of Spain
Isabella II was Queen regnant of Spain She was Spain's first and so far only queen regnant, although she is sometimes considered the third Queen Regnant of Spain, as previous monarchs of Leon and Castile were counted...
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
- Margaret
Margaret I was Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden , and founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century.-Name:...
(ruled 1389–1412)
- Christina
Christina , later known as Christina Alexandra and sometimes Countess Dohna, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 1632 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden and his wife Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg...
(ruled 1632 – 5 June 1654)
- Ulrika Eleonora the Younger
Ulrika Eleonora , also known as Ulrika Eleonora the Younger, was Queen regnant of Sweden from 30 November 1718 to 29 February 1720, and then Queen consort until her death....
(ruled 30 November 1718 – 29 February 1720)
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, CommonwealthA Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 132 million; all but about two million live in the six most populous states, the United...
, EnglandThe Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state and island country to the northwest of continental Europe. At its zenith, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands—what is today the legal unit of...
, Great BritainThe Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a sovereign state in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801...
, ScotlandThe Kingdom of Scotland was a state in North-West Europe which existed from 843 until 1707...
- Queen Gwendolen
Queen Gwendolen was a legendary ruler of Britain, whose life is described in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae. According to Geoffrey, she was the wife of King Locrinus of the Britons until she defeated him in battle and took on the leadership of Britain herself.Gwendolen was the...
, legendary Queen of the Britons according to Geoffrey of Monmouth
- Queen Cordelia
Queen Cordelia was a legendary Queen of the Britons, as recounted by Geoffrey of Monmouth. She was the youngest daughter of Leir and the second ruling queen of Britain....
, legendary Queen of the Britons according to Geoffrey of Monmouth
- Boudica
Boudica , formerly known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug") was a queen of the Brittonic Iceni tribe of what is now known as East Anglia in England, who led an uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire.Boudica's husband, Prasutagus, an Icenian king who had...
, queen of the Brythonic Celtic Iceni people of Norfolk in Eastern Britain who, in 61 AD, led a major uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire
- Matilda (or Maud) of England (named, but never ruled 1141 because her title was usurped) styled herself as Lady of the English, although Queen of the English was not unknown; she was named heir by her father, Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, upon securing the loyalty of nobles of the realm, but Count Stephen of Blois contradicted his promise after the king's death and made himself King of England instead; civil war ensued and was ended when the crown was secured to Matilda's (or Maud's) son, Henry II of EnglandHenry II, called Curtmantle ruled as King of England , Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France...
, who became the first king of the House of PlantagenetThe House of Plantagenet , or First House of Anjou, was a royal house founded by Henry II of England, son of Geoffrey V of Anjou. The Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their male line originated in Gâtinais, while their direct ancestors had ruled the County...
- Margaret, the Maid of Norway (heir 19 March 1286 – 26 September 1290) - she was the daughter of Eirik II of Norway
Eirik Magnusson was the king of Norway from 1280 until 1299.He was the eldest surviving son of king Magnus the Lawmender of Norway, and his wife Ingeborg Eriksdatter, daughter of king Eric IV of Denmark...
and Margaret, daughter of Alexander IIIAlexander III , King of Scots, was born at Roxburgh, the only son of Alexander II by his second wife Marie de Coucy...
, she died during the sea journey to Scotland before being inaugurated
- Mary I, Queen of Scots
Mary I was Queen of Scots from 14 December 1542 to 24 July 1567. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King James V. She was six days old when her father died and made her Queen of Scots...
(ruled 14 December 1542 – 24 July 1567) - she became queen when she was six days old, was crowned at age five, and promptly engaged to the Dauphin of France - the future Francis IIFrancis II Francis II Francis II (19 January 1544 – 5 December 1560, King-consort of Scotland (1558–1560), and King of France (1559 – 1560), was born at the Royal Chateau at Fontainebleau, the son of Henry II, King of France (31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) and Catherine de'...
- Lady Jane Grey
Lady Jane Grey was a claimant to the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Ireland. She was de facto monarch of England for just over a week in 1553....
(ruled 10 July – 19 July 1553) – her cousin Edward VI of EnglandEdward VI became King of England and Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine. The son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, Edward was the third monarch of the Tudor dynasty and England's first Protestant ruler. During Edward’s reign, the realm was governed by a...
appointed her successor by removing his older half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth from the order of succession as illegitimate heirs; this decision had not been approved by Parliament and was open to questions of its legality; Mary was the heir according to the will of their father Henry VIII of EnglandHenry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was also Lord of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of France. Henry was the second monarch of the House of Tudor, succeeding his father, Henry VII.Henry VIII was a significant figure in the history of the English monarchy...
and was elevated to the throne through revolt; nevertheless, without consideration to Celtic queens such as Boudica, Jane is sometimes referred to as England's first queen regnant; she is called The Nine Days Queen because of the brief period of her reign
- Mary I of England
Mary I , was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 19 July 1553 until her death. She was the oldest daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. The fourth crowned monarch of the Tudor dynasty, she is remembered for restoring England to Roman Catholicism after succeeding her short-lived...
(ruled 19 July 1553 – 17 November 1558) - elevated to the throne in accordance with Henry VIII's will, she is reckoned the first or second queen regnant and subsequent years of her reign as though Jane had never been Queen
- Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called the Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
(ruled 17 November 1558 – 24 March 1603) - her elder sister Mary I attempted to remove her from the order of succession; she succeeded her childless older half-sister and led England to one of its richest periods in history, known as the Elizabethan Age; she died childless
- Mary II of England
Mary II reigned as Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 1689 until her death. Mary, a Protestant, came to the thrones following the Glorious Revolution, which resulted in the deposition of her Roman Catholic father, James II and VII...
, Mary II, Queen of Scots (ruled 13 February, 11 April 1689 – 28 December 1694) - co-reigned with her husband William IIIWilliam III was a sovereign Prince of Orange by birth. From 1672 he governed as Stadtholder William III of Orange over Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, and Overijssel of the Dutch Republic. From 1689 he reigned as William III over England and Ireland, and as William II over Scotland...
; they were given the throne by Parliament after the same deposed James IIJames II & VII was King of England and Ireland as James II, and Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
during the so-called Glorious RevolutionThe Glorious Revolution, also called the Revolution of 1688, was the overthrow of King James II of England in 1688 by a union of Parliamentarians with an invading army led by the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau who, as a result, ascended the English throne as William III of England...
of 1688
- Anne, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland and later, Queen of Great Britain and Queen of Ireland
Anne became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702, succeeding her brother-in-law, William III of England and II of Scotland...
(ruled 8 March 1702 – 1 August 1714)
- Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837, and the first Empress of India of the British Raj from 1 May 1876, until her death...
(ruled 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901)
- Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
(ruled 6 February 1952 - present)
AncientAncient Hawaii refers to the period of Hawaiian human history preceding the unification of the Kingdom of Hawaii by Kamehameha the Great in 1810. After being first settled by Polynesian long-distance navigators sometime between AD.300-800, a unique culture developed. Diversified agroforestry and...
- Kūkaniloko
Kūkaniloko was the 11th Alii Aimoku of Oahu. She reign as the titluar chieftain or Queen of the island of Oahu and all its territories it may of claim at the time. She was Oahu's first queen regnant and of all eight islands...
, 11th Moi of OahuOahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the State of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, (ruled sixteenth century)
- Kalaimanuia
Kalaimanuia was the 12th Alii Aimoku of Oahu. She reign as the titular sovereign chieftain or Queen of the island of Oahu and all its territories it may of claim at the time. She was Oahu's last queen regnant until Liliuokalani, the last queen of all of the Hawaiian Islands. Sometimes referred...
, 12th Moi of OahuOahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the State of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
, (ruled 1600-1665)
- Kamakahelei
Kamakahelei Kamakahelei Kamakahelei (c. 18th century - 1794, was Alii Aimoku, or Queen regnant, of the islands of Kauai. She was the 22nd ruling chiefess of Kauai reigning from 1770 - 1794. In some historical reference she has been described as a regent for her sons Keawe and Kaumualii...
, 22nd Moi of KauaiKauai or Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago and the 21st largest island in the United States...
, (ruled 1770 - 1794)
- Kaikilani
Kaikilani, 1550 - 1605 was the 17th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii 1575 - 1605. She ruled as the sovereign Queen or Chieftess of the island of Hawaii. She was also known as Ka'ikilani'ali'iwahine'opuna...
, 17th Moi of Hawaii Island, (ruled 1575-1605)
- Keakamahana
Keaka-mahana was the 19th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii island 1635–1665. She ruled as sovereign Queen or Chieftess of the island from the royal complex at Holualoa Bay....
, 19th Moi of Hawaii Island, {ruled 1635-1665)
- Keakealaniwahine
Keakealani-wahine 1640 - 1695, was the 20th Alii Aimoku of Hawaii from 1665 - 1695. She was the sovereign queen or chieftess of The Big Island....
, 20th Moi of Hawaii Island, (ruled 1665-1695)
- Kalanikauleleiaiwi
Kalanikauleleiaiwi was Big Island Princess and the Co-ruler of Hawaii along with her brother Keaweikekahiali`iokamoku the 21st Ali'i Aimoku of Hawaii in the late 17th century and early 18th century. She was the great grandmother of Kamehameha I who became the first official King of Hawaii...
, co-ruler of Hawaii Island along with her brother Keaweikekahialiiokamoku, (ruled 1695-1725)
- Ululani, Chiefess of Hilo
- Hualani, Chiefess of Molokai
Molokai or Molokai ) is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. It is 38 by 10 miles in size with a land area of 260.0 square miles , making it the fifth largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States...
KingdomThe Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
- Liliuokalani (ruled 1891-1893 and claimed status as queen until her death in 1917) - was one of many queens of Hawaii; however, she was the only queen regnant of the modern Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
established by Kamehameha IKamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
in the late eighteenth century
See also
- List of current queens regnant
- Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy, a form of government in which the country or entity usually ruled or controlled by an individual who usually rules for life or until abdication...
- Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
- Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "reigning", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Thus, the common use is for an acting deputy governor....
- Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles...
External links