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Sep 16, 2019 · Known as Queen Bess or the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I ruled at a key time in England's history, and is one of the most-remembered British rulers, male or female Mary II (April 30, 1662–December 28, 1694)
- Jone Johnson Lewis
Feb 3, 2023 · The Most Powerful Female Rulers in History. Aimee Heidelberg - February 3, 2023. When Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, she left a legacy of lifelong public service and dedication to her people. She joins a long history of queens, empresses, and rulers who defied gender conventions to lead armies, establish political systems and engage ...
- Mary I. Mary I became the first woman to be crowned queen regnant of England on October 1st 1553. The ceremony, at Westminster Abbey, was ground breaking in more ways than one.
- Elizabeth I. Elizabeth I was crowned on January 15th 1559 in a ceremony that gave a clear indication of how her reign would unfold. The new queen was a Protestant and had already made it clear she intended to remove many of the changes her Catholic half sister, Mary I. Her coronation was a starting point – although the ceremony was conducted in Latin, parts were read in English as well as new ways took over old.
- Mary II. Mary II was crowned alongside her husband, and joint ruler, William III on April 11th 1689 in a ceremony that proved problematic in more ways than one.
- Queen Anne. Anne had been the sometimes overlooked younger sister of Mary II but when she became Queen, on the death of William III in 1702, she proved herself to be a shrewder and tougher character than anyone had given her credit for.
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Boudicca
She was the rebel queen of the ancient British Celtic Iceni tribe, who led an army against the Romans in AD 60/61, securing her place in the history books as one of Britain’s most iconic rulers. After suffering a public flogging and witnessing the rape of her two daughters, Boudicca raised an army that destroyed Roman strongholds at Colchester, London and St Albans, killing between 70-80,000 people in the process. Eventually, Boudicca’s rebellionwas put down and she apparently poisoned hersel...
Æthelflæd - Lady of the Mercians
The eldest daughter of Alfred the Great, king of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, Æthelflædhelped lead the fight against the Vikings and lay the foundations for England. After her husband passed away, Æthelflæd took over the governing of the kingdom of Mercia, becoming the Lady of the Mercians - a truly remarkable accomplishment given the male-dominated times in which she lived. She went on the offensive against the Vikings and over the coming years played a significant role in the conquest...
Margaret Beaufort
A period of bloody civil strife known as the Wars of the Roses saw two royal houses vie for the English throne. Right in the middle of the conflict was Margaret Beaufort, whose life can best be surmised as a real-world Game of Thrones. A carrier of the Lancastrian bloodline, Beaufort was born into top nobility. A skilled politician, Beaufort spent her life brokering deals; she was the power behind the scenes, she was a Kingmaker. Never far from rumour and hearsay, Beaufort has been connected...
Suffragists and suffragettes
Democracy in Victorian Britain is not what it is today. Women were effectively treated as second-class citizens - unable to vote, sue or even own property. In the middle of the 19th century, things began to change and organised campaigns for ‘suffrage’ or the right to vote began to be seen. In 1897, the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies was formed and its leader was Millicent Fawcett. Fawcett led the peaceful suffragist movement, which soon became the biggest women’s rights organis...
Margaret Thatcher
No one on this list divides opinion like Margaret Thatcher. Love her or loath her, the Iron lady was a trailblazer becoming Britain’s first female prime minister in 1979, as well as the longest-serving PM of the 20th century – 11 consecutive years. Through her unwavering leadership style and policies known as Thatcherism, she cemented her place as one of the most dominant figures in modern politics.
Anne Lister
Heralded as ‘the first modern lesbian’, Anne Listerkept an extensive diary that revealed her affairs with women as she attempted to understand and interpret her own gay identity. Challenging the gender expectations of women in 1800s Britain, Lister lived in a world where lesbianism was unrecognised. Such sexual relationships had no cultural understanding during that time. Lister, however, determinedly lived her life truthfully to who she was. Her writings have a significant place in history a...
Mary Anning
Through her findings, fossil collector and palaeontologist Mary Anningchanged the way we perceive our world. Anning resided in the seaside town of Lyme Regis in Dorset and would spend her days searching the coast for what she called 'curiosities'. She soon realised these were fossils and during her lifetime she made some significant discoveries. Although ineligible to join the Geological Society of London due to the fact she was a woman, Anning’s findings made a tremendous impact on the scien...
Jane Austen
Known for her six major novels including Pride & Prejudice and Emma, Austen helped shape the literary world into the one we have today. With her sharp wit and strong female characters, Austen's books have inspired countless other novels, TV adaptations and movies. Dying at the age of just 41, Austen wouldn't live to see the impact and legacy her works would have on British culture.
Lily Parr
A pioneer in the early years of women’s football, Lilian Parrwent from a working-class girl to an international sporting prodigy, as well as becoming an LGBT+ icon. Born in Lancashire, by the age of 14 Parr was scouted by a team representing a munitions factory in Preston called Dick, Kerr Ladies. During her first season, the winger scored 43 goals and showed remarkable prowess on the pitch. Known for her powerful kick, the highlight of Parr’s career came on Boxing Day 1920, when she played i...
The Lionesses
In 1966, England’s men’s team captured the World Cup at Wembley Stadium after beating West Germany 4-2 in extra time. Little did the country know it would have to wait another 56 years for another senior England team to lift a major trophy. Football finally came home in 2022 thanks to the England women's football team, aka the Lionesses. Under the helm of Dutch manager Sarina Wiegman, the Lionesses won the UEFA Women's Euro Championship in scenes remarkably reminiscent of 1966. Not only was t...
Odette Sansom
Espionage played a pivotal role in the Second World War. Intelligence was vital to planning and preparing military operations, therefore the role of British spies was crucial. In 1940, British PM Winston Churchill established the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an espionage force tasked to ‘Set Europe ablaze’. Odette Sansomwas a secret agent whose work for the SOE earned her the highest civilian honour for gallantry, the George Cross. Although initially evacuated from London with her thre...
Lilian Bader
During both the World Wars, the contributions of British black and ethnic minority individuals have long been overlooked. These trailblazers served their country often in the face of prejudice and discrimination. However, their determination and courage paved the way for others to follow. One such person was Lilian Bader. Born in Liverpool to a British mother and Barbadian father, Bader volunteered to serve Britain during WWII. She became one of the first black women to join the British armed...
- Boudica c.30-60/1 AD. We begin with one of the most famous and certainly one of the greatest queens of England. Boudica was the wife of Prasutagus, the King of the Iceni – a tribe based in East Anglia.
- Bertha of Kent (c.565-602) Perhaps a little less know, though certainly deservedly on the list as one of the greatest queens of England, Bertha, who was the daughter of the King of Paris, married the pagan King Ethelbert of Kent before 567.
- Emma of Normandy (c.980-1052) As a teenager, Emma wed the middle-aged Ethelred II. This famously ‘unready’ king was plagued by Viking attacks and, after his death in 1016, his throne was seized by the Danish Cnut the Great.
- Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) Eleanor of Aquitaine ruled one of the richest fiefdoms of medieval Europe. She was married at age 15 to King Louis VII of France and the couple had two daughters.
Feb 17, 2011 · Elizabeth I is considered one of the country's most successful and popular monarchs. Clever, enigmatic and flirtatious, she rewrote the rules of being Queen. But what was Elizabeth really...
Known as the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I remains one of the most popular rulers Britain has ever had. She was the last monarch of the House of Tudor, reigning for 44 years and famed for defeating the Spanish Armada and creating a golden age in arts and exploration. Victoria.
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