Favourite Queen in History

[Episcopus]

This seemed the most appropriate forum to post this, but if it isn’t please move mods.

Who is your favourite Queen in history? Can be outright Queen (like Elizabeth II) or consort (wife of a king). Can be British or from another country’s monarchy.

I watched the following video on Emma of Normandy recently - twice Queen and twice Queen Mother - hard to beat that!

Who was Emma of Normandy?

[Snoopsnoggysnog]

@TooManyAnimals94

Another vote for Eleanor of Aquitaine. I read a fascinating story about her recently. When her son, Richard was on yet ANOTHER crusade, she thought it would be a good idea for him to marry and try and get an heir before he did something stupid and got himself killed. So of she went to pick this girl up from the ge arse end of nowhere (I think one of the Greek islands but i cant remember) then made the dangerous journey all the way across Europe and the Middle East with just a small armed guard. Retrieved Richard, saw them married then did the journey all over again to get the girl back to safety.
I just kept thinking that whilst she was amazing, I bet Richard's new wife was a little intimidated by her new MIL! Imagine the MN thread "Nightmare pre wedding roadtrip with new MIL" 😂

😂
what? So got them married in the hope that she’d conceive straight away?
did it work?

[Basilbrushgotfat]

@TooManyAnimals94 she was incredible by the standards of any age! I love all of those mentioned but Eleanor is the stand out.

[TooManyAnimals94]

No... They had about a week together I think and promised he would be home soon... Just had a few more infidels to kill (you know how it is) then he did indeed get himself killed.

[Basilbrushgotfat]

@Snoopsnoggysnog I don't actually remember anything about whether Richard had children, but if he did none of them survived to adulthood. The throne went to his youngest brother John when he did (famous for the Magna Carter).

All of Eleanor's surviving children went on to be rulers which is pretty impressive.

[Basilbrushgotfat]

@TooManyAnimals94

No... They had about a week together I think and promised he would be home soon... Just had a few more infidels to kill (you know how it is) then he did indeed get himself killed.

That's quite a nice story too (apart from him dying of course).

He was effectively killed by 'friendly fire' - took an arrow from one of his own men. His leg (iirc?) that turned gangrenous. The boy who killed him was found, Richard pardoned him because it was an accident and ensured that not only he wasn't punished but was given a job in the Palace kitchens.

[GrinAndVomit]

I’m fascinated by Victoria. It thinks it’s purely down to the fact we have so many of her letters so get a real insight into her personality.
I wouldn’t say I admired or even liked her though. She reminds me of my mother and grandmother; Completely obsessed with her husband and irritated by the existence of her children.

[TooManyAnimals94]

@Basilbrushgotfat quite generous of him really. I'm not sure I'd be so forgiving as blood poisoning is not a good way to go 😔
Everything I've read about him suggests he was a brilliant general but a bit crap at being king as he was never home. Should have given the job to his mum officially! She did a good job with the remit she had.

[BingleDiBing]

@MissMarpleRocks and @KatherineofGaunt yes! Katherine Swynford was an amazing woman, fascinating life

[TooManyAnimals94]

@GrinAndVomit she may have been irritated by her children but surely her feminist legacy is that she normalised pain relief in childbirth.
I've always quite liked how openly in love she was... Quite sweet and brave to show "weakness" like that.

[Zagan]

Boudicca. She raged a war against male invaders.

[Snoopsnoggysnog]

@TooManyAnimals94

@GrinAndVomit she may have been irritated by her children but surely her feminist legacy is that she normalised pain relief in childbirth.
I've always quite liked how openly in love she was... Quite sweet and brave to show "weakness" like that.

@TooManyAnimals94 fascinating, can you expand on the pain relief thing?

so many knowledgeable people on this thread, how do you all know so much!

I have an A* History GSCE but that was all about the war!

[SouthOfFrance]

I'm going to say Catherine the Great although that's only based on scant knowledge, she sounds interesting though!

Least favourite I'd say Elizabeth 1st

[GrinAndVomit]

@SouthOfFrance

I'm going to say Catherine the Great although that's only based on scant knowledge, she sounds interesting though!

Least favourite I'd say Elizabeth 1st

I agree my favourite would be Catherine the Great. She seemingly wanted to improve peoples lives. Plus she had a very complicated and risky route to the throne.

[Maireas]

Victoria had chloroform in childbirth.
Previously any pain relief was frowned on, she made it acceptable.

[twomumsonebump]

Queen Latifah

[SouthOfFrance]

How much pain relief was even available before Victoria anyway? Don't think there was much choice before

[TooManyAnimals94]

@SouthOfFrance you're right, there wasn't much available but when doctors started trialling ether/chloroform people were understandably nervous and others disapproved but once the queen uses something, makes it hugely more acceptable!

[tribpot]

@twomumsonebump I don't think Queen Latifah is a historical queen, because she reigns to this day!

[twomumsonebump]

@tribpot you are so right, I can't believe I didn't consider that!

[BarnacleNora]

With apologies to all the Katherine of Aragon fans it's always been Anne Boleyn for me.

What she managed to do was unheard of, refused to settle for being a mistress, held on and used whatever was in her power (which was very little as a woman so her brains and her wits because she wasn't famed for being a huge beauty) to become a wife and a queen.

Fought to her very last breath to hold on to that position. She wasn't likeable, she wasn't particularly moral but it was going to be someone if it wasn't her and that court was a fucking bloodbath with every person for themselves. Her daughter was often credited with inheriting Henry's determination and intelligence but I think there was a fair old whack of Anne in there as well.

I've stayed at Hever Castle overnight and will admit to fan girling a little bit! I love going to historical places and get a bit blown away that I'm walking in the same places as these people from hundreds of years ago that I've read about and studied-total geek!

[ImperioMarch]

A contentious one as she didn't even set foot in the country, let alone be crowned or rule - but Margret, Maid of Norway fascinates me. She is one of the great "what ifs" in history, would England and Scotland have united in the 13th century as opposed to the 17th (18th if you're talking about the parliaments, cos I know the pedants will pull me up 😁)

And of course her death really fanned the spark of the Scottish Wars of Independence that was created in her grandfather's death.

[PestoPasghetti]

Not exactly my favourite, but I think of Queen Anne most often. She had the shittiest of shitty lives. To lose a child is tragic, to lose every one of 17 is just unthinkable.

[Snoopsnoggysnog]

@PestoPasghetti

Not exactly my favourite, but I think of Queen Anne most often. She had the shittiest of shitty lives. To lose a child is tragic, to lose every one of 17 is just unthinkable.

Yes! I often think of this too - just no words. That poor lady

[powershowerforanhour]

My auntie knew Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Māori Queen who was the longest reigning Māori monarch, and said she was a really kind and great person. There's quite a touching wikipedia entry about her burial- I knew that Māori are buried on a mountainside but I didn't know about grave markings- apparently her husband would've liked a gravestone for her but the royal family don't have grave markers, to show equality and solidarity with their people, so he planted roses for her round a memorial stone at their house instead.

[aNCforjune]

@PestoPasghetti

Not exactly my favourite, but I think of Queen Anne most often. She had the shittiest of shitty lives. To lose a child is tragic, to lose every one of 17 is just unthinkable.

Absolutely this.... poor poor woman.
Everyone remembers Henry VIII and his struggle for an heir but so so much worse to be the woman going through it, and so many times. It sounds like she may have had chronic health problems (?auto immune perhaps) but she sounded like a decent queen who did a good job. She precided over the formation of the union of the United Kingdom. Not sure why she isn't remembered alongside Liz l and Victoria.

Sadly reflects history books largely being written by men and an overweight, unhealthy, infertile woman is unworthy of further regard.