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?

[Cameleongirl]

@aNCforjune True, although she did have a fairly short reign, just 12 years compared with Elizabeth I’s 45 years. So that might be one reason why she received less attention.

I agree that Henry VIII and his six wives receive huge attention, though, probably because his love life was like an unbelievable soap opera plot.

[RosaGallica]

I’m not sure if she counts as a queen precisely, but can I chuck in one Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians.

[RevoltingHumanHead]

@RosaGallica

I’m not sure if she counts as a queen precisely, but can I chuck in one Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians.

Have you been watching The Last Kingdom?

[RosaGallica]

Not watching it no, although I read the books a while ago. I’m something of a history fan.

[GrinAndVomit]

Have any of you listened to The History Chicks podcast? It’s really good. They talk about women in history.

[Maireas]

@RosaGallica

I’m not sure if she counts as a queen precisely, but can I chuck in one Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians.

I think she does count, a very interesting woman.

[Episcopus]

@Anotherdayanotherdisappointment

Have you been watching Vikings Valhalla by any chance OP?


I've always been a fan of Elizabeth I. No need for a man and just executed anyone she didn't want around.

I don't really know much about any consorts though.

I have indeed been watching Valhalla, although my interest in Emma began beforehand which meant I was super excited when I found out Emma would be playing a prominent role in the show!

The History PhD department at the University of Winchester has a "Team Queens" cohort who all study medieval queens, which may be of interest to some.

I'm delighted this has sparked such a good discussion. I've begun watching The White Queen. Elizabeth Woodville (the original Queen Elizabeth??) seems like an interesting figure who I'd like to learn more about. Also, I know next to nothing about Eleanor of Aquitaine, so I'd be interested in finding out more about her as well.

[airrrrAIRRRRiELLLL]

Love the idea of 'Team Queens'. The Plantagenet Queens were a feisty lot, often taking on some or all of kingship while their husbands were away

[airrrrAIRRRRiELLLL]

... or just 'absent' as in the case of Margaret of Anjou/Henry VI.

[FAQs]

I found Prince Phillips mother Alice quite interesting, not a lot of written about her.

Margaret Beaufort clever woman!

I’ve not heard of Emma, off to research.

[Gingermoth]

I know she wasn't a queen but Bess of Hardwick was a phenomenal woman. She is worth reading about

[Episcopus]

@FAQs

I found Prince Phillips mother Alice quite interesting, not a lot of written about her.

Margaret Beaufort clever woman!

I’ve not heard of Emma, off to research.

It's a shame Margaret isn't the most likeable character in The White Queen - however I'm only two episodes in so she may get better!

The link to the talk in the first post about Emma is a good place to start (about 50 mins long without the Q and A at the end). Alternatively, there's a very readable book out there called Queen Emma and the Vikings. A more academic alternative is Pauline Stafford's "Queen Emma and Queen Edith".

[Clymene]

There was a best queens episode of woman's hour on the platinum jubilee which I really enjoyed with women arguing the corner for their favourites (including Eleanor of Aquitaine and Elizabeth I)

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0017tjq?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

[Jins]

Margaret Beaufort doesn’t get any better in the White Queen. Amanda Hale was superb in this part, the character teetered between religious mania and naked ambition. Margaret Beaufort doesn’t make my list because she wasn’t a queen and she engineered the Tudor dynasty which is possibly my least favourite period of history and is filled with some of the most unpleasant characters.

I’ve got a soft spot for the forgotten queen - Anne Neville. Warwick the kingmaker’s younger daughter and married to both a prince of Wales and a king.

Elizabeth of York made a decent job of things. She legitimised Henry Tudor’s reign which may or may not have been a good thing but I doubt she had an easy time with that mother in law.

Mary Queen of Scots and Anne Boleyn for reasons already mentioned. Margaret of Anjou because to be nicknamed a she-wolf shows she shook things up and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Least favourite - Elizabeth I

[Discovereads]

I quite like Queen Zenobia who conquered a lot of the Roman Empire and set up the Palmyrene Empire making herself an Empress (all done as a widow). Unfortunately, a later Roman Emperor Aurelian was seriously pissed off at a woman Empress and took back all the lands, marched on Palmyra and forced them to surrender. No one knows what happened to Zenobia. But for most of her life, she ruled Egypt, much of the coastal Middle East (Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon) and large parts of Turkey.

[Discovereads]

@GrinAndVomit

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.

She also conquered Ukraine and Crimea and expanded the Russian empire….

[JesusMaryAndJosephAndTheWeeDon]

Perhaps not technically a Queen but how about Hatshepsut?

She declared herself King of Egypt and was probably the second ever female Pharaoh.

Also for services to make-up as the first recorded user of kohl eyeliner.

[TooManyAnimals94]

I feel like Cleopatra should get a mention. Interesting morals (even by the standards of the time, murdering your brother was frowned upon) but incredible what she achieved.

[LoveItOrListIt]

@TooManyAnimals94

I feel like Cleopatra should get a mention. Interesting morals (even by the standards of the time, murdering your brother was frowned upon) but incredible what she achieved.

the Horrible histories episode craft cleopatra always makes me chuckle…my kids have watched it 1000 times

[Discovereads]

@TooManyAnimals94

I feel like Cleopatra should get a mention. Interesting morals (even by the standards of the time, murdering your brother was frowned upon) but incredible what she achieved.

Which Cleopatra? Do you mean Cleopatra VII?

[TooManyAnimals94]

@Discovereads the one EVERYONE has heard of, that one.

[Basilbrushgotfat]

@TooManyAnimals94

@Discovereads the one EVERYONE has heard of, that one.

😁

[Iamacatslave]

Mary Queen of Scots.

[Badger1970]

I'd agree with all the comments about Anne Boleyn. She was brave, courageous and determined - and had a huge legacy. Her story is one of history's most popular centuries later.

Also Queen Victoria. She was a strong determined woman too. I'm not sure I could say that about Elizabeth II - her reign has been amazing in terms of length but possibly not achievement?

[CaveMum]

Another vote for Eleanor of Aquitaine here! So pleased to see the You’re Dead To Me recommendations - altogether now “The Count of Champagne!”

There are other queens discussed in various episodes on the podcast so highly recommend scrolling through them. The most recent episode, dropped on Friday, was about Egyptian Queen Hapshesput.

Theres another good podcast called Not Just The Tudors presented by Prof Suzannah Lipscomb and there are plenty of episodes dedicated to various historical queens.

A few years ago the BBC had a series on early English queens called She Wolves of England, based on the book by Helen Castor, which was a very interesting watch.