1. The document lists 15 of the most famous queens in history, providing 1-2 paragraphs about each queen's background and accomplishments. It discusses queens from ancient Egypt, England, Palmyra, China, Iceni tribe, France, Byzantine Empire, Japan, Castile, Netherlands, Russia, England, and Jane Grey who briefly ruled England. 2. Many of the queens were influential rulers of powerful empires who oversaw military conquests, economic growth and trade, social reforms, and establishment of religions. They faced opposition to their rule but were still able to effectively govern and strengthen their territories. 3. The document provides brief biographies of these influential female rulers throughout history, highlighting

2. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
1. Hatshepsut, Queen of Ancient Egypt – 1478 BC – 1458 BC
2. Queen Victoria of England – Ruled from 1837 to 1901
3. Zenobia, Queen of Palmyra – 270 AD – 274 AD
4. Empress Wu Zetian, China – 690AD – 705 AD
5. Boudicca – Queen of the Iceni
6. Cleopatra VII – Queen of Ancient Egypt
7. Maria Theresa of Austria – 1740 AD – 1780 AD
8. Marie-Antoinette of France – 1755 – 1793
9. Empress Theodora, – 527 AD – 548 AD
10. Empress Suiko, Japan – 593 AD – 628 AD
11. Isabella I of Castile- 1474- 1504
12. Wilhelmina of the Netherlands- 1890- 1948
13. Catherine the Great-1533-1536
14. Anne Boleyn-1533-1536
15. Jane Grey

3. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
Queen of Ancient Egypt – 1478 BC – 1458 BC

4. Hatshepsut was married to Thutmose II and was
regarded as a female pharaoh. She not only had a
beard but also performed the pharaoh’s ceremonial
race at the Sed festival. This was her emblem.
As the first female Pharaoh, she ruled for about two
decades in the first half of the 15th century B.C.
It is no surprise that she came from royalty. Her
father was king Thutmose I from the 18th-dynasty.
As it was back then, royalty married royalty. So
Hatshepsut married her brother Thutmose II but they
did not get a son together.

5. Her husband had a second wife with whom they had a
son. This son was known as Thutmose III. Thutmose II died
and his son was to take over, unfortunately, he was
considered too young to rule.
This meant that Hatshepsut was the co-regent with her
stepson. The duo is said to have had a great partnership
and her reign is considered one of the most successful.
It is unfortunate that after she died, there were attempts
to erase signs of her reign.

6. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
Queen of England – Ruled from 1837 to 1901

7. 2. Queen Victoria of England – Ruled from 1837 to 1901
Victoria became queen during the height of the British Empire, which
reigned over six continents.
She was widely regarded as an extreme conservative who contributed
to massive political and social reforms in the United Kingdom and the
wider British Empire.
One of her greatest achievements was abolishing slavery throughout
her empire. Another great achievement attributed to her is, that
Victoria supported the Factory Act “which reduced the working day in
textile mills to ten hours”.

8. 2. Queen Victoria of England – Ruled from 1837 to 1901
Additionally, she helped with the “Third Reform
Act of 1884” this reform granted the right to vote
to all male heads of the family as well most
British men regardless of their family status.
Like Hatshepsut, Victoria married her relative,
first cousin Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and
Gotha in 1840

9. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
3. Zenobia

10. Iulia Aurelia Zenobia of Palmyra was a 3rd-century
queen of Palmyra (now modern Syria). This
territory was considered an oasis city halfway
between the Mediterranean and Euphrates.
Her ancestors are said to be Cleopatra and Dido of
Carthage who defied the Romans and rode into
battle against them.
Zenobia became queen after her husband
Septimius Odaenathus and their son were
assassinated in 267. They had another son,
Vaballanthus, who was next in line but was still an
infant.

11. This led Zenobia to rule as the regent queen. She is regarded as
the warrior queen who captured Egypt in 269 AD.
Egypt was then part of Asia Minor. She also captured Cappadocia
and Bithynia. Her empire was one of the largest.
She is credited with protecting religious minorities and
maintaining a stable administration.
In 274 AD, Zenobia went to battle with the Romans but was
defeated. It is believed that she was captured and died in
captivity. The nature of death is still not clear.

12. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
4.Empress Wu Zetian

13. This empress is said to be one of the most powerful
Chinese empresses to have ever reigned. She was
born into a wealthy and noble family.
As a child of royalty, Wu Zetian was quite
educated. When she was 13, she was sent to serve
in the court of Emperor Taizhong as a concubine.
This was strange considering she came from a
wealthy family. After the death of her husband, Wu
Zetian was sent to become a Buddhist nun.

14. She was however brought back after the new
Emperor’s wife, Empress Wang had a power
struggle with one of his favourite concubines,
Consort Xiao. Wu was made a concubine again, now
to Emperor Gaozong.
As an empress, she also played a key role in
reforming the imperial examination system.
Additionally, she encouraged capable officials to
work in governance to maintain a peaceful and
well-governed state.

15. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
5. Boudicca

16. Boudicca was the wife of King Prasutagus
of the Celtic Iceni, in the east of ancient
Britain.
Their region was attacked by the Romans
who conquered Britain. Despite their new
victory, the Romans allowed the king to
continue his rule. Unfortunately, the king
died his wife, Boudicca took over.

17. However, the Romans wanted the territory
leading to Boudicca going to war with
them.
This happened in 60 AD when she led her
troop against the Romans. They killed
thousands of Roman soldiers, however, her
victory did not last long. She was captured
by the Romans and she drank poison while
in captivity.

18. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
6. Cleopatra VII

19. She is considered to be the last pharaoh of
Egypt. After her reign, the Romans took
control.
Cleopatra is largely known for her
relationships with Roman commanders
Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. She had
three children, one with Julius Caesar and
twins with Mark Anthony.

20. As queen, she was considered smart and
politically valuable. She made the right
alliances with the Romans.
Her greatest achievements are said to be
in trade. She built up Egypt’s economy,
bolstering her country’s status as a world
power. She traded with Arabia and India.
Read more about her here.

21. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
7. Maria Theresa
Queen of Austria – 1740 AD – 1780 AD

22. To begin with, Maria was never crowned empress.
You are probably wondering how she made this list.
Maria was the only female ruler in the House of
Habsburg, the Archduchess of Austria and the
Queen of Hungary and Bohemia.
When she got the crown, Maria Theresa was only 23
years old in 1740 AD. However, her husband,
Francis I, was considered the ruler.
This did not stop Maria from governing the
Habsburg monarchy all by herself.

23. She is considered to be one of Europe’s longest-
ruling monarchs. Together with her husband, they
had 16 children.
As the queen, she faced opposition from men she
would not accept a woman as a leader.
After winning their confidence, Maria reinforced
domestic and foreign policy by centralizing and
strengthening the empire’s power. Additionally, she
also built up its military might and instituted a fair
and reasonable tax schedule for estates.

24. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
8.Marie-Antoinette
Queen of France – 1755 – 1793

25. Marie was the daughter of Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I and Maria Theresa. In 1770, she was
married to the dauphin Louis, grandson of France’s
King Louis XV.
She was also in power during the French Revolution
and was considered both conniving and a naïve
political pawn.
As a woman married to a monarch, she was
expected to start having children immediately. This
did not happen until eight-year later when she
started having children.

26. Additionally, she was accused of being
reckless with money and promiscuous. The
French even accused her of siring children
with other men.
She was greatly linked to the French
Revolution. Her family was placed under
house arrest, the monarch was overthrown
in 1792 and her husband was executed in
1793. She spent the rest of her life in
prison.

27. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
9.Empress Theodora

28. Empress Theodora was one of the most influential and powerful
women in the Early Middle Ages. She was the wife of Emperor
Justinian I and co-ruler of the Byzantine Empire.
Theodora was of Greek descent but was born in Mabbug, Syria.
Before her marriage to Justinian, she was an actress and had fun
at banquets for the nobles.
They got married between 523 AD and 525 AD. Her husband died
in 527 AD, and Theodora took control of the empire.
She made several decisions about the government. Some of
them were her dissatisfaction with high taxes, religious
controversy, and political corruption.

29. Her decisions led to the Nicaea riots in Constantinople.
She intervened and was able to persuade her husband
to stay. The two successfully quelled the revolt.
In turn, she made Constantinople one of the most
sophisticated cities in the world and promoted
women’s rights.
Under her reign, bridges, aqueducts and churches were
built. Theodora died of cancer on June 28, 548 AD. She
and Justinian are both considered saints by the Eastern
Orthodox Church.

30. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
10.Empress Suiko

31. She was the first Empress of Japan and
during her rule, Suiko established
Buddhism as the country’s official religion.
She also introduced the Chinese calendar.
It is said that she adopted the Chinese
bureaucratic system and installed the
twelve grades of cap rank. Furthermore,
she introduced Japan’s first constitution
that focused on the morals and virtues of
government officials.

32. Her reign lasted for 35 years. The actual site of
Suiko’s grave is known. She is traditionally
venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) in
Osaka. The Imperial Household Agency named this
location Suiko’s mausoleum. It’s formally named
Shinaga no Yamada no misasagi.

33. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
11. Isabella I
Queen of Castile- 1474- 1504

34. The union of the “Catholic Monarchs” was formed
by Isabella’s marriage to Ferdinand II of Aragon,
and it directly contributed to the eventual
unification of Spain. During her time in office, she
reformed the government, significantly reduced
crime, and secured debt relief for the Kingdom.
She and her husband financed Christopher
Columbus’ voyage in 1492, during which he
discovered the New World and finished the
Reconquista by annexing Granada, putting an end
to centuries of Muslim rule over parts of the Iberian
Peninsula.

35. In addition, she and her husband created
the Spanish Inquisition, primarily to
identify and purge heretics among Muslims
and Jews who had converted to
Catholicism and to uphold traditional
Catholicism within their respective
empires. Eventually, Spain would be
reunited under the rule of their grandson,
King Charles V, thanks to their marriage
and claims.

36. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
12.Wilhelmina
Queen

37. After her coronation at age 10 in 1890, following
the death of her father, Wilhelmina ruled the
Netherlands for 57 years. Wilhelmina officially
took over in 1898, but her mother served as
regent during these early years.
The Dutch public favoured her during her rule,
especially for preserving the country’s neutrality
during World War I.

38. Wilhelmina moved to England in 1940
following Germany’s invasion of the
Netherlands. She continued to send
messages from there to the Dutch people,
pleading with them to resist German
occupation and hold onto hope for
impending freedom. The locals greeted her
with warm arms when she returned following
the end of the German occupation in 1945.

39. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
13.Catherine the Grea

40. Russia’s most famous and lengthiest
female sovereign, who ruled from 1762
until 1796. Russia’s golden age is referred
to as her reign.
Sophie von Anhalt-Zerbst, a princess born
in Prussia, was Catherine’s second cousin
and husband when she wed Peter III at the
age of 16 in 1745. Peter was forced to
resign in 1762 after Catherine overthrew
him.

41. With his murder eight days later,
Catherine took full control as her son
Paul I’s Empress Regent. Under her
leadership, Russia had a rebirth, grew
more solid and well-known as one of
Europe’s major nations.

42. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
14. Anne Boleyn

43. Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII of England’s
second wife, served as Queen of England
from 1533 until 1536. A key figure in the
political and religious upheaval that led to
the English Reformation was Anne Boleyn.
Anne, who received her education at the
French court, was a skilled lady-in-waiting
for Catherine of Aragon, first in France
and later at the English court. By 1526,
she had caught Henry VIII’s eye.

44. Early on in 1531, Henry VIII and Anne were secretly wed. Later, at
the end of 1532, they were married in public. Having Anne
pregnant at this point. For the purpose of establishing himself as
the new head of the English Church, Henry put in place a series of
acts. Elizabeth I, who would succeed Anne as queen, was born in
1533.
The marriage of the royal couple was not long-lastingly blissful. In
addition to being unpopular, Anne’s straightforward and vivacious
demeanour were unlike that of a traditional queen. A stillborn
child was also born to her after a miscarriage. In the year 1536,
Henry courted Jane of Seymour and put her up in the palace.

45. 15
Most
Famous
Queens
in
History
15. Jane Grey

46. Although she only held the English crown
for nine days, Jane Grey, an English
noblewoman, is best known as the “Nine
Days’ Queen.” To stop Mary I from taking
the throne, she was picked by King Edward
VI’s closest advisers. Jane Grey was
viewed as a superb candidate for a
Protestant, whereas Mary was a devout
Catholic who was likely to act against the
Reformation.

47. Just the period from July 10 to July 19 saw
Grey continue to rule. Elizabeth was then
overthrown by a military force assembled
by Mary, who then ascended to the
kingdom and eventually had Grey put to
death.