List of queens regnant

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This article is about Queens regnant. For other female rulers, see List of female hereditary rulers.

This is a list of Queens who have ruled as Queen in many countries (Separate queens for separate countries). Included also are Pharaohs and Empresses, as well as other titles in case of smaller states (Grand Duchess, Archduchess, Duchess, Princess, etc.) If the Queen ruled as a regent this is indicated by "(regent)" following the name. Where a queen had no powers but only the title "(titular)" is added.

Queens consort (who are styled Queen by virtue of marrying a monarch) are not included.

The following is an incomplete list of queens who are well known from popular writings, although many ancient and poorly documented ruling queens (such as those from Africa and Oceania) are omitted. Section 1 lists Queens regnant: Queens who ruled in their own right. Section 2 lists Queens regent: Queens who have ruled on behalf of a monarch who was a minor, absent or incapacitated. Section 3 includes Legendary Queens. Section 4 lists Titular Queens: Queens who ruled in their own right, but had no constitutional standing or regal powers while in power. Section 5 lists various female leaders who were referred to as "Chieftainess."

Queens regnant[]

Africa[]

Algeria[]

Jarawa

  • Kahina (ruled c. 690-703)

Touggourt

  • (ruled c. 1833)

Egypt[]

Indigenous dynasties

Hatshepsut
  • Sobekneferu (r. 1806-1802 BC) of the Twelfth Dynasty - Sobekneferu was the first confirmed female ruler of Egypt, although Nitocris may have ruled in the Sixth Dynasty, and there are five other women who are believed to have ruled as early as the First Dynasty
  • Hatshepsut (c. 1479-1458 BC) of the Eighteenth Dynasty
  • Neferneferuaten of the Eighteenth Dynasty (possibly Nefertiti or Meritaten or Neferneferuaten Tasherit)
  • Twosret (d. 1189 BC) of the Nineteenth Dynasty
  • Merneith of the First Dynasty - Merneith may have ruled Egypt as Pharaoh, although her reign as sole ruler is unconfirmed. If she did rule, she would have been the first female Pharaoh in Egyptian history.
  • Nitocris of the Sixth Dynasty - Nitocris is mentioned within Herodotus' book Histories as being the last Pharaoh of the Sixth Dynasty of Egypt; some contest her historicity.
  • Khentkawes I of the Fourth Dynasty - Khentkawes' rule as Pharaoh is highly contested by modern historians, who debate on the exact meaning behind her given title.
Cleopatra VII

Ptolemaic dynasties

Ptolemy II instituted a new practice of brother-sister marriage when he married his full sister, Arsinoe II. They became, in effect, co-rulers, and both took the epithet Philadelphus ("Brother-Loving" and "Sister-Loving"). Because of this custom many of the kings ruled jointly with their spouses, who were also of the royal house. The only Ptolemaic Queens to officially rule on their own were Berenice III and Berenice IV. Cleopatra VI did co-rule, but it was with another female, Berenice IV. Cleopatra VII officially co-ruled with Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator, Ptolemy XIV, and Ptolemy XV, but effectively, she ruled Egypt alone

  • Arsinoe II (277-270 BC)
  • Berenice II (246-222 BC)
  • Arsinoe III (220-204 BC)
  • Cleopatra I (193-176 BC)
  • Cleopatra II (175-164, 163-127, 124-116 BC)
  • Cleopatra III (140-131, 127-101 BC)
  • Cleopatra IV (116-115 BC)
  • Berenice III (101-88, 81-80 BC)
  • Cleopatra V (79-69 BC)
  • Cleopatra VI (58-57 BC)
  • Berenice IV (58-55 BC)
  • Cleopatra VII (52-30 BC)
  • Arsinoe IV (48-47 BC)

Bahri Mamluk dynasty

  • Shajar al-Durr (ruled 1250)

Libya[]

Cyrene

  • Cleopatra Selene II (ruled 34–30 BC) - also known as Cleopatra VIII. In 75 BC, Cyrene became part of a Roman province, but it was restored to the Ptolemies by Mark Antony in 37 BC. In 34 BC Cleopatra VII and Antony's daughter, Cleopatra Selene II, was made Queen of Cyrene, but the city returned to Rome following Augustus' conquest of Egypt in 30 BC

Sudan[]

Amanitore

Kandake was a title for queens, queen mothers, and queens consort in Nubia, but ruling Kandakes may have included:

  • (ruled c. 295 BCE)
  • Shanakdakhete (ruled 177–155 BCE)
  • Amanirenas (ruled 40–10 BCE)
  • Amanishakheto (ruled c. 10 BCE–1 CE)
  • Nawidemak
  • Amanitore (ruled 1–20 CE)
  • Amanikhatashan (ruled 62–85)
  • Maleqorobar (ruled 266–283)
  • (ruled 306–314)

West Africa[]

Benin[]

Hogbonu

  • (ruled 1746–1752)
Gambia[]
  • Elizabeth II of The Gambia (reigned 1965–1970)
Ghana[]
  • Elizabeth II of Ghana (reigned 1957–1960)

Akan state of Denkyira

  • (ruled 1770–1793), Denkyirahene

Akan state of Dwaben

  • (ruled 1838–1846), Dwabenhene
  • (ruled 1846-18??)
  • (ruled 1959–19??), Dwabenhene
Côte d'Ivoire[]

Baoule

  • Pokou (ruled 1750-1760)[1] - Queen and founder of the Baoule tribe
  • Akwa Boni (ruled 1760-1790),[1] Pokou's niece who succeeded her to the throne
Nigeria[]
  • Elizabeth II of Nigeria (1960–1963)

Kanem-Bornu Empire

  • Aissa Koli

Daura

Further information: Kabara (title)
  • Kufuru
  • Ginu
  • Yakumo
  • Yakunya
  • Wanzamu
  • Yanbamu
  • Gizir-gizir
  • Inna-Gari
  • Daurama
  • Ga-Wata
  • Shata
  • Fatatuma
  • Sai-Da-Mata
  • Ja-Mata
  • Ha-Mata
  • Zama
  • Sha-Wata
  • Daurama II

Igodomigodo

  • (584-600)
  • (600-618)

Ondo Kingdom

Zazzau

  • Amina - There is controversy among scholars as to the date of her reign, one school placing her in the mid-15th century, and a second placing her reign in the mid to late 16th century
Senegal[]

Sine

Waalo

Sierra Leone[]
  • Elizabeth II of Sierra Leone (1961–1971)

Koya

  • (ruled 1826–1840), Bai

Central Africa[]

Angola[]

Jaga

Matamba

Nzinga, warrior queen of Ndongo and Matamba

Mbunda Kingdom

  • (ruled 1500s-early 1600s)

Ndongo

  • Ana de Sousa Nzinga Mbande (ruled 1624–1626 and 1657–1663)
  • Mukambu Mbandi (ruled 1663–1671)
Cameroon[]

Bamum

  • (ruled 1865), her rule lasted 30 minutes

East Africa[]

Comoros[]

Ndzuwani (Anjouan)

  • Alimah I (ruled during the 16th century - unknown dates)
  • Alimah II (ruled 1632-1676)
  • Alimah III (ruled 1676–1711)
  • Alimah IV (ruled 1788–1792) - she was the de facto ruler of Anjouan with sultan Abdallah I during his reigns in 1782-1788 and 1792-1796

Bamboa

Itsandra

  • , Mfalme

Bajini

  • , Mfalme
  • , Mfalme

Mwali

  • Raketaka Jombe Sudy (ruled 1842–1865 and 1874–1878) - she ruled as regent twice, 1865-1868 and 1871-1874. After 1851 she took the name of Jumbe Fatima bint Abderremane
  • Salima Machamba bint Saidi Hamadi Makadara (ruled 1888–1909)
Zewditu I, Empress of Ethiopia
Ethiopia[]
  • Zewditu (ruled 1916–1930)

Gibe state of Gera

  • (ruled c. 1880)
Kenya[]
  • Elizabeth II of Kenya (1963–1964)
Ranavalona I
Madagascar[]
  • Rangita (ruled 1520–1530)
  • Rafohy (ruled 1530–1540)
  • Ranavalona I (ruled 1828–1861)
  • Rasoherina (ruled 1863–1868)
  • Ranavalona II (ruled 1868–1883)
  • Ranavalona III (ruled 1883–1897)

Boina Kingdom

  • (ruled 1777-1778)
  • (ruled 1778)
  • (ruled 1778-1808)
  • (ruled 1832-1836)
  • Tsiomeko (ruled 1836-1840)
Mauritius[]
  • Elizabeth II of Mauritius (1968–1992)
Tanganyika[]
  • Elizabeth II of Tanganyika (1961–1962)
Uganda[]
  • Elizabeth II of Uganda (1962–1963)

Bunyoro

  • (early 17th century) (5 Years)

South Africa[]

Malawi[]
  • Elizabeth II of Malawi (1964–1966)
South Africa[]
  • Elizabeth II of South Africa (1952–1961)

Balobedu The Modjadji or Rain Queen is the hereditary queen of Balobedu, the people of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The succession to the position of Rain Queen is matrilineal, meaning that the Queen's eldest daughter is the heir, and that males are not entitled to inherit the throne at all. The Rain Queen is believed to have special powers, including the ability to control the clouds and rainfall.

Lovedu

Batlokwa

  • Mantatisi (ruled 1820s)

Makololo

America[]

North America[]

Canada[]
  • Victoria (ruled 1837–1901)
  • Elizabeth II of Canada (reigned 1952–)
Mexico[]

Ecatepec

Palenque

Tepetlaoztoc

  • Azcasuch (ruled late 15th-early 16th century)

Yaxchilan

Central America and the Caribbean[]

Antigua and Barbuda[]
  • Elizabeth II of Antigua and Barbuda (reigned 1981–)
Bahamas[]
  • Elizabeth II of the Bahamas (reigned 1973–)
Barbados[]
  • Elizabeth II of Barbados (reigned 1966–)
Belize[]
  • Elizabeth II of Belize (reigned 1981–)
Grenada[]
  • Elizabeth II of Grenada (reigned 1974–)
Guatemala[]

Naranjo

Sak K'uk'
  • Wac Chanil Ahau, also known as Lady Six Sky (ruled 682–741)

Tikal

Jamaica[]
  • Elizabeth II of Jamaica (reigned 1962–)
Saint Kitts and Nevis[]
Maria I, Queen of Brazil
  • Elizabeth II of Saint Kitts and Nevis (reigned 1983–)
Saint Lucia[]
  • Elizabeth II of Saint Lucia (reigned 1979–)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[]
  • Elizabeth II of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (reigned 1979–)

South America[]

Brazil[]
  • Maria I (ruled 1815–1816)
Guyana[]
  • Elizabeth II of Guyana (reigned 1966–1970)
Trinidad and Tobago[]
  • Elizabeth II of Trinidad and Tobago (reigned 1962–1976)

Asia[]

East and Central Asia[]

China[]
Main article: List of consorts of rulers of China
Wu Zetian
  • Wu Zetian (Chinese: 武則天) - Empress regnant of China, ruling from 690 to 705. She was the only female monarch in the history of China.

Although Wu Zetian is the only undisputed empress regnant in Chinese history, there is one other documented case of a woman holding the title of "Empress regnant":

  • Daughter of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei (Chinese: 元氏 (北魏孝明帝女); ruled 1–2 April 528) - during Northern Wei Dynasty, Empress Dowager Hu, after her son Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei's death, falsely declared Emperor Xiaoming's daughter to be a son and declared the daughter to be the new ruler, but almost immediately revealed that the child was in fact female, and thereafter declared Yuan Zhao, the young son of Emperor Xiaoming's cousin Yuan Baohui (元寶暉) emperor. Emperor Xiaoming's daughter is also therefore not usually considered a true monarch.
Japan[]
Empress Kōgyoku
  • Queen Himiko, of Yamatai (ruled 189–248)
  • Queen Taiyoo, of Yamatai
  • Empress Suiko (554–628), (ruled 593–628) — first ruling empress
  • Empress Kōgyoku (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 (645–702), (ruled 690–697)
  • Empress Genmei (661–721), (ruled 707–715)
  • Empress Genshō (680–748), (ruled 715–724) — formerly Princess Hidaka
  • Empress Kōken (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 (1624–1696), (ruled 1629–1643)
  • Empress Go-Sakuramachi (1740–1813), (ruled 1762–1771) — last ruling empress
Korea[]
Queen Seondeok

Silla

  • Seondeok (ruled 632–647)
  • Jindeok (ruled 647–652)
  • Jinseong (ruled 887–897)

South Asia[]

Bangladesh[]

Chandra dynasty

  • (ruled 334–341)
  • (ruled 341–361)
  • (ruled 520–575)
  • (ruled 578-90)

Khadga dynasty

  • (ruled 520–575)
India[]

Alupa dynasty

  • (ruled 1275–1285 with )

Arakkal dynasty

  • (ruled 1728–1732)
  • (ruled 1732–1745)
  • (ruled 1777–1819)

Bhauma-Kara dynasty

  • Tribhuvana Mahadevi I (ruled 843–850)
  • Tribhuvana Mahadevi II (ruled 893–895)
  • Gauri Mahadevi (ruled 909–914)
  • Dandi Mahadevi (ruled 914–934)
  • Vakula Mahadevi (ruled 934–940)
  • Dharma Mahadevi (ruled 940–943)

Bhopal State

  • Qudsia Begum (ruled 1819–1837) - in 1819, 18-year-old Qudsia Begum (also known as Gohar Begum) took over the reins after the assassination of her husband, Nawab Muiz Muhammad Khan Bahadur. She was the first female ruler of Bhopal. She declared that her 2-year-old daughter Sikander would follow her as the ruler; none of the male family members dared to challenge her decision. She ruled till 1837, when she died having adequately prepared her daughter for ruling the state.
  • Begum Sultan Shah Jehan (ruled 1844–1860 and 1868–1901) - Shahjahan was the only surviving child of Sikandar Begum, sometime Nawab of Bhopal by correct title, and her husband Jahangir Mohammed Khan. She was recognised as ruler of Bhopal in 1844 at the age of six; her mother wielded power as regent during her minority. However, in 1860, her mother Sikandar Begum was recognised by the British as ruler of Bhopal in her own right, and Shahjahan was set aside.
  • Begum Nawab Sikandar (ruled 1860–1868)
  • Begum Kaikhusrau Jahan (ruled 1901–1926)

British Raj

  • Victoria, Empress of India (ruled 1876–1901)

Holkar dynasty

  • Ahilyabai Holkar (ruled 1767–1795), also known as the Philosopher Queen

Jhansi State

  • Lakshmi Bai (ruled 1857–1858)

Kakatiya dynasty

  • Rani Rudrama Devi (ruled 1262–1295)

Kashmir

  • Sugandha (ruled 904–906)
  • Didda (ruled 980–1003), she ruled first as a Regent for her son Abhimanyu and thereafter as sole ruler in her own right
  • Kota Rani (ruled 1338–1339)

Keladi Nayaka dynasty

  • Keladi Chennamma (ruled 1672–1697)
  • (ruled 1757–1763)

Kittur

  • Kittur Chennamma (ruled ?-1829)

Mamluk dynasty

  • Razia Sultana of Slave Dynasty (ruled 1236–1240)

Thanjavur Maratha kingdom

Travancore Kingdom

  • Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore (ruled 1811–1814)

Ullal

Maldives[]
  • Damahaar (ruled before 990) - Damahaar, a Ranin (Queen) of the Aadeetta (Sun) Dynasty, is mentioned by al-Idrisi as having reigned over the Maldives at some time before the semi-legendary King Koimala; there are several other mentions by foreign travelers, mainly Arabs, of queens ruling over the Maldives at various times; these are not always named and their reigns cannot be precisely dated
  • Khadijah (ruled 1347–1363, 1364–1374 and 1376–1380) - She is one of the earliest female rulers in a Muslim nation.
  • Raadhafathi (ruled 1380)
  • Dhaain (ruled 1385–1388)
  • Kuda Kala Kamanafa’anu (ruled 1607–1609)
  • Amina (ruled 1757 – 1759)
Pakistan[]
  • Elizabeth II of Pakistan (reigned 1952–1956)

Sindh

Sri Lanka[]
  • Anula of Anuradhapura (ruled 47–42 BC)
  • Sivali of Anuradhapura (ruled 35)
  • Chattagahaka Jantu of Anuradhapura (ruled 434–435)
  • Lilavati of Polonnaruwa (ruled 1197–1200, 1209–1210 and 1211–1212)
  • Kalyanavati of Polonnaruwa (ruled 1202–1208)
  • Elizabeth II of Ceylon (reigned 1952–1972)

Southeast Asia[]

Cambodia[]
Ang Mey
  • Soma (61-?)
  • Jayadevi (ruled 681–713) - during her rule, she was faulted in leadership which led The Chenla kingdom to break into two individual states, but then it record the period to be female-dominated dynasty with the wide range of female successors, totally driving the entire kingdom
  • Ang Mey (1835–1841 and 1844–1845) - also known as Ngọc Vân Quận chúa (Lady Ngọc Vân - Vietnamese) or Ksat Trey, she was proclaimed on the death of her father by the Vietnamese faction at court with the title of Mỹ Lâm Quận chúa (Lady Mỹ Lâm - Vietnamese) in January 1835. She was famous as a Vietnamese puppet queen
Indonesia[]

Aceh

  • Seri Ratu Ta'jul Alam Shah (ruled 1641–1675) - the Sultana of Atjeh (Aceh) Darussalam, formerly known as Puteri Seri Alam the Daughter of The Great Sultan Iskandar Muda, and wife of Sultan Iskandar Thani
  • Seri Ratu Naqiatuddin Nurul Alam (ruled 1675-1678)
  • Seri Ratu Inayat Shah (ruled 1678–1688)
  • Seri Ratu Kamalat Syah (ruled 1688–1699) - she was deposed and replaced by her husband under pressure from the Mufti of Mecca

Bali

Bugis

Kalingga

  • Maharani Shima (ruled 674–695)

Majapahit

The statue of Tribhuwanottungadewi, queen of Majapahit, depicted as Parvati
  • Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi (ruled 1328–1350)
  • Suhita (ruled 1429–1447)

Medang

Mengwi

Sonbai Kecil

  • (ruled 1672–1717), in western Timor
Laos[]

Lan Xang

  • Nang Keo Phimpha (ruled 1438) - after her nephew Lan Kham Deng died, she seized control of Lan Xang and the next four kings were under her control. She only reigned for a few months in 1438 at the age of 95; she was then deposed and killed.
Malaysia[]

Kelantan

Myanmar[]

Hanthawaddy

Philippines[]

Namayan and Tondo

  • Kalangitan (ruled 1450–1515)

Sulu

  • (ruled c. 1680-1685)
Thailand[]

Hariphunchai

  • Jamadevi (6th-7th century), first ruler of the Mon kingdom of Hariphunchai

Pattani

  • Ratu Hijau, 'the Green Queen' (ruled 1584–1616)
  • Ratu Biru, 'the Blue Queen' (ruled 1616–1624)
  • Ratu Ungu, 'the Purple Queen' (ruled 1624–1635)
  • Ratu Kuning, 'the Yellow Queen' (ruled 1635–1649/88), controversy surrounds the exact date of the end of her reign
  • (ruled 1670–1698 or 1690–1704) - thought by A. Teeuw & Wyatt to be a king, but claimed by al-Fatani to be a queen, the widow of Raja Bakal and mother of the succeeding queen
  • (ruled 1698–1702 or 1704–1707 and 1716–1718)

Lanna

  • Chiraprapha (ruled 1545–1546)
  • Wisutthi Thewi (ruled 1564-1578)
Timor[]

Alas

  • (ruled 1945-1952)

Ainaro

  • (ruled 1943-1960)

Venilale

  • (ruled 1808-1812)

Bobonaro

  • (widows of Dom Lac-Theu and Dom Tai Mau)

Ermera

  • (ruled 1849-after 1854)

  • (ruled 1881-1896)

  • (ruled 1845)
  • (ruled 1879-1893)

  • (ruled 1901-1913)

  • (ruled 1672-1717)

  • (ruled 1881-1902)
Vietnam[]
  • Queen Trưng Trắc (ruled 40–43) - the Trưng sisters (Vietnamese: Hai Bà Trưng; literally: two ladies Trưng) were leaders who rebelled against Chinese rule for three years, and are regarded as national heroines of Vietnam. Her name is Trưng Trắc.
  • Empress Lý Chiêu Hoàng (ruled 1224–1225)

Champa

  • (ruled 653)

West Asia[]

Iran[]
  • Musa of Parthia (Parthian queen regnant of Iran, ruled 2 BC–4 AD)
  • Pourandukht (In Persian: Pourandokht, Sassanid queen regnant and Daughter of Khosrow Parviz, ruled 629-630 and 631-632)
  • Azarmidokht (Sassanid queen regnant, sister of Pourandukht and daughter of Khosrow Parviz, ruled 630–631)

Elymais

  • Anzaze (ruled about 82/81 to 75 BC, following dates on the coins), she appears on coins together with king Kamnaskires III; they perhaps ruled together as on the coins she is called βασιλίσσης (the Genitive case of queen, βασίλισσα - basílissa)

Il Khanate

Salghurids

  • (ruled 1263)
  • (ruled 1264–1282)
Iraq[]

Adiabene

  • Heleni (ruled 30–58)
Israel[]

Judah

  • Athaliah (ruled 843–835 BC)

Hasmonean dynasty

  • Salome Alexandra (ruled 76–67 BC)

Herodian dynasty

  • Salome I (ruled 6 BC-10 AD) - she ruled as Toparch of Jabneh, Ashdod and Phasaelis
  • Livia (ruled 10-29) - she ruled as Toparch of Jabneh

Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem

  • Melisende (ruled 1131–1153) - she ruled with her husband Fulk of Anjou and her son Baldwin III as co-rulers
  • Sibylla (ruled 1186–1190) - she ruled with her husband Guy de Lusignan as co-ruler
  • Isabella I (ruled 1190/92–1205) - she ruled with her husbands Conrad of Montferrat, Henry of Champagne and Aimery of Cyprus as co-rulers
  • Maria (ruled 1205–1212) - she ruled with her husband John of Brienne as co-ruler from 1210
  • Isabella II (ruled 1212–1228), also known as Yolande of Jerusalem - she ruled with her husband Frederick II of Hohenstaufen as co-ruler from 1225
Jordan[]

Nabatea

  • Chuldu (ruled 9 BC–40 AD), she ruled jointly with her husband Aretas IV Philopatris
  • Shaqilath (ruled 40–70/71), she ruled jointly with her husband-brother Malichus II; after his death she was regent for her son Rabbel II Soter
  • (ruled 70/71–106), she ruled jointly with her brother Rabbel II Soter
Uzbekistan[]

Massagetae

  • Tomyris, Queen of the Massagetae (ruled 570-520 BC)
Saudi Arabia[]

Qedarite

  • Zabibe (ruled c. 750–735 BC)
  • Samsi (ruled c. 735–710 BC)
  • Yatie (ruled c. 710–695 BC)
  • Te'elkhunu (ruled c. 695–690 BC)
  • Tabua (ruled c. 678–675 BC)
Syria[]

Tanukhids

  • Mavia (ruled 375–425) - "The Queen of the Arabs"

Seleucid Empire

  • Cleopatra Thea (ruled 126–121 BCE) - she ruled in association with her son Antiochus VIII Grypus
Turkey[]
Isabella of Armenia

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

  • Isabella (ruled 1219–1252) - she co-ruled with her husband Hethum I from 1226

Caria

  • Artemisia I (ruled c. 480 BC)
  • Artemisia II (ruled 353–351 BC)
  • Ada (ruled 344–340 and 334–326 BC)

Dardania

  • Mania (ruled after 399 BC) - queen of ancient Dardania according to Polyaenus and Xenophon

Heraclea Pontica

  • Amastris (ruled c. 300-284 BC)

Pontus

  • Pythodorida (ruled 8 BC–38 AD)

Prusias ad Mare

  • Orodaltis (ruled c. after 30 BC)

Saltukid dynasty

Trebizond

Yemen[]

Sulayhid dynasty

  • Asma bint Shihab (ruled 1047-1087) - she was the co-ruler of Yemen in co-regency with her cousin and spouse, Ali al-Sulayhi, and later her son, Ahmad al-Mukkaram, and daughter-in-law, Arwa al-Sulayhi. Though there were many female monarchs in the Muslim world, Asma bint Shihab and Arwa al-Sulayhi were the only female monarchs in the Arab world to have had the khutba proclaimed in their name in the mosques as sovereigns.
  • Arwa al-Sulayhi (ruled 1067–1138) - she ruled Yemen firstly with her first two husbands and her mother-in-law and then as sole ruler. She was the greatest of the rulers of the Sulayhid Dynasty and was also the first woman to be accorded the prestigious title of hujja in Isma'ili branch of Shi'a Islam, signifying her as the closest living image of God's will in her lifetime.

Europe[]

Maria Theresa, Queen regnant of Hungary, Bohemia[2] and the Holy Roman Empress

Albania[]

Angevin Dynasty[]
  • Joanna[disambiguation needed] (ruled 1348-1368)
Valona[]

Andorra[]

Armenia[]

  • Erato (ruled 10–2 BC and 6–12 AD)
  • Zarmandukht (ruled 378–384)

Austria[]

  • Maria Theresa (Archduchess) (ruled 1740–1780) - she was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma. In some of the Habsburg dominions (such as Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia and Lodomeria and Galicia), she held the title of queen. By marriage, she was also Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress (all as consort).
Marcomanni[]
  • Fritigil (ruled mid 4th century)

Bosnia[]

Croatia[]

  • Mary (ruled 1382–1385 and 1386–1395)
  • Maria Theresa (Queen) (ruled 1740–1780)

Cyprus[]

  • Charlotte (ruled 1458–1464)
  • Catherine Cornaro (ruled 1474–1489)
  • Elizabeth II (reigned 1952–1960)

Czech lands[]

  • Maria Theresa (Queen) (ruled 1740–1780)
Margaret I of Denmark

Denmark[]

  • Margaret I (ruled 1387–1412) - she was founder of the Kalmar Union, which united the Scandinavian countries for over a century. Margaret is known in Denmark as "Margrethe I" to distinguish her from the current queen. Denmark did not have a tradition of allowing women to rule, so when her son died, she was titled "All-powerful Lady and Mistress (Regent) of the Kingdom of Denmark". She only styled herself Queen of Denmark[citation needed] in 1375, usually referring to herself as "Margaret, by the grace of God, daughter of Valdemar King of Denmark" and "Denmark's rightful heir" when referring to her position in Denmark. Others simply referred to her as the "Lady Queen", without specifying what she was queen of, but not so Pope Boniface IX, who in his letters styled her "our beloved daughter in Christ, Margaret, most excellent queen of Denmark, Sweden and Norway"
  • Margaret II (reign 1972–present)

Estonia[]

  • Margaret Sambiria (ruled 1266-1282)
  • Christina (ruled 6 November 1632 – 6 June 1654)
  • Ulrika Eleonora (ruled 5 December 1718 – 29 February 1720)
  • Catherine I (ruled 8 February 1725 – 17 May 1727)
  • Anna (ruled 13 February 1730 – 28 October 1740)
  • Elizabeth (ruled 6 December 1741 – 5 January 1762)
  • Catherine II (ruled 9 July 1762 – 6 November 1796)

Finland[]

  • Margaret I of Denmark (ruled 1389–1412)
  • Christina (ruled 1632–1654)
  • Ulrika Eleonora (ruled 1719–1720)

Georgia[]

Tamar, King of Kings and Queen of Queens of the Georgians
  • Tamar the Great (ruled 1184–1213)
  • Rusudan (ruled 1223–1245)

Greece[]

Antiquity[]
Aeacid dynasty[]
  • Deidamia II (ruled c. 233 BCE)
Byzantine Empire and immediate successors[]
Isaurian dynasty[]
  • Irene (ruled 797-802)
Macedonian Dynasty[]
  • Zoe (ruled 1028–1041 and 1042–1050) - she ruled with her consorts Romanos III and Michael IV between 1028 and 1041; she ruled with her sister Theodora and her third husband Constantine IX from 1042 to 1050
  • Theodora (ruled 1042–1056) - she ruled from 1042 jointly with her sister Zoe and Zoe's third husband Constantine IX; she ruled from 1055 until her own death as sole monarch.
Epirus[]
  • Maria Angelina Doukaina Palaiologina (ruled 1384–1385)

Hungary[]

  • Mary (ruled 1382–1385 and 1386-1395) - she was crowned as King of Hungary to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right; she co-ruled with her husband Sigismund of Luxembourg from 1387
  • Maria Theresa (Queen, "King") (ruled 1740–1780)

Iceland[]

  • Margaret I (ruled 1388 – 28 October 1412)

Ireland[]

Kingdom of Ireland[]
  • Jane Grey (ruled 1553) (disputed)
  • Mary I (ruled 1553–1558)
  • Elizabeth I (ruled 1558–1603)
  • Mary II (ruled 1689–1694) - she co-ruled with her husband William III
  • Anne (ruled 1702–1714)

Italy[]

Naples[]
  • Joan I (ruled 1343–1382)
  • Joan II (ruled 1414–1435)
  • Joan III the Mad (ruled 1516–1555)
Parma[]
  • Maria Theresa (Duchess) (ruled 1740–1748)
  • Marie Louise (Duchess) (ruled 1814-1847)
Sardinia[]
  • Elena of Gallura (ruled 1202 or 1203–1218)
  • Benedetta of Cagliari (ruled 1214–1232 or 1233)
  • Adelasia of Torres (ruled 1236–1259)
  • Joanna of Gallura (ruled 1298–1308)
  • Eleanor of Arborea (ruled 1383–1404)
Sicily[]
  • Constance I (ruled 1194–1198) - she co-ruled with her husband Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor until 1197
  • Constance II (ruled 1282–1285) - she co-ruled with her husband Peter III of Aragon
  • Maria (ruled 1377–1401) - she co-ruled with her husband Martin I the Younger from 1392
  • Joan the Mad (ruled 1516–1555)

Luxembourg[]

  • Marie-Adélaïde (Grand Duchess) (ruled 1912–1919)
  • Charlotte (Grand Duchess) (ruled 1919–1964)

Malta[]

  • Elizabeth II of Malta (reigned 1964–1974)
Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Monaco[]

  • Claudine (Lady) (ruled 1457-1458)
  • Louise Hippolyte (Princess) (ruled 1731)

Montenegro[]

  • Jelena (ruled 1276-1309)

Netherlands[]

  • Wilhelmina (reigned 1890–1948)
  • Juliana (reigned 1948–1980)
  • Beatrix (reigned 1980–2013)

Norway[]

  • Margaret (ruled 1388–1412)
Agder[]
  • Åsa (ruled 815–834/38)

Poland[]

  • Hedwig (ruled 1384–1399) - she was crowned as King of Poland to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right; she co-ruled with her husband Władysław II Jagiełło from 1386
  • Anna (ruled 1575–1586) - she was crowned as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right; she co-ruled with her husband Stephen Báthory

Portugal[]

Maria II of Portugal
  • Beatrice (ruled 1383, disputed)
  • Maria I (ruled 1777–1816)
  • Maria II (ruled 1826–1828 and 1834–1853)

Russia[]

Catherine II of Russia
  • Catherine I (ruled 1725–1727)
  • Anna (ruled 1730–1740)
  • Elizabeth (ruled 1741–1762)
  • Catherine II ("the Great") (ruled 1762–1796)
Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus[]
  • Dynamis (ruled in 47 BC, 44-17 BC and 16-14 BC) - she co-ruled with her first husband Asander in 47 BC and from 44 BC until 17 BC; then she co-ruled with her second husband Polemon I from 16 BC until her death
  • Gepaepyris (ruled 38–45) - she ruled in association with her son Mithridates III
Khanate of Qasim[]
Isabella I of Castile

Spain[]

  • Urraca of León and Castile (ruled 1109–1126) - also styled as Empress of all the Spains (totius Hispaniae imperatrix). Her use of the imperial styling was limited, much more so than that of her predecessor and successor (it is possible that the imperial style had connotations too strongly masculine). Urraca did employ instead the title Queen of Spain on several occasions from the very beginning of her reign until the end
  • Petronila of Aragon (ruled 1137–1164)
  • Berenguela of Castile the Great (ruled 1217)
  • Sancha of León (ruled de jure 1230) - she ruled jointly with her sister Dulce. After the death of Sancha's brother, Alfonso IX named his second son, Ferdinand, his heir, bestowing on him the title infante. In 1217, Ferdinand's mother, Berengaria, inherited the Kingdom of Castile, but ceded it to her son. With his heir out of the kingdom and ruling in another place, Alfonso attempted to make his eldest daughters his joint heirs. In the Treaty of Boronal concluded with Portugal in 1219, Alfonso expressly states that if he should die, Portugal should respect the agreement with his daughters.[3] Alfonso also attempted to secure his eldest daughter's rights by marrying Sancha to John of Brienne, the former King of Jerusalem, but his wife Berengaria blocked this action in order to advance her son.[4] After this fiasco, Alfonso declared Sancha and Dulce his heirs, but upon his death on 24 September 1230, the people of León, who had pledged for Ferdinand in 1206, refused to recognise his daughters, and they in turn ceded their rights to his kingdom to their half-brother
  • Dulce of León (ruled de jure 1230) - she ruled jointly with her sister Sancha
  • Isabella I of Castile the Catholic (ruled 1474–1504) - After a struggle to claim her right to the throne, she reorganised the governmental system, brought the crime rate to the lowest it had been in years, and unburdened the kingdom of the enormous debt her brother had left behind. Her marriage with Ferdinand II of Aragon brought stability to the kingdoms that became the basis for the political unification of Spain. Her reforms and those she made with her husband had an influence that extended well beyond the borders of their united kingdoms. Isabella and Ferdinand are known for completing the Reconquista, ordering conversion or exile of their Muslim and Jewish subjects in the Spanish Inquisition, and for supporting and financing Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage that led to the opening of the New World.
  • Joanna of Castile and Aragon the Mad (ruled 1504–1555) - successor of the previous. After her husband's death she was deemed mentally ill and was confined to a nunnery for the rest of her life. Her father, Ferdinand II of Aragon, was regent until his death, when she inherited his kingdom as well.
  • Isabella II of Spain (ruled 1833–1868)
Navarre[]
  • Toda Aznárez (ruled 950s-970s) - was the queen consort of Pamplona through her marriage to Sancho I, who reigned from 905 to 925, and was regent of Pamplona for her son García Sánchez I from 931 to 934. Later in life, she ruled a subkingdom created for her
  • Joan I (ruled 1274–1305)
  • Joan II (ruled 1328–1349)
  • Blanche I (ruled 1425–1441)
  • Blanche II (ruled de jure 1461–1464)
  • Eleanor (ruled in 1479)
  • Catherine (ruled 1483–1517)
  • Joan III (ruled 1555–1572)

Sweden[]

Christina of Sweden
  • Margaret (ruled 1389–1412)
  • Christina (ruled 1632–1654) - she was crowned as King of Swedes, Goths and Vandals to emphasize that she was a monarch in her own right
  • Ulrika Eleonora (ruled 1718–1720)

United Kingdom[]

Kingdoms of the Britons[]
  • Cartimandua (ruled c. 43–69), queen of the Brigantes, a Celtic people in what is now Northern England - she came to power around the time of the Roman conquest of Britain, and formed a large tribal agglomeration that became loyal to Rome; she is known exclusively from the work of a single Roman historian, Tacitus, though she appears to have been widely influential in early Roman Britain
  • Boudica (ruled c. 60–61), queen of the Brythonic Celtic Iceni, people of Norfolk, in Eastern Britain - in 61 AD, led a major uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire
Anglo-Saxon kingdoms[]
  • Seaxburh of Wessex (ruled c. 672–674) - she reigned jointly with her husband Cenwalh and, according to tradition, ruled Wessex as Queen for a year following Cenwalh's death in c. 672
  • Æthelflæd of Mercia (ruled 911–918) - eldest daughter of king Alfred the Great of Wessex, wife of Æthelred II, ealdorman of Mercia, and after his death, sole ruler of Mercia. While her husband was alive, she signed agreements, leading some to think that she was the real leader. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle styles her Lady of the Mercians (Myrcna hlæfdige)
  • Ælfwynn of Mercia (ruled 918) - daughter of Æthelflæd and Æthelred II, styled Lady of the Mercians. Deposed by her uncle, Edward the Elder (4 December 918), who annexed Mercia to Wessex, creating the Kingdom of England
Kingdom of England[]
  • Matilda (ruled 1141) - she was England's first de facto female ruler, holding the title of Lady of the English (she planned to assume the title of queen upon her coronation). She was declared heir presumptive by her father, Henry I, and acknowledged as such by the barons; however, upon the death of her father in 1135, Matilda's rival and cousin Stephen of Blois usurped the throne. The Anarchy followed, with Matilda's being a de facto ruler for a few months in 1141, but she was never crowned and failed to consolidate her rule (legally and politically)
  • Jane (ruled 1553, disputed) - her cousin Edward VI of England nominated Jane as successor to the Crown in his will and excluded his half sisters, Mary and Elizabeth. However, this was disputed following Edward's death, since parliament had not ratified his action and Jane was ‘queen’ for only nine days (10–19 July) before Edward's half-sister, Mary, was proclaimed Queen. Jane is nicknamed The Nine Days' Queen
  • Mary I (ruled 1553–1558)
  • Elizabeth I (ruled 1558–1603)
Kingdom of Scotland[]
  • Margaret, Maid of Norway (ruled 1286–1290) She was daughter of Eric II of Norway and Margaret of Scotland and was named "domina and right heir" of the Kingdom of Scotland by her grandfather, Alexander III. Her death, at the age of seven, while en route to Scotland sparked off the disputed succession which led to the Wars of Scottish Independence. As Margaret was never crowned or otherwise inaugurated, and never set foot on what was then Scottish soil during her lifetime, there is some doubt about whether she should be regarded as a Queen of Scots; this could ultimately be a matter of interpretation. Most lists of the monarchs of Scotland do include her, but a few do not.
  • Mary I (ruled 1542–1567) - she was executed in England in 1587
Kingdoms of England and Scotland / Kingdom of Great Britain[]
  • Mary II (reigned 1689–1694, jointly with her cousin and husband William III of Orange)
  • Anne (reigned 1702–1714)
United Kingdom[]
  • Victoria (reigned 1837–1901) - the first monarch to hold the title of Empress of India.
  • Elizabeth II (reigning 1952–present) - head of state of 16 sovereign states, longest-reigning British monarch, longest-reigning queen regnant and female head of state in world history and, since October 2016, the longest currently reigning monarch and head of state.

Oceania[]

American Samoa[]

Tui Manuʻa Matelita.
  • , (ruled as 20th Tui Manu'a)
  • , (ruled as 23rd Tui Manu'a)
  • , (ruled as 27th Tui Manu'a)
  • Matelita, (ruled 1891–1895, as 39th Tui Manu'a)

Australia[]

  • Victoria (ruled 1901)
  • Elizabeth II of Australia (reigning 1952–present)

French Polynesia[]

Bora Bora[]
  • Teriimaevarua II (ruled 1860–1873)
  • Teriimaevarua III (ruled 1873–1888)
Huahine[]
Tehaapapa II and Tehaapapa III
Raiatea[]
  • Tehauroarii (ruled 1881–1884)
  • Tuarii (ruled till 1897) – she reigned under a rebellion government against the French with the support of Teraupo'o after Tamatoa VI abdicated.
Rapa Iti[]
  • (ruled 1886–1887).
Rimatara[]
  • Tamaeva IV (ruled 1876–1892)
  • Tamaeva V (ruled 1892–1901)
Tahiti[]
  • Purea (ruled 18th century), queen of the Teva clan on the southern part of the island before unification
  • Pōmare IV (ruled 1827-1877)

Fiji[]

  • Elizabeth II of Fiji (reigned 1970–1987)

Hawaii[]

  • Ancient
    • Kalanikauleleiaiwi, co-ruler of Hawaiʻi Island along with her brother Keaweʻīkekahialiʻiokamoku (ruled 1695–1725)
    • Ululani, 7th Chiefess of Hilo
    • Kapauanuakea, 3rd Chiefess of Molokai
    • Kamauliwahine, 4th Chiefess of Molokai
    • Hualani, 5th Chiefess of Molokai
    • Kanealai, Chiefess of Molokai
    • Kūkaniloko, 11th Moʻi of Oʻahu (ruled sixteenth century)
    • , 12th Moʻi of Oʻahu (ruled 1600–1665)
    • Kaikilani, 17th Moʻi of Hawaiʻi Island (ruled 1575–1605)
    • Keakamahana, 19th Moʻi of Hawaiʻi Island (ruled 1635–1665)
    • Keakealaniwahine, 20th Moʻi of Hawaiʻi Island (ruled 1665–1695)
    • Kamakahelei, 22nd Moʻi of Kauaʻi (ruled 1770–1794)
Liliʻuokalani
  • Kingdom
    • Liliʻuokalani (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 established by Kamehameha I in the late eighteenth century

New Zealand[]

  • Elizabeth II of New Zealand (reigning 1952–present)
Rarotonga[]
Makea Takau Ariki
  • Makea Takau Ariki, Queen/Supreme High Chiefess of the Cook Islands (ruled 1871–1911) - was the last monarch and only queen regnant of the Kingdom of Rarotonga established in 1858, she ceased to be sovereign after 1888

Papua New Guinea[]

  • Elizabeth II of Papua New Guinea (reigning 1975–present)

Solomon Islands[]

  • Elizabeth II of Solomon Islands (reigning 1978–present)

Tonga[]

  • Tupoumahe'ofo (ruled 1777–1781, as Tu'i Kanokupolu)
  • Salote Tupou III (ruled 1918–1965)

Tuvalu[]

  • Elizabeth II of Tuvalu (reigning 1978–present)

Uvea (Wallis)[]

Female regents[]

Africa[]

Ashanti Empire[]

  • Yaa Asantewaa (c. 1840-1921) (regent), queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti Empire (1894-1902)

Dahomey[]

  • Hangbe (regent) ruler of Dahomey 1716-1718 between the death of Akaba and the rule of Agaja

Egypt[]

Ancient Egypt

Ankhesenpepi II with her son Pepi II
  • Neithhotep of the First Dynasty - likely ruled as regent on behalf of either Hor-Aha or Djer. Her exceptional status may point to her being a ruling Pharaoh in her own right, but this is disputed among Egyptologists.
  • Merneith of the First Dynasty - was a consort and a regent of Ancient Egypt during the First Dynasty during the early part of the reign of her son Den. She may have been a ruler of Egypt in her own right (hence being included in the list of queens regnant as well). The possibility is based on several official records. Her rule occurred the 30th century B.C., for an undetermined period
  • Nimaathap of the Second Dynasty - possibly ruled as regent on behalf of her son Djoser.
  • Khentkawes I of the Fourth Dynasty - Khentkawes may have served as a regent for Thampthis (considered by some historians her son), or she may have ruled Egypt as Pharaoh.
  • Khentkaus II of the Fifth Dynasty - While it is not confirmed that Khentkaus ruled as regent, several aspects of her tomb indicate she may have done so.
  • Iput I of the Sixth Dynasty - possibly ruled as regent on behalf of her son Pepi I.
  • Ankhesenpepi II of the Sixth Dynasty - ruled as regent on behalf of her son Pepi II.
  • Tetisheri of the Seventeenth Dynasty
  • Ahhotep I of the Seventeenth Dynasty - ruled as regent on behalf of her son Ahmose I.
  • Ahmose-Nefertari of the Eighteenth Dynasty - ruled as regent on behalf of her son Amenhotep I. Was later deified as a goddess in the centuries after her death.
  • Hatshepsut of the Eighteenth Dynasty - was initially regent on behalf of her step-son Thutmose III, before becoming a reigning co-ruling Pharaoh in her own right.
  • Twosret of the Nineteenth Dynasty - ruled as regent on behalf of her step-son Siptah and became ruling Pharaoh after his death.

Fatimid Caliphate

  • Sitt al-Mulk - regent from 1021 to 1023 during the reign of her nephew Ali az-Zahir.
  • Rasad - While never formally regent, she wielded a great deal of power during the reign of her son Al-Mustansir Billah and was the effective head of state from 1044 to 1062.

Ayyubid Sultanate

  • Shajar al-Durr - de facto regent from November 1249 to February 1250.

Kongo Kingdom[]

  • (regent) 1962-1975

Mwali[]

  • Ravao (1840s) - regent during the early years of the reign of her daughter Djoumbé Fatima.[5]

Batlokwa[]

  • Mmanthatisi (1813-1824) - regent on behalf of her son Sekonyela.

Asia[]

Bhopal State[]

  • Sikandar Begum (regent) 1844-1860 - regent on behalf of her daughter Shah Jahan Begum before becoming the Nawab of Bhopal from 1860 to 1868. She was succeeded by her daughter.

Iran[]

  • Atossa (regent) 522 BC-475 BC

Thailand[]

  • Sri Bajarindra (regent) 1862–1955
  • Sirikit (regent) 1950-2016

Mongolia[]

Chagatai Khanate[]
Golden Horde[]
Kara-Khitan Khanate[]
Kashmir[]
  • Didda (regent) 958-980
Kazan Khanate[]

India[]

  • Manikarnika
Gond[]
  • Rani Durgavati (regent) ?–1564
Maratha Empire[]
  • Tarabai (regent) 1700–1708

Neo-Assyrian Empire[]

  • Shammuramat (regent) 810-806 BC

Palmyrene Empire[]

  • Zenobia (regent) 267–271

Vietnam[]

  • (regent) 113–112 BC
  • Empress Dương Vân Nga (regent) 979–981
  • Empress Thượng Dương (regent) 1072–1073
  • Lady Ỷ Lan (first regent 1069–1070) (second regent 1072–1085(6,?))
  • Empress (regent) 1138–1158

Europe[]

England[]

  • Ælfthryth (regent) 978-984
  • Matilda of Flanders - ruled as regent during the absences of her husband, William the Conqueror.
  • Eleanor of Aquitaine (regent) 1190-1191
  • Eleanor of Provence (regent) 1253
  • Isabella of France (regent) 1326-1330
  • Philippa of Hainault (regent) 1346
  • Joan of Navarre (regent) 1399-1403 and 1415
  • Catherine of Aragon (regent) six months in 1513
  • Catherine Parr (regent) July-September 1544

France[]

  • Balthild (regent) 657-659
  • Anne of Kiev (regent) 1060-1066
  • Adela of Champagne (regent) 1190
  • Blanche of Castile (regent) 1226-1235 and 1248-1252
  • Isabella of Bavaria (regent) 1417-1420
  • Joan the Lame - ruled as regent while her husband, Philip VI of France, fought in the Hundred Years' War.
  • Catherine de' Medici (regent) in 1552, 1560-1563 and in 1574
  • Marie de' Medici (regent) 1610-1614
  • Anne of Austria (regent) 1643-1651
  • Maria Theresa of Spain (regent) 1667, 1672, 1678
  • Marie Louise (regent) 1812 and 1814
  • Eugénie de Montijo (regent) 1859, 1865 and 1870

Franks[]

  • Richilde of Provence (regent) 877
  • Fredegund (regent) 584-597
  • Ermentrude of Orleans 823-869

Illyrian Kingdom[]

  • Teuta (regent) 231–227 BC
  • Etuta (regent) 169-168 BC
  • (regent) 522-533 BC

Khazar[]

  • Parsbit (regent) 730

Kievan Rus'[]

  • Olga (regent) 945-962

Lombards[]

  • Theodelinda (regent) 590-591

Ostrogoths[]

  • Amalasuntha (regent) 526-534

Portugal[]

Luisa de Guzmán
  • Leonor Teles (regent) 1383-1384
  • Eleanor of Aragon (regent) 1438-1439
  • Eleanor of Viseu (regent) 1497-1499
  • Catherine of Austria (regent) 1557-1562
  • Luisa de Guzmán (regent) 1656-1662
  • Catherine of Braganza (regent) 1701; 1704-1705
  • Maria Anna of Austria (regent) 1742-1750
  • Mariana Victoria of Spain (regent) 1776-1777

Russia[]

  • Sophia of Lithuania (regent) 1425-1432
  • Elena Glinskaya (regent) 1533-1538
  • Natalya Naryshkina (regent) 1682
  • Sophia Alekseyevna (regent) 1682–1689
  • Anna Leopoldovna (regent) 1740-1741
Hedwig Eleanor of Sweden

Sweden[]

  • Ingeborg (de facto regent) 1318-1319
  • Hedwig Eleanor (regent) 1660-1672 & 1697

Roman Empire and immediate successors[]

  • Agrippina the Younger (regent) 49 - 56, as Augusta of the Roman Empire, ruled during the time of her husband and son.
  • Julia Domna (regent) 197 - 217, as Augusta of the Roman Empire, ruled during the time of her husband and sons and she was the first woman in the Severan dynasty to rule.
  • Julia Maesa (regent) 218 - 224, The Severan dynasty was dominated by powerful women, one of which was Maesa. Politically able and ruthless, she contended for political power after her sister's suicide and Afterwards she held power until she died in Rome.
  • Julia Soaemias (regent) 218 - 222, After his son came to power, he came to power with his mother and She attended meetings of the senate, and even held a "Women's Senate" deciding on matters of fashion and protocol. She was honored with various titles, including 'Augusta, mater Augusti' (Augusta, mother of Augustus) and 'Mater castorum et senatus et totius domus divinae' (Mother of camp and the senate and the divine house).
  • Julia Avita Mamaea (regent) 222 - 235, She was the mother of Roman Emperor Alexander Severus and served as regent of Rome during his minority, de facto during his reign. also Alexander confirmed his esteem for his mother and named her consors imperii (imperial consort).
  • Ulpia Severina (regent) 275 - there is considerable numismatic evidence for Ulpia Severina ruling in her own right between the death of Aurelian and the election of Marcus Claudius Tacitus.[6] Sources mention an interregnum between Aurelian and Tacitus, and some of Ulpia's coins appear to have been minted after Aurelian's death.[7] As such she may have been the only woman to rule over the whole Roman Empire in her own power.
Bithynia[]
  • Etazeta (regent) 255–254 BC
Byzantine Empire[]
Zoe
  • Pulcheria (regent) 414–453
  • Irene (ruled 797–802) - she normally referred to herself as basilissa (empress), although there are three instances of the title basileus (emperor) being used by her
  • Theodora the Armenian (regent) 842-855
  • Martina (empress) 613-641
Latin Empire[]
  • Yolanda of Flanders (regent) 1217-1219

Sarmatia[]

  • Amage (regent) 4th century BC

Ottoman Empire[]

Legendary Queens[]

Ahaggar[]

  • Tin Hinan (ruled c. 4th-century)

Amazons[]

  • Otrera, the daughter of Eurus (the east wind)
  • Hippolyta, the Amazonian queen who possessed a magical girdle
  • Penthesilea, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe
  • Antianara, the daughter of Ares and Otrera and the sister of Hippolyta, Antiope and Melanippe
  • Eurypyle
  • Lampedo
  • Marpesia

Assyria[]

  • Semiramis, the legendary queen of king Ninus, succeeding him to the throne of Assyria

Ayodhya[]

  • Goddess Sita

Bohemia[]

Bornu Empire[]

Champa[]

  • Lady Po Nagar, According to Cham legend, was the founder of the Cham nation

Carthage[]

  • Dido (ruled 814 – c. 760 BC) - also known as Alyssa. Founder of Carthage, according to tradition

China[]

Funan Kingdom[]

  • (ruled 180–90 BCE) - the earliest Queen and Leader in Cambodian history

Gideons Dynasty[]

  • Gudit, (ruled c. 960 – c. 1000)

Britain[]

Harran[]

  • , (ruled 2400 BC)

Hastinapura and Indraprastha[]

  • Maharani Draupadi of Panchala as the consort of Maharaja Yudhishthira

Ireland[]

  • Macha, (ruled 661–654 BC)

Connacht[]

  • Medb, Queen of Connacht

Italy[]

  • Lavinia

Japan[]

Kelantan[]

  • Che Siti Wan Kembang

Lydia[]

  • Omphale, wife of Heracles

Mongolia[]

  • Alan Gua, a mythical figure from the Secret History of the Mongols

Nubia[]

Rapa Nui[]

Poland[]

  • Wanda

Puntland[]

  • Ati, a queen of the fabled Land of Punt in Africa

Sheba[]

  • Bilkis in Yemen, Makeda in Ethiopia and Sudan, claimed to be Queen of Sheba

Kish[]

  • Kubaba (ruled 25th century BC)

Titular Queens[]

Balete[]

  • Mosadi Seboko (ruled 2002-), the kgosikgolo[a] of the Balete people in Botswana

Māori[]

  • Te Atairangikaahu (ruled 1966-2006)

Mapuche[]

  • (ruled 1903–1916)

Naso[]

  • (ruled 1982-1988)

Chieftainess[]

Crow tribe[]

  • Pine Leaf, (ruled 1830s)

Giluts'aaw[]

  • Victoria Young

Hispaniola[]

  • Anacaona, Cacica of Quisqueya
  • Iguanamá, also known as Isabel de Iguanamá

Israelite Tribes[]

  • Deborah

Pamunkey[]

Puerto Rico[]

  • Doña Ines, mother of Caciques Agueybaná and Agüeybaná II
  • , daughter of Cacique Bagnamanay
  • , Cacica in the region near Loíza, Puerto Rico

Rarotonga[]

Rewa, Burebasaga Confederacy[]

  • , (ruled 1957 - 2004)
  • , (ruled 2004 -)

Sakonnet[]

  • Awashonks

Seneca tribe[]

Xhosa[]

  • , Chief of Imingcangathelo
  • , Chief of Amambombo (Ngqika)
  • , Chief of Imingqalasi

Notes[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Basil Davidson (2014). West Africa Before the Colonial Era: A History to 1850. Routledge. p. 229. ISBN 978-1-317-88265-7.
  2. ^ "Sigismund (Holy Roman emperor)". Encyclopædia Britannica. Britannica.com Inc. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
  3. ^ Yáñez Neira, 54.
  4. ^ Salvador Martínez, 32–33.
  5. ^ Ibrahime, Mahmoud: Djoumbé Fatima: Une reine comorienne face aux visées coloniales de la marine française. Tarehi - Revue d'Histoire et d'Archéologie 2, 10–17, 2001.
  6. ^ Watson, Alaric (1999). Aurelian and the Third Century. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-07248-4.
  7. ^ Körner, Christian (December 23, 2008). "Aurelian (A.D. 270-275)". De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families. Retrieved January 6, 2011.

Bibliography[]

  • L. Pierotti Cei, Madonna Costanza, Regina di Sicilia e d'Aragona, Mondadori, Milan 1995.
  • S. Runciman, I Vespri siciliani, Rizzoli, Milan 1975.

External links[]

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