How did British queens get power over kings despite a male-dominant society
I am not a history guy. But, from what I have collected from movies, TV shows and people, I see that old British society was male-dominant and there were female rights issues too. But, I also see some powerful queens in the history and the "for Queen and the Country" thing. Where's the catch? These two things don't look compatible.
Until now, British law has given priority to male over female heirs of kings. But where there were no male heirs, a girl got the nod.
For instance, King Henry VIII had three (surviving, legitimate) children; Edward (the youngest), Mary, and Elizabeth. Edward, the boy, was crowned king ahead of his two older sisters. He died in adolescence (without children), so his older sister Mary was crowned Queen Regnant (a female king), and when she died childless in middle age, the middle child was crowned as Queen Elizabeth I.
Centuries later, King George VI had "only" two daughters, Elizabeth, and Margaret, so the former was crowned Elizabeth II. But if Margaret had been a boy named Mark, then "Mark" would have been crowned king over Elizabeth.
Going forward, Kate Middleton's first child was a boy, but even if it had been a girl, under the newest laws, the girl would (assuming she lived long enough) have been crowned Queen (Regnant), even ahead of any younger brothers she might have had.
Britain's order of succession is determined by male-preference cognatic primogeniture (in the future it will be equal primogeniture). This allows a female to ascend the throne as queen regnant (queen in her own right, as opposed to being a consort to a king). Queens Elizabeth I & II and Queen Victoria are example of such queens. In their cases, there is no king - spouses of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II are titled "prince consort", and they are merely consorts to their queens.
On the other hand, queen consorts, such as the spouses of Kings George V & VI, did not have the same position as Queen Victoria's.
Under English law and tradition, just as the spouse of a King is a Queen consort rather than a Queen Regnant, the spouse of a Queen Regnant is a King Consort and not a King Regnant or Monarch.
Other dynastic and national traditions may vary, as for example for Catherine the Great in Russia as well as her grand-mother-in-law Tsarina Catherine I.
Examples of the most powerful women in the world`s history
History is filled with thousands of people who have made significant accomplishments. However, among these are figures who have risen as true beacons of greatness, whose personal talent, striving and unique sense of vision have earned them a place in the annals of history. This chapter is for anyone interested in learning more about the achievements and contributions of different countries` Queens.
Like other subsets of history, Queens` History is more than just a loose collection of headlines about the intermittent monarch and the pious religious figure.
In those headlines we do find extraordinary women, and these models of the extraordinary serve as inspiration for current and future generations—for both women and men. Their stories are full of adventure, romance, loss, and triumph.
Now you have got acquainted with English Queens, who have left their mark in history. But do you really think that great women were only in this country? No, almost each country has its great Queens. About these women people make movies, write books. They are remembered with special attention, studying history, because without them history would not exist.
The pages of history are littered with the names of powerful men. But from time to time, there have been women who have shone out as being equally powerful as the men in their time – some of whom have even gone on to shape the future of the world as we know it. This is a list of the most incredibly powerful women, who ruled in other countries.
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Europe and the world during the High Middle Ages. Eleanor inherited the Duchy of Aquitaine and Poitiers after her father’s death when she was only 15. As a result, Eleanor became an independent ruler in her own right receiving the titles of Duchess of Aquitaine and Countess of Poitiers. Aquitaine was the largest and wealthiest province of France during the 12th century. Unlike many other monarchs and women of the Middle Ages, Eleanor and her family were very well educated. Eleanor is credited for having transformed Aquitaine into one of the largest intellectual and cultural centers in Medieval Western Europe.
Eleanor became Queen Consort to Louis VII of France in 1137. During her marriage to Louis, she participated in the Second Crusade in 1147 and even traveled with her husband to the Byzantine Empire. Eleanor became a key figure in developing trade agreements between Western Europe, Constantinople, and the Holy Land. She eventually had the marriage to Louis annulled in 1152 and in 1154, Eleanor became Queen Consort to Henry II of England.
In 1170, Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was assassinated for going against King Henry II. Eleanor, among many others, strongly opposed the assassination. This eventually led to the Revolt of 1173-1174 in which Eleanor, three of her sons, and rebel supporters sided against Henry. The revolt failed, however, and Eleanor was imprisoned for sixteen years.
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut was one of the most powerful women in the ancient world. She was the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Ancient Egypt and she ruled longer than any other woman in Egyptian history. Hatshepsut was married to her sickly half brother, Thutmose II, and the two of them began to co-rule after the death of their father, Thutmose I, in 1492 BC In 1479 BC, Thutmose II died and Hatshepsut continued to rule by herself until her own death in 1458 BC
It is believed by many Egyptologists and historians that Hatshepsut was one of Ancient Egypt’s most successful monarchs. She commissioned many building projects and reestablished trade networks that had been disrupted by the Hyksos invaders of the Second Intermediate Period. Hatshepsut also led a large-scale expedition to the Land of Punt, a wealthy and sophisticated country to the south of Egypt. Hatshepsut is also believed to have led successful military campaigns in Nubia, the Levant, and Syria during her reign.
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa succeeded her father, Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, as empress of the Hapsburg controlled lands of Central Europe in 1740. She made her son, Joseph II, coregent in 1765 after the death of her husband.
In the same year Maria Theresa came to power, Fredrick II of Brandenburg-Prussia initiated the War of Austrian Succession by invading the Hapsburg province of Silesia. Fredrick refused to recognize Maria Theresa as the rightful heir to the throne. He rallied other nations such as Bavaria, Saxony, France, and Spain to side with him and contribute to the conflict. Maria Theresa retaliated by rallying Hungarian arms to her defense. As a result, she was able to repel the invading armies and preserve the Hapsburg state as a major European power. The war officially ended in 1748 with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
Maria Theresa brought about many economic and political changes to her empire. She increased the size of the army by 200 percent and increased taxes in order to guarantee a steady income for the government, and in particular for the military. She centralized the government by combining the Austrian and Bohemian chancellaries, formerly separate, into one administrative office. She also started what became known as the Diplomatic Revolution in 1756 when she created an alliance with France, a former enemy, to serve as a coalition against the newly allied Prussia and Great Britain. Her reforms and political decisions were successful in strengthening the economy and the state in general.
Maria Theresa was also a participant in the Enlightenment. She strongly promoted education and liberal politics. She founded Imperial and Royal Academy of Science and Literature in Brussels and she supported medical research by demanding that the University of Vienna be given money to make the medical faculty more efficient. Some of Maria Theresa’s civil reforms included the abolition of witch-burning and torture, getting rid of capital punishment, and making education mandatory.
Empress Theodora
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 joint ruler of the Byzantine Empire.
Prior to her marriage to Justinian, Theodora had been an actress and she entertained at banquets for nobles. She also became a courtesan to many of the nobles she entertained. She later converted to Monophysite Christianity and gave up her former lifestyle. She married Justinian in either 523 AD or 525 AD and following the death of Emperor Justin I in 527 AD, both Justinian I and Theodora took control of the empire. Many decisions concerning the government were made by Theodora. For example, 532 AD, resentment over high taxes, religious controversy, and political corruption led to the Nika riot in Constantinople. Fearing for his life, Justinian, tried to flee the city. Theodora intervened and was able to convince her husband to stay. With Theodora’s support, Justinian was able to successfully crush the revolt.
Theodora participated in making Constantinople one of the world’s most sophisticated cities and promoting women’s rights. She had bridges, aqueducts, and churches built. One such building, the Hagia Sophia, built between 532 AD and 537 AD, is considered one of the greatest examples of Byzantine architecture. She had laws passed that prohibited forced prostitution and closed brothels. Theodora also gave women more rights in divorce and property ownership. She gave mothers guardianship of their children, instilled a death penalty for rape, and forbade the killing of a wife who committed adultery.
Theodora died from cancer on June 28, 548 AD She and Justinian are both considered saints by the East Orthodox Church.
Empress Wu Zetian
Empress Wu Zetian is considered to be one of the most powerful women in Chinese history. She lived during the Tang Dynasty and was born to a wealthy and noble family. She was also very well educated. When Wu Zetian was 13, she was sent to Emperor Taizong’s court to be one of his concubines. After Emperor Taizong’s death in 649 AD, Emperor Gaozong came to power and Wu Zetian was sent off to become a Buddhist nun. Empress Wang, Gaozong’s wife, had come into a power struggle with one of his favorite concubines, Consort Xiao. In order to distract Gaozong’s attention from Consort Xiao, Empress Wang brought Wu Zetian back to the palace to become another concubine to her husband. This plan, however, backfired on Empress Wang. Wu Zetian eventually became one of Gaozong’s favorites and the power struggle between the three women: Wu Zetian, Empress Wang, and Consort Xiao intensified.
Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, former rivals, eventually decided to join forces in order to stop Wu Zetian’s influence over Gaozong. This plan backfired too because in 654 AD, Wu Zetian gave birth to a daughter and her daughter died shortly after. Gaozong and court officials accused Empress Wang of killing the infant. As a result, Gaozong replaced Wu Zetian as his empress. In 655 AD, both Consort Xiao and former Empress Wang were accused of witchcraft and they were both executed on Empress Wu Zetian’s orders.
As empress, Wu Zetian became extremely powerful. Toward the end of Gaozong’s life, she was making virtually all of the major decisions that affected the government. Emperor Gaozong eventually died in 683 AD and Wu Zetian became empress dowager. In 690 AD, Wu Zetian crowned herself Emperor of China and she interrupted the Tang Dynasty by creating her own; the Zhou Dynasty. Wu Zetian is the only woman in Chinese history to rule as emperor.
Despite her ruthlessness to gain power and having many noblemen and noblewomen killed or exiled in the process, Wu Zetian accomplished many things when she was in power. She influenced the spread of Buddhism in China and eventually made it the official religion; replacing Taoism. She was also successful in lowering high taxes and increasing agricultural production. The Empress died in 705 AD at the age of 80.