Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I is considered to be one of the most powerful, yet controversial, queens in Spanish history. She is best remembered for sponsoring Christopher Columbus’s voyage to the Western Hemisphere, initiating the Spanish Inquisition, and unifying the remaining independent Spanish kingdoms into one nation. Isabella I co-ruled with her husband, Ferdinand of Aragón, from 1474 up until her death in 1504.
Isabella I, like her husband, was a devout Catholic. Despite the fact that Spain had been a religiously diverse society with Catholics, Jews, and Muslims living together for many centuries, Isabella and Ferdinand believed it was their obligation to make Roman Catholicism the dominant religion of Spain. As a result, in 1478, Isabella and Ferdinand initiated the Spanish Inquisition. Thousands of Jews who had in recent times converted to Roman Catholicism were looked upon suspiciously. It is estimated that as many as 2,000 Jews were tortured, killed, or forced to leave the country during the Inquisition. There were possibly as many as 40,000 Jews who chose to be baptized to avoid expulsion or persecution. The remaining Muslim population in Spain was later targeted. Isabella is known in the Catholic Church as “Servant of God Isabella” as she has achieved the first step towards becoming a Saint.
By the time Isabella and Ferdinand had come to power, the Reconquista was coming to an end. Most of Spain, with the exception of the small Muslim kingdoms under the Nasrid Dynasty in Andalusia, had been unified and brought under Catholic control. However, from 1485 to 1492, Isabella and Ferdinand sought to complete the Reconquista process by conquering the remaining Muslim kingdoms and forcing the Muslim population into exile.
Also in 1492, Isabella sponsored Christopher Columbus’s voyages to the Western Hemisphere. Columbus’s exploration, with Isabella’s support, contributed to the foundation of an overseas Spanish Colonial Empire that would bring great wealth and power to Spain overtime. In other words, Isabella I contributed to making Spain a World Power.
Empress Dowager Cixi
Cixi was probably most powerful woman in China since Empress Wu Zetian of the seventh century Zhou Dynasty. In fact, Cixi may have been even more powerful than Wu Zetian. She was an ambitious and conservative leader. She opposed foreign influence and supported the Boxer Rebellion of 1900. Anyway, I place Cixi at third rank on this list. Cixi was a consort of Emperor Xianfeng. After her husband’s death, she acted as regent for her son, Emperor Tongzhi, and later for her nephew, Guangxu. Her rule began in 1861 and lasted until her death in 1908. Cixi was the last empress dowager of the ethnic-Manchu Qing Dynasty and the last empress dowager of China.
Cixi was sent to the Forbidden City in 1851 to be a concubine to Emperor Xianfeng. In 1856, Cixi gave birth to her son and the future emperor, Tongzhi. After the birth of her son, Cixi’s status was elevated in the royal court and she became a consort. Emperor Xianfeng soon died in 1861 and Tongzhi became emperor with Cixi acting as regent. Cixi, in reality, held the real power because she had total control over state affairs. She surrounded herself with good advisors which also contributed to her success in maintaining power.
Internal chaos and foreign challenges plagued China during Cixi’s time. The country was suffering from the aftermath of the Second Opium War as well as the Taiping Rebellion. Cixi appointed General Zeng Guofan to handle the Taiping situation, and as a result, the revolt was successfully crushed. In 1881, she dealt with the concern of too much foreign influence by ending China’s so-called “learn from foreigners” program with the West. As a result, she put a halt to sending Chinese children abroad to study and promoted hostility toward the West.
In 1898, Emperor Guangxu, Cixi’s nephew, felt China needed cultural, political, and political reform so he initiated what became known as the Hundred Days’ Reform. He began turning to the West. Cixi put an end to this by launching a coup and placing Guangxu on house arrest. The resentment toward Western influence continued with the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 in which Western Christian missionaries became targets for attack. The rebellion failed, however, when Western powers intervened and stopped the revolt. Ironically, between 1902 and 1908, Cixi softened her views of the West and began encouraging the modernization of China. I wonder what changed her mind.
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great, I feel, deserves second rank on my list. She ruled over Russia which was and still is the world’s largest country geographically. Catherine is remembered for bringing Enlightenment ideas to Russia as well expanding the empire. Her rule lasted or 34 years, beginning in 1762 and ending with her death in 1796.
Catherine was born in modern day Poland to a minor German prince of the Lutheran faith. In 1744, Catherine, already having mastered the Russian language, moved to Russia to marry Peter III who was heir to the Russian throne. She also converted to Russian Orthodoxy in 1744. The marriage took place a year later and overtime it proved not to be a happy one for Catherine. She saw her husband as arrogant and immature and, finally, in 1762, Catherine conspired with the imperial guard to overthrow her husband in a palace coup. As a result, Catherine was declared Empress of Imperial Russia.
As empress, Catherine continued the process of Westernizing Russia like Peter the Great and Tsarina Elizabeth had done before her. She incorporated Enlightenment ideas into her politics, commissioned art, and created a successful foreign policy. She also expanded the Russian Empire to the Black Sea by defeating the Ottoman Empire in two major wars. Catherine’s empire spanned over three continents: Europe, Asia, and part of North America. It stretched from the Arctic Ocean to the North, the Black Sea to the South, Alaska and the Pacific to the East, and the Baltic Sea to the West.
Catherine reformed the system by creating a legislative commission in 1767, introducing a system of local self-government in 1775, and issuing the Charter to the Nobility in 1785. However, in 1773, a Cossack named Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev, led a rebellion near the Ural Mountains. This rebellion became known as the Pugachev Rebellion and its followers consisted of Cossacks and discontented ethnic minorities such as Bashkirs, Tatars, Kazakhs, and Kalmyks. Pugachev claimed that he was the long-lost Peter III who some people believed escaped from being murdered eleven years before and sought to reclaim the throne. The revolt infuriated Catherine and it contributed to her changes in policies. Catherine crushed the Pugachev revolt as well as other revolts around the country, placed more restrictions on society, and made serfdom even more prevalent than before. In other words, Catherine wasn’t about to have her power threatened by anyone or anything.
Queen of England today
Elizabeth`s biography
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; born 21 April 1926) is the Queen of 16 of the 53 member states in the Commonwealth of Nations. She is also Head of the Commonwealth and Supreme Governor of the Church of England.
Upon her accession on 6 February 1952, Elizabeth became Head of the Commonwealth and queen regnant of seven independent Commonwealth countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon. Her coronation the following year was the first to be televised. From 1956 to 1992, the number of her realms varied as territories gained independence and some realms became republics. Today, in addition to the first four of the aforementioned countries, Elizabeth is Queen of Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. She is the longest-lived and, after her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, the second longest-reigning British monarch.
Elizabeth was born in London and educated privately at home. Her father acceded to the throne as George VI on the abdication of his brother Edward VIII in 1936, from which time she was the heir presumptive. She began to undertake public duties during the Second World War, in which she served in the Auxiliary Territorial Service. In 1947, she married Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, with whom she has four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.
Elizabeth's many historic visits and meetings include a state visit to the Republic of Ireland, the first state visit of an Irish president to the United Kingdom, and reciprocal visits to and from the Pope. She has seen major constitutional changes, such as devolution in the United Kingdom, Canadian patriation, and the decolonization of Africa. She has also reigned through various wars and conflicts involving many of her realms.
Times of personal significance have included the births and marriages of her children and grandchildren, the investiture of the Prince of Wales, and the celebration of milestones such as her Silver, Golden, and Diamond Jubilees in 1977, 2002, and 2012, respectively. Moments of sorrow for her include the death of her father, aged 56, the assassination of Prince Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten, the breakdown of her children's marriages in 1992 (a year deemed her annus horribilis), the death in 1997 of her son's former wife, Diana, Princess of Wales, and the deaths of her mother and sister in 2002. Elizabeth has occasionally faced republican sentiments and severe press criticism of the royal family, but support for the monarchy and her personal popularity remain high.
Role of English Queen
Monarchy and the Parliament
Monarchy is the oldest form of government in the United Kingdom. In a monarchy, a king or queen is Head of State. The British monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy. This means that, while The Sovereign is Head of State, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament. Although the British Sovereign no longer has a political or executive role, he or she continues to play an important part in the life of the nation.
As Head of State, The Monarch undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. In addition to these State duties, The Monarch has a less formal role as 'Head of Nation'. The Sovereign acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognises success and excellence; and supports the ideal of voluntary service.
In all these roles The Sovereign is supported by members of their immediate family. The Queen is Head of State in the United Kingdom. As a constitutional monarch, Her Majesty does not 'rule' the country, but fulfils important ceremonial and formal roles with respect to Government. She is also Fount of Justice, Head of the Armed Forces and has important relationships with the established Churches of England and Scotland. But the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 removed the monarch's authority to dissolve Parliament.
Constitutional role of Elizabeth
In the uncodified Constitution of the United Kingdom, the Monarch (otherwise referred to as the Sovereign or "His/Her Majesty", abbreviated H.M.) is the Head of State. Oaths of allegiance are made to the Queen and her lawful successors. God Save the Queen (or God Save the King) is the British national anthem, and the monarch appears on postage stamps, coins and banknotes.
The Monarch takes little direct part in Government. The decisions to exercise sovereign powers are delegated from the Monarch, either by statute or by convention, to Ministers or officers of the Crown, or other public bodies, exclusive of the Monarch personally. Thus the acts of state done in the name of the Crown, such as Crown Appointments, even if personally performed by the Monarch, such as the Queen's Speech and the State Opening of Parliament, depend upon decisions made elsewhere:
• Legislative power is exercised by the Queen-in-Parliament, by and with the advice and consent of Parliament, the House of Lords and the House of Commons.
• Executive power is exercised by Her Majesty's Government, which comprises Ministers, primarily the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, which is technically a committee of the Privy Council. They have the direction of the Armed Forces of the Crown, the Civil Service and other Crown Servants such as the Diplomatic and Secret Services (the Queen receives certain foreign intelligence reports before the Prime Minister does).
• Judicial power is vested in the Judiciary, who by constitution and statute have judicial independence of the Government.
• The Church of England, of which the Monarch is the head, has its own legislative, judicial and executive structures.
• Powers independent of government are legally granted to other public bodies by statute or statutory instrument such as an Order in Council, Royal Commission or otherwise.
The Sovereign's role as a constitutional monarch is largely limited to non-partisan functions, such as granting honours. This role has been recognised since the 19th century; the constitutional writer Walter Bagehot identified the monarchy in 1867 as the "dignified part" rather than the "efficient part" of government.
Royal Prerogative
Some of the government's executive authority is theoretically and nominally vested in the Sovereign and is known as the royal prerogative. The monarch acts within the constraints of convention and precedent, exercising prerogative only on the advice of ministers responsible to Parliament, often through the Prime Minister or Privy Council. In practice, prerogative powers are exercised only on the Prime Minister's advice—the Prime Minister, and not the Sovereign, has control. The monarch holds a weekly audience with the Prime Minister. No records of these audiences are taken and the proceedings remain fully confidential.[14] The monarch may express his or her views, but, as a constitutional ruler, must ultimately accept the decisions of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet (providing they command the support of the House). In Bagehot's words: "the Sovereign has, under a constitutional monarchy ... three rights—the right to be consulted, the right to encourage, the right to warn."
Although the Royal Prerogative is extensive and parliamentary approval is not formally required for its exercise, it is limited. Many Crown prerogatives have fallen out of use or have been permanently transferred to Parliament. For example, the monarch cannot impose and collect new taxes; such an action requires the authorisation of an Act of Parliament. According to a parliamentary report, "The Crown cannot invent new prerogative powers", and Parliament can override any prerogative power by passing legislation.
The Royal Prerogative includes the powers to appoint and dismiss ministers, regulate the civil service, issue passports, declare war, make peace, direct the actions of the military, and negotiate and ratify treaties, alliances, and international agreements. However, a treaty cannot alter the domestic laws of the United Kingdom; an Act of Parliament is necessary in such cases. The monarch is commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces (the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force), accredits British High Commissioners and ambassadors, and receives diplomats from foreign states.
It is the prerogative of the monarch to summon and prorogue Parliament. Each parliamentary session begins with the monarch's summons. The new parliamentary session is marked by the State Opening of Parliament, during which the Sovereign reads the Speech from the throne in the Chamber of the House of Lords, outlining the Government's legislative agenda. Prorogation usually occurs about one year after a session begins, and formally concludes the session.Dissolution ends a parliamentary term, and is followed by a general election for all seats in the House of Commons. A general election is normally held five years after the previous one under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, but can be held sooner if the Prime Minister loses a motion of confidence, or if two-thirds of the members of the House of Commons vote to hold an early election.
Before a bill passed by the legislative Houses can become law, the Royal Assent (the monarch's approval) is required. In theory, assent can either be granted (making the bill law) or withheld (vetoing the bill), but since 1707 assent has always been granted.
The monarch has a similar relationship with the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Sovereign appoints the First Minister of Scotland on the nomination of the Scottish Parliament, and the First Minister of Wales on the nomination of the National Assembly for Wales. In Scottish matters, the Sovereign acts on the advice of the Scottish Government. However, as devolution is more limited in Wales, in Welsh matters the Sovereign acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom. The Sovereign can veto any law passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly, if it is deemed unconstitutional by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
The Sovereign is deemed the "fount of justice"; although the Sovereign does not personally rule in judicial cases, judicial functions are performed in his or her name. For instance, prosecutions are brought on the monarch's behalf, and courts derive their authority from the Crown. The common law holds that the Sovereign "can do no wrong"; the monarch cannot be prosecuted for criminal offences. The Crown Proceedings Act 1947 allows civil lawsuits against the Crown in its public capacity (that is, lawsuits against the government), but not lawsuits against the monarch personally. The Sovereign exercises the "prerogative of mercy", which is used to pardon convicted offenders or reduce sentences.[13][16]
The monarch is the "fount of honour", the source of all honours and dignities in the United Kingdom. The Crown creates all peerages, appoints members of the orders of chivalry, grants knighthoods and awards other honours. Although peerages and most other honours are granted on the advice of the Prime Minister, some honours are within the personal gift of the Sovereign, and are not granted on ministerial advice. The monarch alone appoints members of the Order of the Garter, the Order of the Thistle, the Royal Victorian Order and the Order of Merit.
Queen's working day
The Queen has many different duties to perform every day. Some are public duties, such as ceremonies, receptions and visits within the United Kingdom or abroad. Other duties are carried out away from the cameras, but they are no less important. These include reading letters from the public, official papers and briefing notes; audiences with political ministers or ambassadors; and meetings with her Private Secretaries to discuss daily business and her future diary plans. Even when she is away from London, in residence at Balmoral or Sandringham, she receives official papers nearly every day of every year and remains fully briefed on matters affecting her realms.
In front of the camera or away from it, The Queen's duties go on, and no two days in her life are ever the same.
Morning:
The Queen's working day begins like many people's - at her desk. After scanning the daily British newspapers, The Queen reviews her correspondence.
Every day, 200-300 (and sometimes many more) letters from the public arrive. The Queen chooses a selection to read herself and tells members of her staff how she would like them to be answered.
This enables Her Majesty personally to see a typical cross-section of her daily correspondence. Virtually every letter is answered by staff in her Private Secretary's office or by a lady-in-waiting.
The Queen will then see, separately, two of her Private Secretaries with the daily quota of official papers and documents. This process takes upwards of an hour.
Every day of every year, wherever she is, The Queen receives from government ministers, and from her representatives in the Commonwealth and foreign countries, information in the form of policy papers, Cabinet documents, telegrams, letters and other State papers.
These are sent up to her by the Private Secretaries in the famous 'red boxes'. All of these papers have to be read and, where necessary, approved and signed.
A series of official meetings or 'audiences' will often follow. The Queen will see a number of important people.
These include overseas ambassadors and high commissioners, newly appointed British ambassadors, senior members of the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces on their appointment and retirement, and English bishops and judges on their appointment.
Each meeting usually lasts 10 to 20 minutes, and usually The Queen and her visitor meet alone.
The Queen may also meet a number of people who have won prizes or awards in a variety of fields such as literature or science, to present them individually with their prize.
If there is an Investiture - a ceremony for the presentation of honours and decorations - it begins at 11.00am and lasts just over an hour. The Queen usually meets around 100 people at each Investiture to present Orders, decorations and medals.
The Queen will often lunch privately. Every few months, she and The Duke of Edinburgh will invite a dozen guests from a wide variety of backgrounds to an informal lunch. Occasionally, the guest list may consist of far fewer people, such as a newly appointed or retiring Governor-General and their guest.
If The Queen is spending the morning on engagements away from her desk and other commitments, she will visit up to three venues before lunch, either alone or jointly with The Duke of Edinburgh.
On a regional visit, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh lunch with a wide variety of people in places ranging from town halls to hospitals.
Afternoon:
In the afternoons, The Queen often goes out on public engagements.
Such visits require meticulous planning beforehand to meet the hosts' requirements.
And The Queen prepares for each visit by briefing herself on whom she will be meeting and what she will be seeing and doing.
Royal engagements are carefully selected by The Queen from a large number of invitations sent to her each year, often by the Lord-Lieutenants (The Queen's representatives in counties throughout the United Kingdom).
This helps to ensure the widest possible spread and to make effective use of The Queen's time.
If the engagement is outside London, her journeys are often by air using a helicopter or an RAF aircraft.
The Queen carries out around 430 engagements (including audiences) a year, to meet people, open events and buildings, unveil plaques and make speeches.
Such engagements can include visits to schools, hospitals, factories, military units, art galleries, sheltered accommodation for elderly people, hostels for the homeless, local community schemes in inner city areas, and other British and Commonwealth organisations.
The Queen regularly goes out for the whole day to a particular region or city. If the visit is a busy one, or if it lasts more than a day, then The Queen will travel overnight on the Royal Train.
The Duke of Edinburgh will often accompany The Queen on such visits; when this happens, they will carry out some engagements jointly and others separately to ensure that the maximum number of people and organisations can be visited.
The Queen may end the afternoon seeing a number of Government ministers in a meeting of the Privy Council.
Evening:
The Queen's working day does not stop at the end of the afternoon.
Early evening may see a meeting with the Prime Minister. The Queen has a weekly meeting alone with the Prime Minister, when they are both in London (in addition to other meetings throughout the year).
This usually takes place on Wednesdays at 6.30 pm. No written record is made of such meetings; neither The Queen nor the Prime Minister talk about what is discussed between them, as communications between The Queen and the Prime Minister always remains confidential.
At about 7.30 pm a report of the day's parliamentary proceedings, written by one of the Government's Whips, arrives. The Queen always reads this the same evening.
On some evenings, The Queen may attend a film première, a variety of concert performances in aid of a charitable cause, or a reception linked to organisations of which she is Patron.
The Queen also regularly hosts official receptions at Buckingham Palace (usually with other members of the Royal Family), such as those for the Diplomatic Corps and The Queen's Award for Industry.
Her Majesty may also hold receptions ahead of overseas visits. In 2007, prior to attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh gave a reception at Buckingham Palace for Commonwealth Africans living and working in the United Kingdom.
Other receptions mark the work of particular groups in the community, such as those recently given for members of the British design and music worlds.
The Queen has numerous private interests, which can coincide with her public work, to complete her working day.
Her Majesty also attends the Derby and the Summer Race Meeting at Ascot, a Royal occasion. As a keen owner and breeder of racehorses, she often sees her horses run at other meetings. As owner of private estates at Balmoral and Sandringham, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh oversee the management of the estates which are run on a commercial basis. She takes a close interest in all aspects of estate life, particularly in the tenant farmers and employees who live and work on the estates.
Through her public and private work, The Queen is well-briefed and well-known. She has met many more people from all walks of life both in this country and overseas than her predecessors.
This takes time and effort. Often, one of the last lights on in the Palace at night is The Queen finishing her 'red box' of official papers.
Conclusion
Well, during this research a great job was completed and all of the aims were accomplished. At the beginning of this work we investigated the biographies of the most active and famous English Queens in the history. Each of them is well-known around the world!
We started with the Empress Matilda, who was the only woman to assume the throne of England during the medieval times of the middle ages. The second Queen, which we reviewed, was Lady Jane Grey. She had an excellent humanist education and a reputation as one of the most learned young women of her day. Jane was posthumously regarded as not only a political victim but also a martyr. Maria 1 attempted to restore Roman Catholicism in England during her reign. The execution of Protestants as heretics earned her the sobriquet "Bloody Mary." Elizabeth I is known as Queen Bess or the Virgin Queen, she ruled at a key time in England's history, and is one of the most-remembered British rulers, male or female. Another important Queen was Mary II. Just Mary wielded less power than William when he was in England, ceding most of her authority to him, though he heavily relied on her. She did, however, act alone when William was engaged in military campaigns abroad, proving herself to be a powerful, firm, and effective ruler. There were some significant changes to the system of government in Britain during Anne's reign. Anne was the last British monarch to refuse her assent to an Act of Parliament. One of the most famous Queens was Victoria. Her reign of 63 years and seven months, which is longer than that of any other British monarch and the longest of any female monarch in history, is known as the Victorian era.
How many great things Queens have done! They fought for the throne to make their fatherland the best. England got the power because of their activity. After getting acquainted with the most important Queens of England, we found something interesting about Queen`s duties in the middle ages. After that I had to tell you how the Queens achieved more power than they had had previously. Then I gave a list of examples of the powerful and world-famous Queens in other countries. You have seen that not only the Queens of England maintained the control in the country, got famous, helped the country to develop better, cared about all the citizens. At the end of the work it was very important to point out that even now on the English throne there is a Queen, she controls England and Northern Ireland, and also she is a universal favorite. I told you about her responsibilities and privileges. Now it is really clear that the stereotype that the Kings were the most important figures, while Queens only wives, who remained on the sidelines is not true. Sometimes these women did much more than Kings and proved that women can be the head of the state and perfectly cope with it.
Many Queens had affected different spheres of society, including politics and religion. With the accession of Matilda to the throne the opportunity to influence the life of the country began to grow.
The next Queen Jane tried to strengthen her power, trying to eliminate her rival - Mary. At this time Queens had been interested in the politics of countries like never before. So, Mary won and married Philip of Spain, becoming Queen consort of Habsburg Spain on his accession in 1556. Thus, the marriage began to base on political interests of states. Here the Queen tried to fix Catholicism in England, although her actions were extremely violent. But Mary needed a strong alliance with other Catholic countries, so those measures were necessary.
After that, another Queen Elisabeth became Catholic though she was a Protestant and competed with Mary Stuart. Maria decided to fight the throne and had married a French Prince, that strengthened her position. Yes, the Queen at this century had no less power, than the King. Then in 1572 Elizabeth I made alliance with France. In 1580, Pope Gregory XIII sent an army to Ireland to defeat the rebellion, but he failed. After Mary's death, the trouble with Spain became serious. Elizabeth had helped the Netherlands fight against Spain. The Netherlands fought for independence. An attempted Spanish invasion in 1588 (see Spanish Armada) failed, and this made Queen Elizabeth I is very popular. She had kept the independence of England that was a weak state at that time.
Another Queen, who influenced politics of England was Marry II. When her husband was away, Mary acted on her own . Well, in December 1689, Parliament passed one of the most important constitutional documents in English history, the Bill of Rights. Besides, many of her proclamations focus on combating licentiousness, insobriety and vice. She often participated in the affairs of the Church-all matters of ecclesiastical patronage passed through her hands.
Queen Ann also contributed to the country. Because there were some significant changes to the system of government in Britain during Anne's reign. In 1707 the Act of Union between England and Scotland was passed, uniting the two countries (which had been reigned over by one monarch since 1603 but retained separate parliaments and governments) into the United Kingdom of Great Britain.
Victoria`s reign was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. Then the value of Queens on the politics became less and been oppressed by Parliament.
Though Queens` value changed through the centuries,some of them could enter the history, others could not play a huge role. And now the English Queen works every day to make her country better, but, unfortunately, Parliament has more power than she does. However she is an icon of England, protects the country in difficult times, as the mother of all Englishmen.
These women are worthy of emulation. Their names will remain in world`s history forever and they will be remembered many centuries later as our pride.
List of books and sites
Michael Wood «The story of England» (Published in 2010 by Viking)
Ian Mortimer «The Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century» (Publisher: Touchstone; 2009)
Lisa Hilton «Queens Consort: England's Medieval Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York» (Publisher: Pegasus; 2010)
http://womenshistory.about.com/od/englandwomen1/tp/br..
http://www.thefinertimes.com/Middle-Ages/queens-in-th..
http://www.historytoday.com/lois-huneycutt/medieval-queenship
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy_of_the_United_Kingdom
http://listverse.com/2008/10/02/top-10-most-powerful-women-in-history/