The 10 Most Famous British Queens

The 10 Most Famous British Queens

England is no stranger to monarchs, as there have been many, many rulers over the centuries! In addition to some really powerful kings, there have been some equally powerful queens that have served the Brits.

If you’ve read any of my blogs here on Discover Walks, you know I’ve got a soft spot for powerful women. I’m so excited to be telling you more about these 10 British queens and their contributions and accomplishments!

Today I’m going to be telling you about some of the 10 most famous British queens throughout the ages! Keep reading to discover more!

1. Queen Bertha of Kent

Statue of Bertha, Queen of Kent in Lady Wootton’s Gardens by Rob Farrow – geograph.org.uk

Bertha of Kent was the queen of Kent during the 6th century. Her influence would go on to secure the Christianization of Anglo-Saxon England, and she was canonized as a saint in the Christian church for her efforts!

Bertha was born a Frankish princess, and grew up in Tours, France. In 580, she married a pagan king named Ethelbert, but the only way she would agree to the marriage was if she would have the right to worship her own religion.

When she arrived in England from France, she immediately to to work and set up a church and dedicated it to Saint Martin of Tours. She also urged her husband to welcome Pope Gregory the Great’s missionary, Augustine of Canterbury, who had planned to visit England in the hopes of restoring Christianity in England.

Her husband agreed, and the visit went swimmingly. In 601, the pope himself wrote to Bertha to personally thank her for her help and hospitality! Scholars agree that, without Bertha’s help, Christianity would not have had such a warm reception in England at the time!

Reign as queen consort of Kent: 580-601

2. Queen Eadgifu of Wessex

Queen Eadgifu of Wessex (902-955), wife of Charles III of France by
François Séraphin Delpech – WikiCommons

Eadgifu of Wessex came from a family of sisters who were all married off to monarchs. Eadgifu in particular was promised to King Charles III of France. She would go on to become the mother of King Louis IV.

King Charles III was elderly and frail by the time he married Eadgifu, and when his health really began to fail, she fled to England with her son. He lived in England until 936, when he was urged to come back to France to rule.

Eadgifu returned to France with her son and played a huge role in court. She advised him, and she was also involved in the monastic reform movement of the time!

Reign: 919-922

3. Queen Emma of Normandy

Queen Emma of Normandy receiving Encomium Emmae Reginae, In ‘The Encomium Of Queen Emma’ – WikiCommons

Queen Emma of Normandy was the queen consort of England, Denmark and Norway, respectively. When she was a teenager, she was married to King Ethelred II, who was known as King Ethelred the Unready, as he came into the thrown at just 12 years old.

Ethelred was famously ill advised, and was constantly defeated in battles against enemies and Viking troops. After his death in 1016, his throne was oversized by the Danish King Cnut the Great.

Emma soon married Cnut the Great, and subsequently became queen consort of Denmark and Norway. She had 5 children with Cnut before his death.

Even after her second husband passed away, Emma was deeply involved with politics and the goings on of the court. She had a central role in the Encomium Emmae Reginae, a book of texts that praised the monarchs of the day, and serves as a resource for studying the politics and history of the 11th century!

Emma of Normandy is also one of the most visually represented medieval queens in art and literature of her time.

Reign as queen consort of England: 1002-1013, 1014-1016, 1017-1035

Reign as queen consort of Denmark: 1018-1035

Reign as queen consort of Norway: 1028-1035

4. Queen Matilda of Scotland

Queen Matilda of Scotland and King Henry I – Free SVG

Queen Matilda of Scotland may have been born in Scotland, but she was a descendant of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England. Her bloodline caught the eye of King Henry I, who was the son of William the Conqueror.

When Matilda came of age, she married Henry I. She bared two children, but the couple was rarely seen together. When her husband was out of town, tending to things in Normandy, Matilda served as regent of England in his place.

As regent, she issued her own charters, laws and also served up justice to criminals on her own. She wasn’t only concerned with punishing outlaws, either. She was also renowned for her work with the poor and the church, and was known for her piousness.

Reign as queen consort of England: 1100-1118

5. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine

Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine by Rezo1515 – WikiCommons

Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine was married to King Louis VII of France when she was just 15 years old. In spite of having 2 children together, it was an unhappy marriage. In a rare move for the times (the 12th century), after meeting the future King Henry II of England, Eleanor asked for a divorce!

King Louis VII conceded, and Eleanor married King Henry II. Together, they ruled all of England and most of France, and had 8 children together. In the end, the couple grew apart and Eleanor began to resent her husband.

In later years, her resentment grew and she was known to try to pit her children against their father. Henry took notice and wasn’t very happy about it! Eleanor was imprisoned in Salisbury Castle for 16 years, until Henry’s death.

She returned to court as queen mother, and helped her son King Richard I govern when he was absent. After Richard’s death, she also helped to secure the thrown for her other son, John. She aided John as queen mother until her death.

Reign as queen consort of France: 1137-1152

Reign as queen consort of England: 1154-1189

6. Queen Isabella of France

Queen Isabella (1292-1358) of France and her son Edward III (1312-77) are welcomed in Oxford in 1326 – WikiCommons

Queen Isabella of France soundalike my kind of queen. She was known as the “She-Wolf of France,” for her intelligence and beauty. Like most powerful women of the time, she went on to be pictured as a manipulative and cruel queen. I like to think she was misunderstood and intimidating, things that weren’t erm…loved in women at the time.

Isabella was unhappily married to the English King Edward II. She decided to remain in France, however, with her son, who would go on to become King Edward III. She garnered support from a group of English exiles, and declared that she refused to go back to England.

She did eventually go back, and she brought an army with her! She took power, kidnapping Edward II and fleeing to Wales. Isabelle’s lover, Roger Mortimer, took the throne with Isabella alongside him. She then worked towards solving the problems between England and Scotland, which she did, against popular opinion.

This marked the end of Mortimer’s deposition, and her son Edward III took the throne. She wasn’t punished for her part in Mortimer’s reign, but she was not allowed to live at court.

Reign as queen consort of England: 1308-1327

7. Queen Elizabeth I

Queen Elizabeth I by George Gower – WikiCommons

Queen Elizabeth I is perhaps one of the most well known queens on my list! She was the daughter of King Henry VIII (known for chopping off the heads of his wives), and Anne Boleyn.

After her mother’s execution, she was declared as illegitimate, and was imprisoned while her siblings took the throne. She eventually did take the throne, and refused to take a husband because she was afraid he would take her power away. She is sometimes viewed as ruthless and cruel, but I respect her for being an independent woman!

During her reign, England had a period of immense world exploration, and she also succeeding in defeating the enemy Spanish Armada. She is also known for executing her cousin, Mary Queen of Scots (any other fans of the series Reign out there?!), to secure her throne.

Reign over England and Ireland: 1558-1603

8. Queen Anne

Anne, Queen of Great Britain by Michael Dahl, painting, 1705 – WikiCommons

Queen Anne was the first queen to preside over a united Great Britain. She was in very poor health by the time she took the throne in 1702, mostly due to 17 unsuccessful pregnancies over the course of her lifetime.

Although Queen Anne presided for just 12 years, she held the throne during many important events in England’s history. She oversaw the Duke of Marlborough’s victory of the Spanish in the War of the Spanish Succession, and she was ruler when the Act of Union occurred in 1707.

This act brought together the countries of England, Wales and Scotland, making Anne the first queen of Great Britain. 

Reign over England, Scotland and Ireland: 1702-1707

Reign over Great Britain and Ireland: 1707-1714

9. Queen Victoria

Portrait of Queen Victoria of England, Empress Victoria of India taken in celebration of her golden jubilee by Alexander Bassano – WikiCommons

Queen Victoria comes second only to Queen Elizabeth II for longest ruling monarch in Great Britain…ever! She took the throne at 18 years old, and ruled for over 60 years. Is the term “Victorian” ringing any bells?! Well, that time in history is named for Queen Victoria.

Victoria married her cousin, Prince Albert and was deeply in love with him until his untimely death. She would spend the rest of her life in mourning, and was always seen wearing black.

Great Britain experienced a time of great prosperity and expansion under her reign, and she was also crowned Empress of India in 1876. She was an extremely popular queen, and celebrated her golden jubilee in 1887, and her diamond jubilee in 1897. These are celebrations commemorating the length of time Victoria had held the crown. Golden celebrates 50 years, and diamond celebrates 60 years!

She died of old age at the age of 81.

Reign over Great Britain and Ireland: 1837-1901

10. Queen Elizabeth II

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the Blue Room of Buckingham Palace, 2011 by Julian Calder – WikiCommons

Queen Elizabeth II is the current monarch of Great Britain. She is considered to be the longest reigning monarch in history.

Elizabeth II has seen England through the Second World War, and the many difficulties that her family have experienced. Notably, their marital problems, the sudden death of Princess Diana, and the Windsor Castle fire.

She continues to be one of the most popular monarchs in British history, and is now in her 90s!

On a side note, if you want to learn more about Queen Elizabeth II, I can’t recommend the series The Crown on Netflix. It’s perfect for binging and brushing up on British history at the same time!

Reign over Great Britain and Ireland: 1952-present

Conclusion

Kings weren’t the only ones with a say within the British monarchy! We can’t forget about these 10 important British queens that played major roles over the course of history. I hope you’ve enjoyed learning more about these famous women!

If you want to learn even more about British history and culture, I recommend you join one of our walking tours in London! Our local expert guides are sure to impress you with their extensive knowledge on all sorts of subjects, most notably…British history! Click here to learn more and to make your booking.