Queen regnant

A queen regnant (plural "queens regnant") is a qualifying reference to a female monarch (queen) possessing and exercising all of the monarchical powers of a ruler, in contrast to a "queen consort", who is the wife of a male reigning as monarch and who is without any official powers of state.

In Ancient Egypt, Pacific cultures, and even in historical European countries, as noted below, women monarchs have been given the title, king or its equivalent, such as pharaoh, when gender is irrelevant to the office. Also the Byzantine Empress Irene called herself basileus (βασιλεύς), 'emperor', rather than basilissa (βασίλισσα), 'empress'. And Jadwiga of Poland was crowned as Rex Poloniae, King of Poland.

Among the Davidic Monarchs of Judea, there is mentioned a single queen regnant, Athaliah, though the Bible regards her negatively as an usurper. The much later Hasmonean Queen Salome Alexandra (Shlomzion) was highly popular.

Technically a male king also may be a king regnant or a king consort—but this distinction is unusual and, for example, has been used only twice in the history of the British monarchy and its predecessor monarchies. In all current monarchies that allow a queen to take the throne, the husband of such a queen is not titled king, generally ranking as a prince. The husband of Queen Mary I of England and the first two husbands of Queen Mary I of Scotland were all created kings consort of their wives' realms. The husband of Mary II, Queen of England and Ireland, and Queen of Scots, was named king regnant co-sovereign with her, as William III and II. The latter arrangement was the only occasion of co-sovereignty in Britain.

Accession of a regnant occurs as a nation's order of succession permits. Methods of succession to queendoms, kingdoms, tribal chiefships, and such include nomination when the sitting monarch or a council names an heir, primogeniture when the children of a monarch or chief become regents in order of birth from eldest to youngest, and ultimogeniture when the children become regents in the reverse order of birth from youngest to eldest. The scope of succession may be matrilineal, patrilineal, or both; or, rarely, open to general election when necessary. The right of succession may be open to men and women, or limited to men only or women only.

The most typical succession in European monarchies from the Late Middle Ages through most of the twentieth century was male-preference primogeniture; i.e., the order of succession cycled through the sons of the monarch in order of their birth, followed by the daughters or grandsons. Historically, many realms forbade succession by women or through a female line in obedience to the Salic law, and some still do. No queen regnant ever ruled France, for example. Only one woman, Maria Theresa ruled the Holy Roman Empire, she held the title Holy Roman Empress first by marriage and was the de facto ruler for forty years. As noted in the list below of widely-known ruling queens, many ruled in European monarchies.

In the waning days of the twentieth century, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, and the Netherlands amended their acts of succession to primogeniture with no preference as to sex. In some cases the change does not take effect during the lifetimes of people already in the line of succession at the time the law was passed.

In China, Wu Zetian became the Chinese Empress Regnant and established the Zhou Dynasty (also known as Wu Zhou 武周) after dismissing her sons and becoming the Empress Regnant. Although the Chrysanthemum Throne of Japan is barred to women, this has not always been the case; eight of the ruling empresses of Japan are listed below.

Partial list of queens regnant

The following is a list of some 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. A notable queen regnant of antiquity, the Queen of Sheba, had different names and even different locations were attributed to the kingdom of Sheba in various traditions, although the Biblical tradition did not give her name.

Africa

Ancient Egypt

Indigenous dynasties

Merneith of the first dynasty
Nimaethap of the third dynasty
Ahhotep I
Khentkaues
Nitocris (disputed)
Sobekneferu
Hatshepsut
Ahmose-Nefertari
Smenkhkare (disputed, possibly Nefertiti or Meritaten)
Twosret

Ptolemaic dynasties

Berenice I of Egypt
Arsinoe I of Egypt
Arsinoe II of Egypt
Berenice II of Egypt
Arsinoe III of Egypt
Cleopatra I of Egypt
Cleopatra II of Egypt
Cleopatra III of Egypt
Cleopatra IV of Egypt
Berenice III of Egypt
Cleopatra V of Egypt
Cleopatra VI of Egypt
Berenice IV of Egypt
Cleopatra VII of Egypt
Arsinoe IV of Egypt

Ethiopia

Makeda, claimed to be Queen of Sheba
Zewditu, Empress of Ethiopia.

Madagascar

Ranavalona I
Rasoherina
Ranavalona II
Ranavalona III

Nubia

Kandake was a title for queens, queen mothers, and queens consort in Nubia, but ruling Kandakes may have included Candace of Meroe (c. 345-332 BCE)
Alakhebasken (c. 295 BCE)
Shanakdakhete (177-155 BCE)
Amanikhabale (50-40 BCE)
Amanirenas (40-10 BCE)
Amanishakheto (c. 10 BCE-1 CE)
Amanitore (1 CE-20 CE)
Amanikhatashan (62-85)
Maleqorobar (266-283)
Lahideamani (306-314)

Asia

East Asia

China

There has been only one empress regnant documented in Chinese history, Wu Zetian, but there have been many powerful empress consorts or empress dowagers, some of whom effectively ruled, as noted below. Powerful empress consorts or empress dowagers were de facto rulers, but not de jure empress regnants. A concubine who gave birth to a crown prince also could become empress dowager, although her status still was a little lower than an empress dowager who had been the former empress consort.

Wu Zetian 武則天 (ruled 684-705, reigned 690-705) - the sole official Chinese Empress Regnant, the empress consort of Tang Gaozong, the mother of Tang Zhongzong and Tang Ruizong, she established the Zhou Dynasty (also known as Wu Zhou 武周) after dismissing her sons and becoming the Empress Regnant
Empress Lü Zhi (ruled 195BC-180BC) - the empress consort of Emperor Gaozu of Han
Empress Dou (Wen) - the empress consort of Emperor Wen of Han
Empress Deng Sui (ruled 105-121) - the empress consort of Emperor He of Han
Empress Chu Suanzi - the empress consort of Emperor Kang of Jin
Empress Feng (Wencheng) - the empress consort of Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei
Empress Dowager Hu (Xiaoming) - the concubine of Emperor Xuanwu of Northern Wei, the mother of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei
Empress Dugu Qieluo - the empress consort of Emperor Wen of Sui
Empress Xiao (Taizu) (ruled 926-947) - the empress consort of Emperor Taizu of Liao
Empress Xiao (ruled 975-1009) - the empress consort of Emperor Jingzong of Liao
Empress Liu (ruled 1020-1033) - the empress consort of Emperor Zhenzong of Song
Empress Gao (ruled 1085-1093) - the empress consort of Emperor Yingzong of Song
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang - the concubine of Emperor Huang Taiji, the mother of Shunzhi Emperor, the grandmother of Kangxi Emperor
Empress Dowager Ci'an (ruled 1861-1881) - the empress consort of Xianfeng Emperor
Empress Dowager Cixi (ruled 1861-1908) - the concubine of Xianfeng Emperor - the mother of Tongzhi Emperor

Japan

Queen Himiko, of Yamatai
Queen Toyo, of Yamatai
Empress Jingū (ruled 206–209?) — legendary and possibly mythical; removed from the list of Emperors in the nineteenth century
Empress Iitoyo
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 Gemmei (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) — most recent ruling empress

Korea

Queen Seondeok of Silla (ruled 632-647)
Jindeok of Silla (ruled 647-652)
Jinseong of Silla (ruled 887-897)

Mongolia

Töregene Khatun (ruled 1242-1246)
Oghul Qaimish (ruled 1248-1251)
Mandukhai Khatun (ruled 1479-1510?)

Viet Nam

Trưng Sisters (ruled 40-43)
Isanavarman of Champa (ruled ?-653)
Lý Chiêu Hoàng (ruled 1224-1225)
Nguyễn Thị Anh (ruled 1451-1459)

Middle East

Lydia

Omphale, wife of Tmolus, reigned alone after his death.

Greater Iran

Tomyris, queen of the Massagetae (ruled c. 530 BC)
Borandukht, (ruled 630-631)
Azarmidokht, (sister of Borandukht, ruled 631)

Ayyubid dynasty

Shajar al-Durr

Judea

Athaliah, (ruled 843-835 BC)
Salome Alexandra, (ruled 76-67 BC)

Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem

Yolande of Jerusalem, also known as Isabella II of Jerusalem, (ruled 1212–1228)

South Asia

Madurai Nayak

Rani Mangammal of Madurai Nayak Dynasty (ruled 1684-1703)

Mamluk Dynasty

Raziyyat-ud-din Sultana of Slave Dynasty (ruled 1236-1240)

Princely States

Gowri Lakshmi Bayi of Travancore (ruled 1811-1814)

The Begums of Bopal were several women who ruled the princely state of Bhopal in Central India in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Qudsia Begum, Regent of Bhopal (regent from 1819-1837)
Nawab Sikandar Begum (ruled from 1860-1868)
Begum Sultan Shah Jehan (ruled from 1844-1860 and 1868-1901)
Begum Kaikhusrau Jahan (ruled from 1901-1926)
Begum Sajida Sultan (ruled from 1961-1995)

Sri Lanka

Queen Anula of Sri Lanka (ruled 47 BC - 42 BC)

Southeast Asia

Aceh

Seri Ratu Niharsyah the Sultana of Samudera Pasai
Seri Ratu Ta'jul Alam Shah 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 (ruled Atjeh for nearly 36 years)
Seri Ratu Keumalat Shah the god-daughter of Ratu Ta'jul Alam
Seri Ratu Inayat Shah the god-daughter of Ratu Ta'jul Alam

Spanning Asia and Europe

Byzantine Empire

Pulcheria
Irene
Theodora the Armenian
Theodora the Macedonian

Georgia

Tamar
Rusudan

Europe

Bohemia

Maria Theresa (ruled 1740-1780)

Bosnia

Helen the Tough (elected after her husband's death, ruled 1395-1398)

Denmark

Margaret I, Queen of Denmark (ruled 1375–1412), Queen of Norway (ruled 1388–1412), Queen of Sweden (ruled 1389–1412)
Margaret II (ruled 1972–present)

Hungary

Mary (ruled 1382-1385 and 1386-1395)
Maria Theresa (ruled 1740-1780)

Navarra

Joan I (ruled 1274-1305)
Joan II (ruled 1328-1349)
Blanche I (ruled 1425–1441)
Eleanor I (ruled in 1479)
Catherine I de Foix (ruled 1483–1517)
Joan III (ruled 1555-1572)

The Netherlands

Wilhelmina (ruled 23 November 1890 – 4 September 1948)
Juliana (ruled 4 September 1948 – 30 April 1980)
Beatrix (ruled 30 April 1980 – present)

Poland

Jadwiga of Poland (ruled 1384-1386) - was crowned as, Rex Poloniae, King of Poland, to emphasize that she was monarch in her own right
Anna Jagiellon (ruled 1575-1595)

Portugal

Beatrice of Portugal (ruled de jure 1383-1385)
Maria I of Portugal (ruled 1777-1816)
Maria II of Portugal (ruled 1826-1828 and 1834-1853)

Russia

Catherine I of Russia (ruled 1725-1727)
Anna of Russia (ruled 1730-1740)
Elizabeth of Russia (ruled 1741-1762)
Catherine II of Russia (ruled 1762-1796)

Spain, Castile, Aragon

Petronila of Aragon
Urraca of Castile
Berenguela of Castile
Isabella I of Castile
Joanna of Castile
Isabella II of Spain

Sweden

Margaret (ruled 1389–1412)
Christina (ruled 1632 – 5 June 1654)
Ulrika Eleonora the Younger (ruled 30 November 1718 – 29 February 1720)

UK, Commonwealth, England, Great Britain, Scotland

Queen Gwendolen, legendary Queen of the Britons according to Geoffrey of Monmouth
Queen Cordelia, legendary Queen of the Britons according to Geoffrey of Monmouth
Boudica, queen of the Brythonic Celtic Iceni people of Norfolk in Eastern Britain who, in 61 AD, led a major uprising of the tribes against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire
Matilda (or Maud) of England (named, but never ruled 1141 because her title was usurped) styled herself as Lady of the English, although Queen of the English was not unknown; she was named heir by her father, Henry I of England, upon securing the loyalty of nobles of the realm, but Count Stephen of Blois contradicted his promise after the king's death and made himself King of England instead; civil war ensued and was ended when the crown was secured to Matilda's (or Maud's) son, Henry II of England, who became the first king of the House of Plantagenet
Margaret, the Maid of Norway (heir 19 March 1286 – 26 September 1290) - she was the daughter of Eirik II of Norway and Margaret, daughter of Alexander III, she died during the sea journey to Scotland before being inaugurated
Mary I, Queen of Scots (ruled 14 December 1542 – 24 July 1567) - she became queen when she was six days old, was crowned at age five, and promptly engaged to the Dauphin of France - the future Francis II
Lady Jane Grey (ruled 10 July – 19 July 1553) – her cousin Edward VI of England appointed her successor by removing his older half-sisters Mary and Elizabeth from the order of succession as illegitimate heirs; this decision had not been approved by Parliament and was open to questions of its legality; Mary was the heir according to the will of their father Henry VIII of England and was elevated to the throne through revolt; nevertheless, without consideration to Celtic queens such as Boudica, Jane is sometimes referred to as England's first queen regnant; she is called The Nine Days Queen because of the brief period of her reign
Mary I of England (ruled 19 July 1553 – 17 November 1558) - elevated to the throne in accordance with Henry VIII's will, she is reckoned the first or second queen regnant and subsequent years of her reign as though Jane had never been Queen
Elizabeth I of England (ruled 17 November 1558 – 24 March 1603) - her elder sister Mary I attempted to remove her from the order of succession; she succeeded her childless older half-sister and led England to one of its richest periods in history, known as the Elizabethan Age; she died childless
Mary II of England, Mary II, Queen of Scots (ruled 13 February, 11 April 1689 – 28 December 1694) - co-reigned with her husband William III; they were given the throne by Parliament after the same deposed James II during the so-called Glorious Revolution of 1688
Anne, Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland and later, Queen of Great Britain and Queen of Ireland (ruled 8 March 1702 – 1 August 1714)
Victoria of the United Kingdom (ruled 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901)
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (ruled 6 February 1952 - present)

Oceania

Hawaii

Ancient

Kūkaniloko, 11th Moʻi of Oʻahu, (ruled sixteenth century)
Kalaimanuia, 12th Moʻi of Oʻahu, (ruled 1600-1665)
Kamakahelei, 22nd Moʻi of Kauaʻi, (ruled 1770 - 1794)
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)
Kalanikauleleiaiwi, co-ruler of Hawaiʻi Island along with her brother Keaweikekahialiiokamoku, (ruled 1695-1725)
Ululani, Chiefess of Hilo
Hualani, Chiefess of Molokai

Kingdom

Liliuokalani (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

Tahiti

Pomare IV (ruled 1827–1877)

Translation of "Queen regnant"

Bosnian: Kraljica, Czech: Seznam vládnoucích žen, Danish: Dronning (monark), Korean: 여왕, Croatian: Kraljica, Icelandic: Drottning, Swahili: Malkia, Latin: Regina, Latvian: Karaliene, Lithuanian: Valdančioji karalienė, Malay: Ratu, Dutch: Koningin (titel), Cree: ᒋᐦᒋᐅᒋᒫᔅᐧᑫᐤ, Japanese: 女王, Norwegian (Bokmål): Dronning, Norwegian (Nynorsk): Dronning, Norman: Ranne, Portuguese: Rainha (título), Quechua: Quya, Simple English: Queen, Slovak: Zoznam vládnucich žien, Finnish: Kuningatar, Swedish: Drottning, Thai: สมเด็จพระราชินีนาถ, Vietnamese: Nữ hoàng, Chinese: 女皇帝.