Queens in History
Women. Wisdom. Influence.
Queens in History
A crown can catch your eye. The woman beneath it is what interests us.
These queens lived in worlds very different from ours. Their stories invite us to consider courage, ambition and influence, along with the privileges and consequences of power. Today, we’re claiming queen in our own way, celebrating women who lead companies, strengthen communities and turn a lifetime of experience into something meaningful.
Explore Queens From History. Select a portrait to read her story.

Emma of Hawaiʻi
Care That Became an Institution
Read her story
Liliʻuokalani
A Voice Beyond the Throne
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Elizabeth I
Judgment Under Public Scrutiny
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Taytu Betul
Strategy With Practical Power
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Later depiction
Nzinga
Diplomacy, Resistance and Reckoning
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Christina of Sweden
The Choice to Begin Again
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Later depiction
Lakshmibai
The Courage to Resist
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Sālote Tupou III
A Culture Carried in Song
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Charlotte
Curiosity Beyond the Crown
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Teresa Cristina
Curiosity Becomes a Legacy
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Pōmare IV
Leadership Under Colonial Pressure
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Ranavalona III
A Country Beyond the Crown
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Victoria
Influence Carries Responsibility
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Cixi
The Image and the Impact
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Supayalat
Power, Exile and Perspective
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Marie Antoinette
The Woman Beyond the Image
Read her storyThe crown takes many forms.
The stories continue with women in our own communities. Meet the queens building businesses, beginning again and deciding what they want their experience to make possible.
Meet Our QueensThis gallery includes reigning queens, consorts, empresses and regents. Dates shown are lifespans. Each profile includes historical sources and its portrait record.