List of rulers and regents
If possible, this list of women rulers lists all historically verifiable women who exercised sovereign rule over a people or state on a monarchical basis or who, more recently, as members of the nobility, held the function of head of state in constitutional monarchies .
Rulers
| Surname | Reign | country | annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitokris | approx. 2218-2216 BC Chr. | Egypt | It is only known from later sources. Maybe it was a man. |
| Nofrusobek | approx. 1763–1759 BC Chr. | Egypt | |
| Hatshepsut | approx. 1479-1458 BC Chr. | Egypt | |
| Thaw | approx. 1188-1186 BC Chr. | Egypt | |
| Atalja | 841-835 BC Chr. | Israel | |
| Iskallatu | around 690 BC Chr. | Arabs | captured by Sennacherib |
| Berenike IV. | 58-57 BC Chr. | Egypt | |
| Cleopatra VII. | 51-30 BC Chr. | Egypt | |
| Arsinoë IV. | around 47–46 BC Chr. | Cyprus | partially recognized as Queen of Egypt |
| Amanirenas | approx. 20 BC u. Z. | Nubia | |
| Amanishakheto | ? | Nubia | |
| Erado | 20-8 BC Chr. | Armenia | |
| Boudicca | 60-61? | Icener | |
| Himiko | -248 | Yamatai | |
| Zenobia | 267-272 | Palmyra | |
| Amalasuntha | 534-535 | Ostrogoth Empire | |
| Suiko | 592-628 | Japan | |
|
Kōgyoku Saimei |
642-645 655-661 |
Japan | |
| Wu Zetian | 683-705 | China | |
| Jitō | 690-697 | Japan | |
| Genmei | 707-715 | Japan | |
| Genshō | 715-724 | Japan | |
|
Kōken Shōtoku |
749-758 764-770 |
Japan | |
| Irene | 797-802 | Byzantium | |
| Zoe | 1042-1042 | Byzantium | |
| Theodora III. | 1042-1042 1055-1056 |
Byzantium | |
| Urraca | 1109-1126 | Leon | |
| Eleanor | 1137-1204 | Aquitaine | |
| Petronella | 1137-1164 | Aragon | |
| Mathilde | 1141-1141 | England | |
| Tamar | 1184-1213 | Georgia | |
| Constance | 1194-1198 | Sicily | |
| Berenguela | 1217-1217 | Castile | |
| Rusudan | 1223-1245 | Georgia | |
| Raziya | 1236-1240 | Delhi | |
| Shadjar ad-Durr | 1250-1257 | Egypt | |
| Abish Chatun | 1263-1284 | Fars | |
| Johanna I. | 1274-1305 | Navarre | |
| Theodora Komnene | 1284-1285 | Trebizond | |
| Margarete | 1286-1290 | Scotland | |
| Joan II | 1328-1349 | Navarre | |
| Irene Palaiologina | 1340-1341 | Trebizond | |
| Anna Anachutlu Komnene | 1341 1341-1342 |
Trebizond | |
| Johanna I. | 1343-1382 | Naples | |
| Maria | 1377-1401 | Sicily | |
| Hedwig | 1382-1399 | Poland | |
| Maria | 1382-1395 | Hungary | |
| Margarethe I. | 1387-1412 | Denmark | |
| Margarethe | 1388-1412 | Norway | |
| Margarethe | 1389-1412 | Sweden | |
| Joan II | 1414-1435 | Naples | |
| Blanka | 1425-1441 | Navarre | |
| Keo Phim Fa | 1438-1438 | Lan Xang | |
| Carlotta | 1458-1460 | Cyprus | |
| Caterina | 1474-1489 | Cyprus | |
| Isabella I. | 1474-1504 | Castile | |
| Maria | 1477-1482 | Burgundy | |
| Eleanor | 1479-1479 | Navarre | |
| Catherine | 1483-1512 | Navarre | |
| Johanna | 1504-1555 | Castile | |
| Johanna | 1516-1555 | Aragon | |
| Maria I. | 1542-1567 | Scotland | |
| Johanna | 1553-1553 | England | |
| Maria I. | 1553-1558 | England | |
| Johanna III. | 1555-1572 | Navarre | |
| Elizabeth I. | 1558-1603 | England | |
| Anna | 1575-1587 | Poland | |
| Okiko | 1629-1643 | Japan | |
| Christina | 1632-1654 | Sweden | |
| Mary II | 1689-1694 | England | |
| Anna | 1702-1714 | Great Britain | |
| Ulrike Eleonore | 1718-1720 | Sweden | |
| Catherine I. | 1725-1727 | Russia | |
| Anna | 1730-1740 | Russia | |
| Maria Theresa | 1740-1780 | Hungary , Bohemia | |
| Elisabeth | 1741-1762 | Russia | |
| Catherine II | 1762-1796 | Russia | |
| Toshiko | 1762-1771 | Japan | |
| Maria I. | 1777-1816 | Portugal | |
| Maria Louise | 1814-1847 | Parma | |
| Mary II | 1826-1828 1834-1853 |
Portugal | |
| Ranavalona I. | 1828-1861 | Madagascar | |
| Isabella II | 1833-1868 | Spain | |
| Victoria | 1837-1901 | Great Britain | |
| Rasoherina | 1863-1868 | Madagascar | |
| Ranavalona II. | 1868-1883 | Madagascar | |
| Ranavalona III. | 1883-1897 | Madagascar | |
| Wilhelmina | 1890-1948 | Netherlands | |
| Liliuokalani | 1891-1893 | Hawaii | |
| Maria Adelheid | 1912-1919 | Luxembourg | |
| Zauditu | 1916-1930 | Ethiopia | |
| Salote Tupou III. | 1918-1965 | Tonga | |
| Charlotte | 1919-1964 | Luxembourg | |
| Juliana | 1948-1980 | Netherlands | |
| Elizabeth II | 1952 – today | Great Britain | |
| Margrethe II. | 1972 – today | Denmark | |
| Beatrix | 1980-2013 | Netherlands | |
| Surname | Reign | country | annotation |
Regents
| Surname | Reign | Most important offices | annotation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shammuramat | 810-789 BC Chr. | Queen of Assyria as regent | |
| Jingu | 201-269 | Regent of Japan during an interregnum | possibly mythological |
| Galla Placidia | 425-437 | Regent of the Western Roman Empire | |
| Olga | 945-969 | Regent of the Kievan Rus | |
| Theophanu | 985-991 | as Empress Regent of the Roman Empire | |
| Adelheid of Burgundy | 991-996 | as Empress Regent of the Roman Empire | |
| Melisende | 1143-1153 | as Queen Regent of Jerusalem | |
| Blanka of Castile | 1226–1242 (?), 1248–? | Regent of France | |
| Maria de Molina | 1295-1302 | Regent of Castile | |
| Loretta of Salm | 1324-1331 | Regent of the Upper County of Sponheim | |
| Eleonora di Arborea | 1383-1404 | Regent of Arborea in Sardinia | |
| Hedwig | 1384-1386 | reigning queen of Poland | |
| Margaret of Durazzo | 1386-1393 | Regent of Naples | for their underage son Ladislaus |
| Catherine of Lancaster | 1406-1418 | Regent of Castile | for their underage son Johann II. |
| Mary of Castile (1401-1458) | 1432-1458 | Regent of the Crown of Aragon | during the captivity / absence of her husband Alfonso V of Aragón |
| Joan of Portugal (1452–1490) | 1471 | Regent of Portugal | during the absence of her father Alfons V. |
| Maria | 1511-1575 | Regent of the Jever rule | |
| Isabella of Portugal | 1529-1533 | Regent of Spain | during the absence of her husband Charles V. |
| Catherine Parr | 1544, July – September | as Queen Regent of England and Ireland | appointed regent on the orders of her husband Henry VIII during his absence |
| Christina of Denmark | 1545-1552 | Regent of Lorraine | |
| Mary of Spain | 1548-1551 | Regent of Spain |
until October 1550 together with her husband Maximilian |
| Marie de Guise | 1554-1560 | Regent of Scotland | |
| Catherine of Medici | 1560-1563 | Regent of France | politically decisive even after the end of the reign |
| Anna of Pfalz-Veldenz | 1577-1584 | Regent of the margraviate of Baden-Durlach | |
| Mary of Medici | 1610-1614 | Regent of France | |
| Christine of France | 1637-1648 | Regent of Savoy | |
| Anna of Austria | 1643-1651 | as Queen Regent of France | |
| Maria Anna of Austria | 1665-1675 | Regent of Spain | |
| Sofia Alexeyevna | 1682-1689 | Regent of Russia | |
| Franziska Sibylla Augusta of Saxony-Lauenburg | 1707-1727 | Regent of the Margraviate of Baden-Baden | |
| Anna Leopoldowna | 1740-1741 | Regent of the Russian Empire | |
| Anna Amalia from Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel | 1759-1775 | Regent of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach | |
| Charlotte Amalie von Hessen-Barchfeld | 1763-1779 | Regent of Saxony-Meiningen | Director of the Imperial Debit Commission (compulsory administration) for Sachsen-Hildburghausen |
| Amalie Zephyrine von Salm-Kyrburg | 1802-1811 | Regent in the Principality of Salm | together with her brother Moritz for their underage nephew Friedrich IV. |
| Louise Eleonore von Hohenlohe-Langenburg | 1803-1821 | Regent of Saxony-Meiningen | |
| Caroline of Hessen-Homburg | 1807-1814 | Regent of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt | |
| Isabella Maria of Braganza | 1826-1828 | Regent of Portugal | |
| Maria Christina of Sicily | 1833-1840 | Regent of Spain | |
| Dowager Empress Cixi | 1861-1872, 1875-1889, 1898-1908 | Regent of China | |
| Maria Christina of Austria | 1885-1902 | Regent of Spain | |
| Emma to Waldeck and Pyrmont | 1890-1898 | Regent of the Netherlands | |
| Surname | Reign | Most important offices | annotation |
See also
- List of female heads of state and government
- Title of ancient Egyptian queens
- List of Amun's wives of God
- List of Roman Empresses
- List of queens of France
- List of queens of Portugal
- List of queens of Sweden
- List of queens of Spain
- List of the queens of Aragon
- Women in politics (shares and famous women politicians)
Web links
- Rachel Brown: History and Culture: Who Were the Most Powerful Women of Ancient Times? In: NationalGeographic.de . March 7, 2018 (“three female professors introduce us to outstanding women who went down in history because of their importance in wars, politics and religion”).