From a bearded female pharaoh to a rampaging warrior queen: history’s top four female power players
From a royal daughter who melded military muscle and delicate diplomacy to a bearded PR princess (who later got cancelled), these are history’s top women power players.
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What does it take for a woman to rise to the top?
Even today, it’s not easy – and the further back you go, the harder it gets.
Yet some still make it. Even in the so-called Dark Ages – that grim early medieval period when, in what is now Britain, rival kingdoms battled each other and Norse invaders – it could happen.
My new novel is set during that time, when an actual woman ruled – and helped others to rise.
By Her Hand follows the story of Freda, a farm girl in the tenth-century English kingdom of Mercia. After her home is destroyed by Vikings, Freda is taken to an abbey where she develops a deep friendship with the ruler Lady Æthelflæd (pronounced ‘Athelflad’). Through Æthelflæd, Freda sees what it is to be a woman with power. This changes her life and the course of history.
The past is peppered with strong women and kickass queens – some well-known, others almost erased or lost to time. And while some of their tactics may be questionable today, their spirits and legacies are undeniably inspiring.
These are my favourites:
AETHELFLAED
Lady of the Mercians – died 918 CE
As the first child of King Alfred the Great of Wessex, Æthelflæd was a valuable ‘peace-weaver’, which means she was married off for political alliance, in her case to the ruler of Mercia. When her husband became ill, Æthelflæd reigned supreme. She proved such an effective a leader that when her husband died, Æthelflæd was elected by Mercia’s nobles to rule outright. She built a line of defences, supported the arts, raised her daughter Ælfwynn to rule after her (the only time a woman has succeeded a woman to an English throne). She pushed back the Vikings with a blend of military power and delicate diplomacy, paving the way for the creation of England. Æthelflæd took the title Lady of the Mercians, because Old English word ‘cwen’ (queen) was thought to mean the wife of the king.
BOUDICA
Queen of the British Iceni tribe – died 61 CE
Hell hath no fury like an Iceni queen scorned. Roman historian Tacitus wrote that the Romans betrayed Boudica, flogged her and raped her two daughters. What followed was a rebellion that swept through Roman-ruled Britannia and even destroyed London, killing thousands of Romans as well as Britons under Roman rule. But, while her warpath was fuelled by rage, it was her intelligent leadership and guerrilla warfare tactics that attracted massive numbers and made the Romans quake in their caligae (sandals).
Her downfall came when she faced the outnumbered but expertly organised Romans in open battle. Big mistake. A freedom fighter to some, a brutal mass-murderer to others, Boudica was that rare thing: a leader strong enough to threaten the power of Rome.
HATSHEPSUT
Egyptian pharaoh – died 1458 BCE
In a multi-millennium case of ‘build it and they will come’, Hatshepsut continues to be a major asset to the Egyptian economy today. She first ruled as regent when her son became pharaoh aged two, but Hatshepsut saw there was work to be done. She donned the pharaoh’s beard for publicity purposes and stepped up to the main role. As well as expanding trade routes, she oversaw the construction of hundreds of buildings in her 22-year reign, including several monuments in today’s tourist drawcard, Karnak.
To take on the patriarchy of the time, Hatshepsut styled herself as a woman and a man. But not everyone was happy. In a spree of Pharaonic photoshopping, some of her achievements were ascribed to others and many of her images were defaced after she died. But her memory lives on in the record as a legendary female pharaoh.
WU ZETIAN
Empress of China, Tang Dynasty – died 705 CE
Wu Zetian, also known as Wu Zhou, was educated – a rare thing for girls at the time – and cunning. After coming to power through her husband and sons, she ruled in her own right until her death, aged 81. Wu expanded China and accelerated economic growth by doing away with what we’d call neppo-babies and putting people in roles based on merit, mostly. Some historians say Wu schemed her way to power, yet she also survived decades of plots against her. Despite her incredibly efficient leadership and economic advances, she was the only woman to ever rule Imperial China.
Marion Taffe’s By Her Hand is out now, published by 4th Estate.
Who are your fave females, in fiction or fact? Tell us at THE SUNDAY BOOK CLUB group on Facebook or use the comments below
Originally published as From a bearded female pharaoh to a rampaging warrior queen: history’s top four female power players
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