Queens, Empresses, Grand Duchesses and Regents

This book presents the lives and accomplishments of 39 women rulers—not “in-name-only,” but wielders of real power. Celebrated queens like England’s Elizabeth I share equal space here with lesser-known monarchs like Giovanna I of Naples and Maria da Gloria of Portugal. The flamboyant, such as Christina of Sweden, contrast with the moralistic, like Maria Theresa of Austria. Each is the heroine of an often dramatic story involving dynastic interplay and court politics. The complex forces that have impeded or sparked the royal performances are detailed.

The late Olga S. Opfell was a former college teacher and newspaper reporter and the author of multiple books. She lived in Torrance, California.

Olga S. Opfell
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 296
Bibliographic Info: 35 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2012 [1989]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-6737-2
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8780-6
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword

Juana II
Queen of Navarre, 1328–1349      1
Giovanna I
Queen of Naples, 1343–1381      6
Maria
Queen of Hungary, 1382–1395      14
Jadwiga
Queen of Poland, 1384–1399      18
Margrethe
Regent of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, 1387–1412      24
Giovanna II
Queen of Naples, 1414–1435      31
Blanca
Queen of Navarre, 1425–1441      36
Isabella I (Isabel)
Queen of Castile, 1474–1504      40
Leonor
Queen of Navarre, 1479 – 1479      49
Catalina (Catherine de Foix)
Queen of Navarre, 1484–1512      53
Juana
Queen of Castile, 1504–1555      57
Mary
Queen of Scotland, 1542–1567      66
Mary I
Queen of England and Ireland, 1533–1558      73
Jeanne d’Albret
Queen of Navarre, 1555–1572      78
Elizabeth I
Queen of England and Scotland, 1558–1603      86
Catherine de Medicis
Regent of France, 1561–1563; 1574      93
Kristina
Queen of Sweden, 1644–1654      101
Sophia
Regent of Russia, 1682–1689      108
Mary II
Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 1689–1694      114
Anne
Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, 1702–1707; of Great Britain and Ireland, 1707–1714      121
Ulrika Eleonora
Queen of Sweden, 1718–1720      130
Catherine I (Ekaterina)
Empress of Russia, 1725–1727      137
Anna Ivanovna
Empress of Russia, 1730–1740      144
Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia)
Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, 1740–1780      150
Elizabeth (Elizaveta)
Empress of Russia, 1741–1762      157
Catherine II (Ekaterina)
Empress of Russia, 1762–1796      163
Maria I
Queen of Portugal, 1777–1816      172
Maria II (Maria da Gloria)
Queen of Portugal, 1826–1828; 1834–1853      177
Maria Cristina (1)
Regent of Spain, 1833–1840      185
Isabella II (Isabel)
Queen of Spain, 1833–1870      192
Victoria
Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 1837–1901; Empress of India, 1876–1901      201
Maria Cristina (2)
Regent of Spain, 1886–1902      209
Wilhelmina
Queen of the Netherlands, 1890–1948      215
Marie–Adelai’de
Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, 1912–1919      223
Charlotte
Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, 1919–1964      230
Juliana
Queen of the Netherlands, 1948–1980      235
Elizabeth II
Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1952–      242
Margrethe II
Queen of Denmark, 1972–      250
Beatrix
Queen of the Netherlands, 1980–      255

Selected Bibliography      261
Index      271

“a great deal of information tightly packed into each short biography”—Booklist; “useful for history and women’s studies collections”—Library Journal; “fact-filled…useful”—The Book Report.