Queens That Changed The World
So much of history is dominated by men. But some queens wielded extraordinary power, and ruled in ways that far surpassed their male counterparts. Back for series two, this illuminating history documentary series looks at queens such as Victoria, Elizabeth I, Eleanor of Aquitaine and Hatshepsut. It investigates what drove these women, how they asserted their authority and what they did to stay in power.
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Queens That Changed The World on BBC Select
Series 2:
Episode 1: The Last Queen of America: Charlotte
The princess of a small German duchy, Charlotte was catapulted into the spotlight when she married King George III. Through a 57-year reign, she was a strong and stabilizing presence, especially during the King’s periods of turmoil.
Episode 2: The Imperial Queen: Maria Theresa
When Maria Theresa inherited the Habsburg territories, she became the empire’s first ever female ruler, immediately having to fight off invasions. Through military grit and sweeping reforms, she secured her family’s legacy, and modernized the empire.
Episode 3: The Queen They Loved to Hate: Marie Antionette
Marie Antoinette has been described as history’s most misunderstood queen. Long famed for excess, extravagant fashion, and her indifference to the poor, recent historians have claimed there’s more to Marie Antoinette’s story than meets the eye.
Episode 4: The Defiant Queen: Lakshmibai
Lakshmibai, the Rani of Jhansi, ruled an Indian kingdom and took on the might of the British empire. Defending her son’s kingdom from the encroachments of the East India Company, the fierce fighter became a legend on the battlefield.
Episode 5: The Divisive Queen: Mary Queen of Scots
Mary Stuart became Queen of Scotland at six days old and later ruled a divided nation. After disastrous marriages and political turmoil, she fled to England, where Elizabeth I imprisoned her for 19 years before she was executed.
Episode 6: The Ruthless Queen: Agrippina the Younger
Agrippina the Younger was determined to win power for her son. She possessed one of the most powerful bloodlines in Roman history, descending from both Augustus and Julius Caesar. She attained her ultimate goals, only to be violently betrayed.
Series 1:
The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I
Elizabeth ruled a divided nation but became one of the most powerful leaders in history.
In 1558, Elizabeth took the throne of a deeply divided England after her siblings Edward and Mary died. The Protestant queen allowed Catholics to continue with their faith as long as they were discrete and loyal. Peace and prosperity followed, and English culture flourished. Under Elizabeth, the seeds of Empire were sewn but despite her successes the Virgin Queen had to guard against numerous plots.
The Forgotten Queen: Anne
Modelling her reign on Elizabeth I, Anne was the first queen of a unified Great Britain.
Coming to the throne in 1702, Anne modelled herself on Elizabeth I. She was the last monarch of the Stuart dynasty and one of the hardest working rulers that Britain had ever seen. Though less well-known today, she was the first queen of Great Britain, bringing Scotland and England together under one ruler and reigned through a period where Britain became a major player on the world stage.
The Queen of Empire: Victoria
Victoria oversaw an astonishing period of change as the British Empire ruled the world.
Crowned queen shortly after her 18th birthday, Victoria presided over an extraordinary period of British history which saw huge industrial, social and territorial expansion. As this revealing history documentary shows, over her long reign she also managed to shift the public perception of the royal family and became acelebrated public figure, influencing popular culture.
The Queen who would be King: Hatshepsut
The story of Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut who did the unthinkable and declared herself king.
When her son tried to ascend to her dead husband’s throne, Queen Hatshepsut did the unthinkable and declared herself king. As this illuminating history documentary reveals, she overturned Egyptian tradition and became one of the most powerful and successful pharaohs in history. But then ancient and modern prejudices conspired to withhold the credit due to this unstoppable ruler.
The Rebel Queen:Eleanor of Aquitaine
The astonishing monarch who was queen of both France and England during her life.
Eleanor of Aquitaine already possessed huge wealth when she married Louis, son of the French king. She became Queen of France wh en only a teenager. But, as this history documentary reveals, that wasn’t the end of the story. After that marriage was annulled, she married English heir Henry and then became Queen of England. But she was no quiet Queen, having a strong influence on both Kings’ reigns.
The Warrior Queen: Boudica
Betrayed and humiliated, Boudica took on the invading Roman army and almost defeated them.
After being betrayed and humiliated by Britain’s Roman overlords once her chieftain husband died, Queen Boudica turned on her masters. She set about planning her revenge, building an army and uniting warring tribes by focusing on a common enemy. She razed cities and defeated Roman legions, but h er resistance finally came to an end at the Battle of Watling Street, where 200,000 Britons died.
Find out which queen you most resemble from Queens That Changed The World Series 1 here.
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