Behind every great leader stands an equally great lady. This corner of the tapestry holds articles about all the queens of England after the Norman Conquest. Read about each and every one from Matilda of Flanders to Queen Elizabeth II. For a chronological list of the queens of England take a quick look at Britannica’s Encyclopedia entry on all queens.
Note: Unlike the era we’re writing about, this is a very young blog! If some of our pages or categories haven’t been posted to yet, stay tuned. We post at least twice a week. Thanks very much for your patience!
Table of Contents
Queens of the House of Normandy
The first Norman dynasty, the House Of Normandy, began with Matilda of Flanders, wife of William the Conqueror, in 1066 and ended with Matilda, Countess of Boulogne, wife of King Stephen, in 1154.
Matilda, wife of the Conqueror, was the first English queen after the Norman Conquest. Get acquainted with her struggles and triumphs.
Queens of the House of Plantagenet
The House Of Plantagenets, began with the son of Empress Matilda King Henry II and his wife, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine. The Plantagenets were by far the longest reigning monarchs in England, at an impressive 331 years, and saw the famous War of the Roses. It ended in 1485 with queen to the infamous King Richard III, Queen Anne Neville.
Queens of the House of Tudor
This era in history can boast some extraordinary queens of Enland. The House of Tudor is probably most famous for the half dozen queens of King Henry VIII, but this line was begun by his mother, Queen Elizabeth of York, and ended with the Great Queen Elizabeth I in 1603.
Queens of the House of Stuart
The House of Stuart was unique because it began with the first Scottish monarchs, King James I and his wife Queen Anne of Denmark. This English dynasty was characterized by much political unrest and ended with Queen Anne in 1714.
Queens of the House of Hanover
The Hanoverian period in England was fairly stable. It began without a queen, since King George I had dissolved his marriage to his unfaithful wife, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, and imposed house arrest for the remainder of her life. The first Hanoverian queen of England therefore, was Queen Caroline of Ansbach. The House of Hanover ended with the iconic Queen Victoria in 1901.
Queens of the House of Saxes-Coburg & Gotha
The House of Saxe-Coburg & Gotha was the last overtly German dynasty in England. Its first queen was Queen Alexandra of Denmark. It was the only dynasty that didn’t end with the death of a monarch. It lost its name due to the reluctance of the English monarchy to have an association with Germany during World War I. Because of this it can boast only two queens and ended in 1917.
Queens of the House of Windsor
This dynasty began with Queen Mary of Teck and was named after her husband, King George V’s, favorite castle. Mary of Teck was the only queen of England that circumvented two dynasties. After the tensions that came along with fighting the Germans during World War I, she and her husband took up a purely English name and began the dynasty we know today.