Which Nations have had the most Queens Regnant?

Which Nations have had the most Queens Regnant?

From History Tea Time by Lindsay Holiday

March 3, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

This episode explores the nations that have had the most Queens Regnant throughout history.

Through most of history, male monarchs have been the norm. Their wives held the title of Queen or Empress, but were merely consorts, with little real power. Many monarchies, like France, The Ottoman Empire and Bhutan have strictly barred women from inheriting the throne and have never had a Queen Regnant, or a Queen in her own right. While others have rules loose enough that a handful of women have had the opportunity to claim the throne and become the highest authority in the land. Some achieved this by outliving their brothers, or not having any, some by seizing power from their husbands or male relatives, and a few actually married their own brothers in order to claim the throne. One nation on our list actually had a matrilineal monarchy for 300 years. Let’s take a look at the top 7 nations who have been ruled by 10 or more Queens Regnant: 7. Japan - 10 Queens & Empresses is Japan 6.Hawai’i - 13 Queens 5. Italy - 14 Queens 4. United Kingdom - 15 Queens 3. Spain - 17 Queens 2. Nigeria - 24 Queens 1. Egypt - 28 Queens Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Follow me on Facebook…

People in this episode

Host: Lindsay Holiday

Topics covered

  • Queens Regnant
  • Monarchies
  • Female Rulers
  • History of Royalty
  • Inheritance Laws
  • Gender and Power

Keywords

  • Queens Regnant
  • monarchies
  • female monarchs
  • inheritance
  • history
  • royalty
  • power

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Youtube Channel, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok, Patreon

Places: Japan, Hawai’i, Italy, United Kingdom, Spain, Nigeria, Egypt

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