i
-
Anna Ivanovna
Duchess, Queen / 1693 - 1740
Anna Ivanovna was empress of Russia from 1730 to 1740.
See full bio
(1693-1740)
Duchess, Queen
j
-
James I
King / 1208 - 1276
James I was a Spanish king best known for fighting the Moors during his reign from 1213-'76. He is also known as James I the Conqueror and James I of Aragon.
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(1208-1276)
King
-
Jezebel
Queen, Princess / - 843
Jezebel was a Phoenician princess, later the wife of King Ahab of Israel. She became known for putting on makeup before her death and being a wicked woman.
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(-843)
Queen, Princess
-
Joseph II
Political Leader, Emperor / 1741 - 1790
Holy Roman emperor Joseph II tried to strengthen the Habsburg empire with his enlightened reforms, but the changes he made were met with fierce opposition.
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(1741-1790)
Political Leader, Emperor
k
-
Kamehameha I
King / 1758 - 1819
Kamehameha the Great was the Hawaiian conqueror and king who united the Hawaiian islands and founded the Kamehameha dynasty.
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(1758-1819)
King
-
Kublai Khan
General, Political Leader, Emperor / 1215 - 1294
Mongolian general and statesman Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan. He conquered China, founding and becoming the first emperor of the country's Yuan Dynasty.
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(1215-1294)
General, Political Leader, Emperor
-
King Arthur
King
Legendary King Arthur formed the Knights of the Round Table and defended ancient Wales from encroaching Saxons.
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King
-
King Tut
King / 1341 - 1323
King Tut is chiefly known for his intact tomb, discovered in Egypt's Valley of the Kings in 1922. Since then, his remains have held millions in awe over the mystery of his life and death.
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(1341-1323)
King
l
-
Lady Jane Grey
Queen / 1537 - 1554
Lady Jane Grey was the titular queen of England for nine days in 1553. Her execution by Mary Tudor aroused universal sympathy.
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(1537-1554)
Queen
-
Leopold I
Emperor / 1640 - 1705
Leopold I was Holy Roman emperor during whose lengthy reign Austria emerged from a series of struggles to become a great European power.
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(1640-1705)
Emperor
-
Leopold II
Emperor / 1747 - 1792
Leopold II was Holy Roman emperor and one of the most capable of the 18th-century reformist rulers known as the “enlightened despots.”
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(1747-1792)
Emperor
-
Liliuokalani
Queen / 1838 - 1917
Liliuokalani was the queen of the Hawaiian Islands from 1891 to 1895.
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(1838-1917)
Queen
-
Le Loi
General, Emperor / 1428 - 1443
Vietnamese general and emperor Le Loi won back Vietnam’s independence from China and founded the Later Le dynasty, and became a hero of the medieval period.
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(1428-1443)
General, Emperor
-
Lord Snowdon
Photographer, Filmmaker, Royalty / 1930 -
Lord Snowdon was married to Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, from 1960 to 1978. He is also a world-renowned photographer and documentarian.
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(1930-)
Photographer, Filmmaker, Royalty
-
Louis I
Emperor / 778 - 840
Louis I succeeded his father, Charlemagne, as emperor, serving as ruler of the Franks for 26 years.
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(778-840)
Emperor
-
Louis VII
King / 1120 - 1180
Louis VII was king of France who pursued a long rivalry with Henry II of England.
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(1120-1180)
King
-
Louis XII
King / 1462 - 1515
Louis XII was king of France from 1498 and was noted for his disastrous Italian wars and his domestic popularity.
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(1462-1515)
King
-
Louis XIII
King / 1601 - 1643
Louis XIII was king of France from 1610 to 1643 and under his reign made France a leading European power.
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(1601-1643)
King
-
Louis XIV
Political Leader, King / 1638 - 1715
King Louis XIV of France led an absolute monarchy during France’s classical age. He revoked the Edict of Nantes and is known for his aggressive foreign policy.
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(1638-1715)
Political Leader, King
-
Louis XV
King / 1710 - 1774
Louis XV was king of France from 1715 to 1774. He is best known for contributing to the decline of royal authority that led to the French Revolution in 1789.
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(1710-1774)
King
-
Louis XVI
King / 1754 - 1793
Louis XVI was the last king of France (1774–92) in the line of Bourbon monarchs preceding the French Revolution of 1789. He was executed for treason by guillotine in 1793.
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(1754-1793)
King
-
Louis XVII
King / 1785 - 1795
Louis XVII was named king of France and held the title for two years during the French Revolution until his death in prison.
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(1785-1795)
King
-
Louis-Philippe
King / 1773 - 1850
Louis-Philippe was king of the French from 1830 to 1848 but fell from power because he could not win the allegiance of the new industrial classes.
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(1773-1850)
King
-
Marie Louise
Duchess, Empress / 1791 - 1847
Marie-Louise is best known for her marriage to the emperor Napoleon after his divorce from Josephine.
See full bio
(1791-1847)
Duchess, Empress
m
-
Macbeth
Military Leader, King / 1005 - 1057
Macbeth was king of Scotland during the 11th century. He was also the basis for Shakespeare's play Macbeth.
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(1005-1057)
Military Leader, King
-
Mahmud of Ghazna
King / 971 - 1030
Mahmud of Ghazna is best known as the the leader of the Ghaznavid dynasty in modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and northwest India.
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(971-1030)
King
-
Mary II
Queen / 1662 - 1694
Mary II served as queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689–94), and was the wife of King William III.
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(1662-1694)
Queen
-
Mary of Teck
Queen / 1867 - 1953
Mary of Teck became Queen Mary, consort of King George V. She was the mother of kings Edward VIII and George VI, and the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II.
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(1867-1953)
Queen
-
Matilda
Empress, Queen / 1102 - 1167
Matilda was the daughter of King Henry I of England and married Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V. She is considered the first female ruler of England.
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(1102-1167)
Empress, Queen
-
Maurice
Military Leader, Duke / 1521 - 1553
Maurice was duke and elector of Saxony (southeastern Germany) during the 16th century.
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(1521-1553)
Military Leader, Duke
-
Maximilian
Military Leader, Emperor / 1832 - 1867
Maximilian was the Archduke of Austria and the Emperor of Mexico from 1863-1867. He was executed in 1867 by President Benito Juárez's victorious forces.
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(1832-1867)
Military Leader, Emperor
-
Maximilian I
Political Leader, King / 1756 - 1825
Maximilian I was the first king of Bavaria (1806–25), a member of the house of Wittelsbach.
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(1756-1825)
Political Leader, King
-
Maximilian II
Religious Leader, Emperor / 1527 - 1576
Maximilian II was Holy Roman emperor from 1564. His rule marked an interval of peace between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Germany during the Reformation.
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(1527-1576)
Religious Leader, Emperor
-
Menelik II
Emperor / 1844 - 1913
Menelik II was king of Shewa and emperor of Ethiopia (1889). He expanded the empire, repelled an Italian invasion, and modernized Ethiopia.
See full bio
(1844-1913)
Emperor
-
Kate Middleton
Duchess / 1982 -
Kate Middleton, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, married Prince William in 2011 at Westminster Abbey. She will not be a princess until Prince Charles inherits the throne.
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(1982-)
Duchess
-
Miguel I
King / 1802 - 1866
Miguel I was became regent of Portugal in February 1828, and ruled the nation as a self-proclaimed king from 1828 to 1834, though his royal title wasn't recognized everywhere.
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(1802-1866)
King
-
Alexis Mikhailovich
Tsar / 1629 - 1676
Alexis Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great, was tsar of Russia from 1645 to 1676. He passed a code of laws which legally defined serfdom.
See full bio
(1629-1676)
Tsar
-
Mithridates VI
General, King / 134 - 63
Mithridates VI (Eupator) was the king of Pontus (in modern-day Turkey) during the 1st and 2nd century BC and an enemy of Rome during the Mithridatic Wars.
See full bio
(134-63)
General, King
-
John Montagu
Political Leader, Royalty / 1718 - 1792
British first lord of the Admiralty during the American Revolution, John Montagu was secretary of state for the north and led the prosecution of John Wilkes.
See full bio
(1718-1792)
Political Leader, Royalty
-
Montezuma II
Emperor / 1466 - 1520
Montezuma II was the last of the Aztec emperors, who was defeated by Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés in 1520.
See full bio
(1466-1520)
Emperor
n
-
Napoleon III
Military Leader, Emperor / 1808 - 1873
Napoleon III, the nephew of Napoleon I, was emperor of France from 1852 to 1870. His downfall came during the Franco-Prussian War, when his efforts to defeat Otto Von Bismarck ended in his capture.
See full bio
(1808-1873)
Military Leader, Emperor
-
Nebuchadnezzar II
King / 630 - 561
Nebuchadnezzar II was ruler of Babylonia c. 605–561 BC. He expanded his empire while building the city of Babylon into a wonder of the ancient world.
See full bio
(630-561)
King
-
Nefertiti
Political Leader, Queen / 1370 - 1330
An Egyptian queen renowned for her beauty, Nefertiti ruled alongside her husband, Pharaoh Akhenaten, during the mid-1300s B.C.
See full bio
(1370-1330)
Political Leader, Queen
-
Nero
Theater Actor, Musician, Political Leader, Emperor, Poet / 37 - 68
As Roman emperor, Nero’s reign was lavish and tyrannical. He killed his mother, persecuted Christians and is said to have "fiddled while Rome burned."
See full bio
(37-68)
Theater Actor, Musician, Political Leader, Emperor, Poet
-
Alexei Nikolaevich
Duke, Prince, Tsar / 1904 - 1918
Alexei Nikolaevich was the only son of Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia, and the tsarina Alexandra. He was killed with his family during the Russian Revolution.
See full bio
(1904-1918)
Duke, Prince, Tsar
-
Anastasia
Duchess / 1901 - 1918
Anastasia was the daughter of the last Russian tsar, Nicholas II. After she and her family were executed, rumors claimed that she might have survived.
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(1901-1918)
Duchess
o
-
Catherine of Aragon
Queen, Princess / 1485 - 1536
Of Spanish descent, the devout, learned Catherine of Aragon was the 16th-century Queen of England due to her marriage to Henry VIII.
See full bio
(1485-1536)
Queen, Princess
-
Princess Caroline of Monaco
Philanthropist, Princess / 1957 -
Princess Caroline of Monaco is best known as the eldest daughter of Prince Rainier III and American actress Grace Kelly.
See full bio
(1957-)
Philanthropist, Princess
-
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Prince / 1893 - 1976
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, regent of Yugoslavia following Alexander I's assassination, was deposed by a Serbian military coup after the signing of the Tripartite Pact.
See full bio
(1893-1976)
Prince
-
Otto
King / 1815 - 1867
Otto, the son of King Louis I of Bavaria, served as the first king of modern Greece, but a revolt in 1862 forced him to step down and return to Bavaria.
See full bio
(1815-1867)
King
p
-
Paul I of Russia
Emperor / 1754 - 1801
Paul I of Russia served as the nation's emperor for a brief, tyrannical five years before he was assassinated 1801.
See full bio
(1754-1801)
Emperor
-
Pedro I
Military Leader, King / 1798 - 1834
Pedro I of Spain, also known as Dom Pedro is best known as the founder of the Brazilian empire and the first emperor of Brazil.
See full bio
(1798-1834)
Military Leader, King
-
Pepin III
General, King / 714 - 768
Pepin III, father of Charlemagne, was the first King of the Franks and played an integral role in the foundation of the Holy Roman Empire.
See full bio
(714-768)
General, King
-
Peter
King / 1334 - 1369
Peter the Cruel was the Spanish king of Castile and LeĂłn, son an successor of Alfonso XI, best known for his vicious characteristics as a ruler.
See full bio
(1334-1369)
King
-
Peter III
Emperor / 1728 - 1762
Peter III was the Emperor of Russia for a mere six months in 1762 before he was overthrown by his wife, Catherine the Great, and assassinated in 1762.
See full bio
(1728-1762)
Emperor
-
Peter the Great
Political Leader, Tsar / 1672 - 1725
Peter the Great was a Russian czar in the late 17th century, who is best known for his extensive reforms in an attempt to establish Russia as a great nation.
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(1672-1725)
Political Leader, Tsar
-
Alexei Petrovich
Royalty / 1690 - 1718
Alexei Petrovich was the son of Peter the Great and heir to the Russian throne. He was sentenced to death by his father.
See full bio
(1690-1718)
Royalty
-
Philip
Political Leader, King / 1178 - 1208
Philip of Swabia was a German Hohenstaufen king who engaged in warfare against the emperor Otto IV over the crown for a decade in late 1100's.
See full bio
(1178-1208)
Political Leader, King
-
Philip II
Military Leader, Duke, King / 1527 - 1598
King Philip II of Spain, also known as Philip the Prudent, ruled one of the world's largest empires. The Philippines are named after him.
See full bio
(1527-1598)
Military Leader, Duke, King
-
Philip III
Duke / - 1467
Philip III, also known as Philip the Good, was the Duke of Burgundy from 1419 until his death. He is best known for helping Burgundy become a leading center of the arts.
See full bio
(-1467)
Duke
-
Philip IV
Military Leader, Political Leader, King / 1605 - 1665
Philip IV was the King of Spain and Portugal during the decline of Spain as a great world power in the 1600's.
See full bio
(1605-1665)
Military Leader, Political Leader, King
-
Philip V
Political Leader, King / 1683 - 1746
Philip V was the King of Spain twice, from 1700 - 1746. He is best known for helping Spain to regain it's former influence in international affairs.
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(1683-1746)
Political Leader, King
-
Prince Charles
Prince / 1948 -
Prince Charles is the oldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip and is the heir apparent to the British throne.
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(1948-)
Prince
-
Prince Albert
Royalty / 1819 - 1861
Prince Albert married his first cousin, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, at the age of 20, and after his untimely death at age 42, the queen's memory of him guided her for the next 40 years.
See full bio
(1819-1861)
Royalty
-
Prince Harry
Philanthropist, Pilot, Prince / 1984 -
Prince Harry is the second son of Charles, Prince of Wales and Princess Diana. He known for his teenage escapades and his charitable work.
See full bio
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(1984-)
Philanthropist, Pilot, Prince
-
Prince William
Philanthropist, Political Leader, Duke, Prince / 1982 -
Prince William is the eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales and is next in line for the British throne after his father.
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(1982-)
Philanthropist, Political Leader, Duke, Prince
-
Princess Diana
Children's Activist, Princess / 1961 - 1997
Princess Diana was Princess of Wales while married to Prince Charles. One of the most adored members of the British royal family, she died in a 1997 car crash.
See full bio
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(1961-1997)
Children's Activist, Princess
-
Princess Margaret
Philanthropist, Political Leader, Princess / 1930 - 2002
Princess Margaret was the youngest daughter of Queen Elizabeth and George VI. Her troubled private life aroused worldwide sympathy and constant controversy.
See full bio
(1930-2002)
Philanthropist, Political Leader, Princess
-
Princess Masako
Princess / 1963 -
Princess Masako Owada is the Crown Princess of Japan. She is best known for her independent nature before she joined the royal family.
See full bio
(1963-)
Princess
-
Princess Stephanie of Monaco
Princess / 1965 -
Known as the 'wild child' of Monaco for her scandalous affairs, Princess Stephanie's diverse career path has included singing, swimwear design and modeling.
See full bio
(1965-)
Princess
-
Princess Victoria of Sweden
Princess / 1977 -
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden is the eldest child born to King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia and is heir to the Swedish throne.
See full bio
(1977-)
Princess
q
-
Queen Elizabeth I
Queen / 1533 - 1603
Elizabeth I was the long-ruling queen of England, governing with relative stability and prosperity for 44 years. The Elizabethan era is named for her.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1533-1603)
Queen
-
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen / 1926 -
Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain was crowned in 1953. Her 60 years on the throne was celebrated in June 2012, with the Diamond Jubilee.
See full bio
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(1926-)
Queen
-
Queen Mary I
Queen / 1542 - 1587
Mary Queen of Scots is one of the most fascinating and controversial monarchs of the 16th century who claimed the crowns of four nations in her lifetime.
See full bio
(1542-1587)
Queen
-
Queen Mother Elizabeth
Political Leader, Queen / 1900 - 2002
Queen Elizabeth was the Queen consort of King George VI until his death in 1952. She is best known for her moral support to the British people during WWII and her longevity.
See full bio
(1900-2002)
Political Leader, Queen
-
Queen Noor of Jordan
Queen / 1951 -
Queen Noor of Jordan, who was the consort of King Hussein, was trained as an urban planner and works as a philanthropist/world activist.
See full bio
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(1951-)
Queen
-
Queen Victoria
Political Leader, Queen / 1819 - 1901
Queen Victoria was queen of Great Britain from 1837 to 1901—the longest reign of any other British monarch in history.
See full bio
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(1819-1901)
Political Leader, Queen
r
-
Ramses III
Military Leader, Political Leader, Royalty / - 1155
Ramses III was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth dynasty in Egypt. He is best known for defending his country against invaders in three great wars.
See full bio
(-1155)
Military Leader, Political Leader, Royalty
-
Queen Rania
Women's Rights Activist, Business Leader, Political Leader, Queen / 1970 -
Queen Rania of Jordan is best known for her advocacy work in public health, education and as an outspoken opponent of the practice of "honor killings."
See full bio
(1970-)
Women's Rights Activist, Business Leader, Political Leader, Queen
-
Sophie, Countess of Wessex
Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Royalty / 1965 -
Countess of Wessex Sophie Rhys-Jones is married to Edward, Earl of Wessex, and is the mother of Lady Louise and James, Viscount Severn.
See full bio
(1965-)
Entrepreneur, Philanthropist, Royalty
-
Richard I
Folk Hero, Military Leader, Political Leader, King / 1157 - 1199
Richard I of England, better known as Richard the Lionheart, is best known as a great military leader who remains a enduring iconic figure in England today.
See full bio
(1157-1199)
Folk Hero, Military Leader, Political Leader, King
-
Richard III
Political Leader, King / 1452 - 1485
Richard III was king of England for two turbulent years. He is best known for being accused of murdering his nephews to protect his throne.
See full bio
(1452-1485)
Political Leader, King
-
Robert
Political Leader, King / 1277 - 1343
Robert Of Anjou, known as Robert the Wise, ruled as King of Naples for 34 years. He is best known as "the peace-maker of Italy."
See full bio
(1277-1343)
Political Leader, King
-
Robert II
Political Leader, King / 1316 - 1390
Robert II was king of Scotland from 1371 to 1390, and is best known for his largely ineffectual reign.
See full bio
(1316-1390)
Political Leader, King
-
Nicholas II
Tsar / 1868 - 1918
Nicholas II was the last tsar of Russia under Romanov rule. His poor handling of Bloody Sunday and Russia’s role in World War I led to his abdication and execution.
See full bio
(1868-1918)
Tsar
-
Prince Rupert
Military Leader, Duke, Prince / 1619 - 1682
Prince Rupert, a 17th century soldier, statesman and scientist, is best known for his talent as a Royalist commander of the English Civil War (1642 - 1651).
See full bio
(1619-1682)
Military Leader, Duke, Prince
s
-
Saul
Military Leader, Biblical Figure, King / 1000 - 1100
Saul was best known as the first King of Israel circa 1046 BC.
See full bio
(1000-1100)
Military Leader, Biblical Figure, King
-
Haile Selassie I
Emperor / 1892 - 1975
Emperor Haile Selassie I worked to modernize Ethiopia for several decades before famine and political opposition forced him from office in 1974.
See full bio
(1892-1975)
Emperor
-
Jane Seymour
Queen / 1509 - 1537
Anne Boleyn's successor, Queen Consort Jane Seymour, was Henry VIII’s third wife. She bore his first male heir, King Edward VI, before dying of complications.
See full bio
(1509-1537)
Queen
-
King Mohammed Zahir Shah
King / 1914 - 2007
King Mohammed Zahir Shah was king of Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973, during which time he provided an era of stable government to his country.
See full bio
(1914-2007)
King
-
Queen of Sheba
Queen
According to Jewish and Islamic tradition, the Queen of Sheba was a monarch of the ancient kingdom of Sheba, believed to be in Ethiopia or Yemen.
See full bio
Queen
-
Wallis Simpson
Duchess / 1896 - 1986
American socialite Wallis Simpson became the mistress of Edward, Prince of Wales. Edward abdicated the throne to marry her, a period known as the Abdication Crisis.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1896-1986)
Duchess
-
St Helena
Saint, Empress / 248 - 328
St. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, was said to have discovered the cross of Christ.
See full bio
(248-328)
Saint, Empress
-
Stephen
King / 1096 - 1154
Stephen of Blois was king of England from 1135 to 1141. His reign was marked by a civil war known as The Anarchy.
See full bio
(1096-1154)
King
t
-
Taksin
Military Leader, King / 1734 - 1782
Taksin was an 18th century Thai general and king.
See full bio
(1734-1782)
Military Leader, King
-
Theodora
Empress / 497 - 548
Theodora was empress of the Byzantine Empire from 527 A.D. to 548 A.D. She greatly influenced her husband, Justinian I's political decisions.
See full bio
(497-548)
Empress
-
Maria Theresa
Political Leader, Duchess, Empress / 1717 - 1780
Maria Theresa was an Austrian archduchess, and Holy Roman Empress of the Habsburg Dynasty from 1740 to 1780. She was also Marie Antoinette’s mother.
See full bio
(1717-1780)
Political Leader, Duchess, Empress
-
Thutmose III
Military Leader, King / - 1426
Pharaoh Thutmose III was the warrior king of Egypt’s 18th and largest dynasty. During his reign, he reestablished Egyptian rule of Syria and Palestine.
See full bio
(-1426)
Military Leader, King
-
Tiberius
Military Leader, Emperor / 42 - 37
Tiberius was an ancient Roman emperor who ruled from year 14 to 37.
See full bio
(42-37)
Military Leader, Emperor
-
Titus
Military Leader, Political Leader, Emperor / 39 - 81
Titus was Roman Emperor from 79-81 AD who--during his short reign--completed the Colosseum and dealt with the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
See full bio
(39-81)
Military Leader, Political Leader, Emperor