Sadly, there are way too many examples of girls who have had their choices overridden by males. This is also very clear when looking at the historical fight for female liberty. However, beside this heartbreaking truth, great inspiration can be taken from seeing women stand up for themselves and the voices and standards that stood in their way. Two of the most well known queens of the 16th and 17th century who did exactly this, are Queen Elizabeth I, and Queen Christina.
Elizabeth, also known as the “Virgin Queen”, was wholly dedicated to her country, and defied the men around her, who pressured her with a long list of errands a woman of her status was meant to check off. At the very top, of the utmost priority, was to extend the Tutor lineage. Of course, at the time of her taking the British throne in 1558. Now, neither this nor marriage slightly interested her.
Historians are in continuous discussion over the reasons as to why she never chose to marry, yet there seems to be a combination of factors. On the renowned podcast The Rest is History, historian (not the actor…) Tom Holland says that she must have had an “association of marriage with death” due to trauma from the execution of both her mother and step-mother. His colleague Dominic Sandbrook jumps in, saying that the most important reason is that it would lessen her authority and agency. Famously, the Queen herself argued that she already was betrothed; “I have already joined myself in marriage to a husband, namely the kingdom of England”. Elizabeth had a vision as to how to guide her country, and she could not risk it going any other way. Not only did she show immense self respect, she was also highly intellectual and strategic.
Christina of Sweden (Drottning Kristina), can be considered nothing short of a rebel. In the prime years of the Swedish Empire, Christina became queen in 1632 – only 6 years old. At the time, Sweden was a heavily protestant country which was her father, Gustav Vasa’s greatest mission. When her regency government ended and she was declared the official monarch in 1644, she faced the same to-do list as Queen Elizabeth I. And just like her, she refused to wed. Not only that, she did the unthinkable; abdicated and converted to catholicism in Rome, abandoning her father’s legacy. Several historians including Veronica Buckley in her book Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-89), note the alignment between the two women, and also reference Elizabeth I as a source of inspiration for Christina. Christina of Sweden is a also symbol of early pondering over identity. She said: “There are men who are as much women as their mothers, and women who are as much men as their fathers, for the soul has no gender.” Undoubtedly she faced criticism for her perspectives on identity and politics, yet that did not stop her from following her own passions, and staying true to herself.
There is no doubt that the two Queens were potent women who are remembered for their power and choices today.
Catherine de Medici is an early example of a politically steadfast woman, who insisted on holding and executing power to the best of her ability, even when she was not even on the throne. After her time as queen of France (1547-1559), she did not let the men around suppress her power, instead she stood by the following king’s side. Not only this, she also left a massive cultural legacy, which is partially as a result of her political objectives. As a form of propaganda, she instituted the “ballet de cours” and brought the originally Italian tradition to France, showing both her cultural interest and strategic diplomacy.
Lastly, another extraordinary woman is Ada Lovelace. Sadly, she is not nearly as well known as she deserves to be – especially with regard to how significant her work is for our lives today. Ada’s life span was less than 40 years, yet during this period at the start of the 19th century, she invented, and programmed the general machine computer system (Bernoulli numbers), that are the backbone of modern technologies like calculators, phones and computers. Known as the first computer programmer, her approach was, well, should I say feminine? She called it “poetical science”, showing a beautiful linkage between her philosophical thinking and impressive mathematical knowledge. She is thought to have discovered the Bernoulli numbers, but some critics, such as Dorothy Stein, have given this credit to a man, Charles Babbage. This shows the lasting biases that still affect women, and show the reason why it is so important to have a month that marks women as equally sufficient.
These women all show powerful attempts to remain in control, even when society was against them. They are early examples of the fight for female power in political and social contexts; refusing to let go, refusing to marry, refusing to conform. While the month of special female recognition has ended, it does not mean that the theme is something that can be disregarded. The force that lies in fighting for female power and agency is monumental, and it has to, and will, remain so.
