31 January 2024

Queens of Britain Series: Boudica

Welcome to the Queens of Britain series. In 2024, the blog will spotlight a different reigning queen from the island of Great Britain. Check back each month to learn about the women who led their nations.

Boadicea and Her Daughters, statue by Thomas Thornycraft
Image by Luke McKernan via Wikimedia Commons
The Celtic queen raises her spear and commands her rearing horses toward the Palace of Westminster. Behind her, her ravaged daughters kneel on the armed chariot, urging their mother toward revenge. The trio seems to thrust out of their bronze casing still seeking justice for their people. 

Boadicea and Her Daughters, a sculpture by Thomas Thornycraft, has stood across the Thames facing the center of British power since 1902, but their story stretches deep into British history and folklore to a moment in time when it was Britain that was under the foot of a foreign imperial conqueror and a mere woman pushed back against the might of Rome.

Long before English was a language, the Queen of the Iceni tribe in East Anglia was a woman called Boudica or Boadicea or Buddug. However you choose to spell her name today, it is synonymous with British national pride. Every schoolchild learns her story. 

Boudica ruled jointly with her husband King Prasutagus. At that time, in the first century, Britain was divided among various tribes. The Iceni controlled a large area that today is identified as Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. A fierce warrior people, they trained their women as well as their men to fight with weapons.

As the Romans ran roughshod over Britons, they kept the powerful Prasutagus as an ally. This far north of Rome's power base, it was easier for the Empire to have some client-kings who would do their bidding when required in exchange for limited autonomy. During the king's lifetime the Iceni were left in peace and they were also disarmed. With only daughters to succeed him, Prastagus wanted to ensure the safety of his people after his death. He decided the best way to do this would be make Roman Emperor Nero co-heir with the girls. Nero would receive half his kingdom while his daughters kept the other half.

Whether Boudica agreed with this bright idea or bitterly discouraged her husband is lost to history. However, it was Boudica and her daughters who had to face the consequences. The Romans did not recognize female inheritance or property ownership. Once the king died, the Roman military governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus absorbed the Iceni territories into the Roman province of Britannia and unleashed his armies to raid and plunder the villages. They also required the Iceni to repay loans they had received from previous Roman leaders. Boudica objected, believing that their service to Rome had been their repayment. 

To add terror to the violence, the Romans publicly raped Boudica's virgin daughters and they flogged the queen herself.

Boudica was not terrified. She was enraged and determined to have her revenge. Taking advantage of Suetonius' absence while he was fighting the Welsh and far-ranging scattering of other Roman troops, she organized the combined forces of the Iceni, the Trinobantes, and other British tribes to rebel against the imperial overlords. The 120,000 Britons first attacked the Roman colony at Camulodunum (now Colchester), where the Britons had been forced to finance and build a temple to Emperor Claudius. Their resounding victory and slaughter of all Romans at the site caused Suetonius to rush to Londinium, the modern site of London, but he soon realized he would be unable to defend it. He abandoned the post leaving a just a detachment of the Ninth Legion to face the onslaught of Boudica and her allies. She defeated the mighty Romans and burned both Londinium and Verulamium (the modern site of St. Albans), located 25 miles away. As many as 80,000 were killed by the rebelling Britons. Roman historian Cassius Dio later reported that women's breasts were cut off and sewn to their mouths by rejoicing by the victors.

Despite being heavily outnumbered, Suetonius gathered 10,000 troops in the Midlands and prepared for the attack from a British force estimated to have grown to 230,000. Boudica drove her war chariot with her daughters around her gathered army. According to legend, she exhorted the men to "win the battle or perish." And, perish they did. Despite their massive numbers, the Britons were lightly armed and took a strategically poor position in a narrow gorge with their supply wagons blocking any retreat. They fell prey to Rome's military superiority, which included javelins and cavalry, and experience. The Romans were able to trap the rebels and brutally slaughter tens of thousands of them. Tacitus recorded that the Romans did not even spare women or the animals pulling the wagons. The Queen (and probably her daughters) died soon thereafter, perhaps from suicide by poisoning. 

The ferocity and early success of the rebellion nearly led Rome to abandon Britain. Their shame was all the greater because they had been brought to their knees by a woman--in Rome, women were not permitted a public life of any kind, much less to be trained as warriors. However, Suetonius' ultimate victory guaranteed the success of the occupation, which continued another 350 years until Rome itself was falling.

Over the two millennia since she nearly drove the Romans out of Britain, Boudica has been a powerful symbol of the British people, even as the makeup of those people changed over the centuries. She has been celebrated as cultural icon across the centuries and even served as a rallying point for the suffragettes in the early 20th century. 

Interestingly, Boudica (by any of its various spellings) may not have been the Queen's personal name. It may instead have been a title. According to some linguists, it likely mean "victorious". 

Queens of Britain Series

Boudica, Queen of the Iceni 
Empress Matilda - coming in March 2024
Margaret Maid of Norway - coming in April 2024
Lady Jane - coming in May 2024
Queen Mary I - coming in June 2024
Queen Elizabeth I - coming in July 2024
Mary Queen of Scots - coming in August 2024
Queen Mary II - coming in September 2024
Queen Anne - coming in October 2024
Queen Victoria - coming in November 2024
Queen Elizabeth II - coming in December 2024

MORE ABOUT BOUDICA
11 Facts About Boudica, Warrior Queen of the Iceni on Mental Floss
The Ancient Sources for Boudica on Warwick Classics Network
Boudica on English History
Boudica on Historic UK
Boudica on Warwick Classics Network
Boudica & Britain in The Roman Empire on PBS
Boudica: A British Queen, Mother, Warrior, and Folk Hero on The Curious Rambler
Boudica: Celtic War Queen Who Challenged Rome on History Net
Boudica: The Headhunter Queen on Rejected Princesses
Boudica and the Iceni Revolt on Roman Britain
Boudica: Queen, Mother, Warrior, Folk Hero on Medium
Boudica: scourge of the Roman empire on History Extra
Boudica and The Slaughter at Camulodunum on Historic UK
Boudica: Warrior Queen on Honey Grail
Boudica the warrior queen on aeon
Boudica: Warrior queen of the Iceni on LiveScience
Boudica's Revolt: When Britannia's Warrior Queen Took on Rome on The Collector
Boudicca: The Celtic Queen Who Unleashed Fury on the Romans on Ancient Origins
The Celtic Queen Boudica as a Historiographical Narrative by Rachel L. Chenault
Queen Boudica on Study
Queen Boudica, A Life in Legend on History Today
Who Was Boudica? on History
Who was the Celtic warrior Queen Boudica, and what did she look like? on Royalty Now

21 January 2024

Meet Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

Photo: Ida Bjørvik, The Norwegian Royal Court
In 1905, the Norwegian people voted in favor of having Prince Carl of Denmark to become King of the newly independent nation. Just over a century later, his great-great granddaughter is entering into adulthood and preparing to one day be the country's first Queen in the modern era. 

Born on January 21, 2004, Princess Ingrid Alexandra is the oldest child of Crown Prince Haakon Magnus and the former Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby. The King of Spain, the King of Denmark, and the Crown Princess of Sweden are among her godparents. She has an older half-brother by her mother, Marius Borg Hoiby, and a younger brother, Prince Sverre Magnus. While her grandfather, King Harald V remains on the throne, Ingrid Alexandra is second in line to the throne after her father. Unlike most of the other future Queens Regnant in Europe, she is not yet in the heir's spot. This may afford her a little more breathing room as she explores her future.

Like most Norwegians, Ingrid Alexandra is friendly, sporty, and outdoorsy. Her family has taken her hiking, skiing, and surfing around the world. Like many people of her generation, she also has a keen interest in environmental issues. Some of her first official engagements have focused on this area, including christening both a sea rescue boat and sea research vessel, which was named for her father. 

Having completed her secondary education in 2023 and then worked school assistant and environmental worker, Princess Ingrid Alexandra began 12 months of military training in 2024 with the Engineer Battalion of Norway's only combat brigade. If she follows in the footsteps of most modern future Kings and Queens, she will like complete an undergraduate University program and may complete more military duties before embarking on full-time royal duties. 

So far, her biggest moment in the spotlight was the gala celebration for her 18th birthday. A tiaras-and-tails event, it was attended by many of the other young monarchs-in-waiting: Prince Christian of Denmark, Princess Cathrina Amalia Princess of Orange, Princess Elisabeth Duchess of Brabant, and Princess Estelle of Sweden (who, like Ingrid Alexandra) is number two in line for her throne. The princess's big present for the occasion (besides wearing a tiara for the first timer) was her own office at the Palace in Oslo. She was also awarded the Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav and was created a Dame of the Royal Family Order of King Harald, her grandfather. Denmark marked the occasion by making her a Knight of the Order of the Elephant.

In her 18th birthday interview, Princess Ingrid Alexandra shared her love for her brothers and her cousins. She has an optimistic view for the future, but likes to keep her private life private. She will likely continue to travel and explore nature to ground herself. As she said, "It is nature that gives you peace and control. When you speed down into the woods on skiis, when you surf far out there alone, then you are fearless."

MORE ABOUT INGRID ALEXANDRA
Princess Ingrid Alexandra: Future Queen of Norway on Life in Norway
Princess Ingrid Alexandra Now Has Her Own Office on Right Royal Roundup
Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway on Royal Watcher
HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway's 18th Birthday on A Royal Heraldry
Princess Ingrid Alexandra marks one dream off bucket list on Royal Central
Princess Ingrid Alexandra's 18th Birthday on The Royal Watcher
The Royal Grad on Sons of Norway

14 January 2024

A New Queen Mary

Queen Mary of Denmark
Photo by Hasse Nielsen

Europe's Queens Consort gained a new soror with the accession of King Frederik X of Denmark on January 14, 2024. None of today's consorts were born into royalty. Only one, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, was even born into the nobility. Two were not born in the countries they now help to lead: Queen Silvia of Sweden was born in Germany while The Netherlands' Queen Maxima hails from Argentina. Most of them come from the workaday world of modern women: Silvia was a translator, Maxima a banker, Mathilde a speech therapist, Queen Letizia of Spain a television journalist, and Queen Sonja of Norway a designer and dressmaker.

The new queen has come farther than all the others. Today's Queen of Denmark was born more than 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) away from Denmark. Although her parents were of Scottish descent, she was thoroughly Australian. Her father, John Donaldson, was a math professor and her mother, the former Henrietta Horne, was an executive assistant, both working at the University of Tasmania. When they named their youngest child for her grandmothers, they gave her the very regal name of Mary Elizabeth, without having any thought of her ever becoming the latest in a long line of Queens named Mary (or Marie/Maria) across Europe. 

Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born on February 5, 1972, just three weeks after her future mother-in-law became Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. The hospital where she made her first appearance was named for her future husband's great-great-great aunt, Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom, who had been Princess Alix of Denmark. As a very young child, Mary briefly lived with in Texas in the United States, while her dad worked at the Johnson Space Center. The family soon returned to Tasmania, where she would earn a combined Bachelor's degree in commerce and law. Before going on to a graduate program in advertising. Her career in marketing a communications took her to Melbourne, Edinburgh, and Sydney. During the Sydney Olympics in 2000, her flatmate invited her along for an evening out with her friend, Felipe. Felipe brought along his first cousins Nikolaos, Joachim, and Frederik and more distant cousin named Martha Louise. In her Cinderella moment, Mary did not know that she was meeting the future King of Spain, a Prince of Greece, two Princes of Denmark, and Princess of Norway!

Mary and "Fred" clicked immediately, as Mary described it. "It wasn't the fireworks in the sky or anything like that, but there was a since of excitement." Fred planned to stay in Australia for a little while but did not reveal his true identity until after they dated for a bit. Unfortunately, his Australian interlude was cut short by the final illness and death of his beloved grandmother, Queen Ingrid, who had been born a Swedish princess. However, Frederik could not stay parted from Mary for long. He made several secret trips to visit her before the press finally caught wind of the romance over a year later. By then, plans were already in place for Mary to move to Europe. She took a job teaching English at a business school in France. She had learned French as a second language in school but she soon needed to learn a third language. As quickly as she could, she moved to Copenhagen in Denmark, took a job with Microsoft Business Solutions, and enrolled in Danish classes. 

A year later, Frederik's mother, Queen Margrethe II, gave the couple official permission to marry. Frederik presented Mary with a ruby and diamond engagement ring, representing the colors of the Danish flag. They married on May 14, 2004. Unlike other royal brides, Mary opted to have adult bridesmaids, choosing her instead to have her two older sisters, Jane and Patricia, and her best friend from back home, Amber Petty. The wedding party did include children: Mary's three nieces, Frederik's cousin's son, and his nephew Prince Nikolai (now Count Nikolai, who is now a model currently living and working in Australia).

The couple soon built a family with four children. The new Crown Prince Christian was born in 2005, Princess Isabella in 2007, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine in 2011. The names of her younger children were all surprises, with very little to no precedents in the Danish Royal Family. Christian's name, however, was a pretty sure bet. The Danish kings had alternated between Frederiks and Christians for generations. When Margrethe succeeded her father, King Frederik IX, she said she had taken the place of Christian, which is why she named her oldest son Frederik. Mary and Frederik simply followed the tradition. 

Photo by European Commission via Wikimedia
As Crown Princess, Mary took on a wide range of patronages in health care, sport, fashion, culture, humanitarian work, anti-bullying, and science. She serves the World Health Organization's anti-obesity program and is a Patron of the United Nations Population Fund, which is focused on maternal health across the globe. She is also an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ community. Her own Mary Foundation launched in 2007 with money raised as wedding gifts to her and Frederik from across Denmark and Greenland. It focuses on issues like that can isolate people, including the environment or illness.

Mary is popular in her new homeland. Several places have been named for her there, including Mary Elizabeth's Hospital for children, teens, and expectant mothers at the national hospital in Copenhagen and Mary's Australian Garden at the Copenhagen Zoo. The Zoo had received four Tasmanian devils from Mary's native Tasmania in honor of her wedding in 2004. Their Australia collection has grown to include wallabies, kangaroos, and wombats.

Mary's ties to Australia have remained strong. She travels there for private holidays as often as she can, enabling her children with Frederik to connect with their Australian family and heritage. She and the twins even completed the Harbour Bridge climb in Sydney at the end of 2023.

With four teenagers at home and Christian heading to university in the fall, Queen Mary has a very full plate. The pride she feels for her family was apparent as they joined the newly proclaimed King Frederik X on the balcony. Then, the couple who will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in May, shared a loving kiss before the exuberant crowd. These two were born on opposite sides of the planet and yet they found each other. Their future together seems as bright as it ever has been. Long live the newest Queen Mary!

The new King Frederik and Queen Mary on the balcony after his proclamation
Screenshot of the livestream from DR1