Celebrating Womanhood: The Princesses Who Would be Queen. And The World's Most Powerful Women


Somewhere in the world, women are still considered weak and incapable of leading an organization or nation. 

They thought women lacked capability to rise above the occasion when confronted by problems. They thought women cannot match the energy of men in leading the country into prosperity or withstand any form of crisis.

Even in today's modern age, gender equality is still a problem. 

Leaders in the countries that are generation behind still refused to consider women a dominating force in building a stronger economy or a prosperous society. 

Misogynists continue to discredit women's capability to excel in a socially-constructed role and responsibility, especially in politics and world stage.

Recently, the Philippine president, known for his misogynistic view against women, drew flack over his careless comment that women are not fit for the presidency due to its emotional setup. 

This, despite the fact that the country has two previous women presidents, one of whom had appointed him as a city mayor in 1987.

Is woman really weak in handling state crisis? History would tell us otherwise.

Powerful women in history

Some of the world's most prominent nations were ruled/governed by powerful women. They helped shaped history with their charisma, intelligence, power, strength and leadership. 

In the 16th century, it was not the son that King Henry VIII desperately desired to stabilize England torn by political crisis and instability, but it was a daughter from a wife he first sent to the block.

The Iron Lady. Margaret Thatcher, former British Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom known for her strong stance in the foreign policy. Her first score of victory against a foreign nation was through the Falkland wars versus Argentina, where Prince Andrew, the second son of the Queen, served as a war pilot.

She earned the title, Iron Lady, due to her steadfastness, strength and the power she yielded during her term. She was the first female Prime Minister of Britain and the longest to have ever served, from the 1970s to the 1990s.

Queen Elizabeth I, known as The Great and the Virgin Queen because she never married, ushered England to the Golden Age where economy and culture flourished. She defeated Spain over its plan to invade England. 

She was King Henry VIII's only child with Anne Boleyn, his second wife. Elizabeth I was the last in the Tudor dynasty. Her reign was so successful in domestic and international scenes, it was dubbed as "The Elizabethan Era".

Queen Victoria's reign was so massive and definitive, introducing many reforms and abolishing slavery in the British colonies, her reign was known as "The Victorian Era".

During her reign, Britain earned the reputation as a super power nation and has the largest Navy in the world. She was the last monarch of the British empire. After her death, it reduced to just a kingdom.

Catherine "The Great" also led Russia into prosperity, acquiring more lands, wealth and building an empire "at which the sun never sets". During her reign, Russia flourished both in culture, economy, literary and art.

Who could forget Joan of Arc? The maiden of New Orleans in France who led the French army during Hundred Years of Wars, defeating the mighty English troops.

Indira Gandhi, the first and only woman Prime Minister of India who led a war against Pakistan, prompting the creation of Bangladesh, was a powerful figure in the world of politics.

Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the wife of the last Holy Roman Emperor, Francis II, and the mother of Queen Marie Antoinette of France, was one of the medieval Europe's most powerful Heads of State. She reigned for 40 years, controlling a larger part of Europe.

Queen Elizabeth II. The current monarch of Britain is the world's longest-serving monarch and head of state. She has been on the British throne since 1952, and at 94, she showed no signs of relaxing and backing out. 

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of the UK

Though her role is largely ceremonial. Her power is formidable. She can forgive offenders, the British military's swear of allegiance is not to the country but to her. Passport is issued under her name. She can dissolve the parliament, and can declare war!

The Absolute Succession

Today, most constitutional monarchies in Europe have a female heiress. This is due to the abolition of the male-preference primogeniture law of succession, replacing it with absolute succession where an eldest child of the monarch or heir, irrespective of gender, will be the heir-apparent.


Danish royal family

Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Norway, The Netherlands, and Sweden, all adopted this change. Spain has yet to adopt the absolute succession but with King Felipe VI's children who are all girls, the Spanish parliament has no time to rush such change of laws.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and the Principality of Monaco retained the male-preference primogeniture succession while the Principality of Liechtenstein is still practicing a Salic Law, which means, only male successors are given rights to succeed.

The Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
 with their son, Prince Charles

There's no reason to hurry for the switch since all its heirs are males. Luxembourg has two male heirs in succession, Prince Guillaume, the Hereditary Grand Duke, and his son, Prince Charles.

Liechtenstein also has two male successors, Prince Alois and his son Prince Joseph Wenzel. While Monaco has a male heir, Prince Jacques. 

Prince Albert of Monaco and his twins,
Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques

Britain and Denmark will have to wait longer to have another regnant queen as two heirs in direct succession to the throne are all males. Prince Charles, Prince William and his son, Prince George for the British throne. Prince Frederick and Prince Christian for the Danish throne.

The Princesses who would be Queen!

Due to the change in the law of succession, five princesses will rise someday as European Queens, and one heir-presumptive.

Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden

The princess (born in 1977), who is also titled the Duchess of Vastergotland, is the future Queen regnant of Sweden. She made crown princess on January 1, 1980. 

Victoria, the crown princess of Sweden

The country was the first in Europe to adopt the Absolute Succession law in 1979. It took effect in 1980, disinheriting Victoria's younger brother, Prince Carl Philip.

Her father, King Carl XVI Gustav, has been on the Swedish throne since 1973. If she would be queen someday, Princess Victoria will be the first Swedish regnant queen since the 18th century.

As part of her trainings as future monarch, she attends the regular Advisory Council of Foreign Affairs and the information council with the government ministers headed by her father, the king.

Princess Elisabeth, the Duchess of Brabant

She was born in 2001 as the eldest child of then Prince Philip, Duke of Brabant, and Princess Mathilde, Duchess of Brabant. Now, 19 years old, the princess is slowly embracing her very public life by undergoing trainings expected for a head of state.

Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant

She became a Belgian heir-apparent in 2013 when her grandfather, King Albert II, abdicated in favor of her father, now King Philippe.

She earned an international baccalaureate degree from UWC Atlantic College in Wales, England and went on to train under the Belgian Military Academy in May 2000.

Princess Elisabeth has four younger siblings, Prince Gabriel, Prince Emmanuel and Princess Eleonore.

Princess Catharina-Amalia, the Hereditary Princess of Orange

Princess Amalia is the eldest among the three daughters of King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Maxima. She earned the Hereditary Princess of Orange title in 2013 upon the abdication of her grandmother, Queen Beatrix.

Princess Catharina-Amalia

She was born on December 7, 2003 at a hospital in The Hague. We know little information about Princess Amalia as she does not take public roles at the moment.

She is currently studying at the Sorghvliet in The Hague where her sister, Princess Alexia, also attended since the summer of 2017.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

The princess is the eldest child of Prince Haakon, the crown prince of Norway and the heir-apparent of King Harald V. She was born on January 21, 2004. And currently second-in-line of succession to the Norwegian throne.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway

If she would be queen, Princess Ingrid Alexandra will be the second Queen regnant of Norway since Queen Margaret in the 15th century.

Norway gained its independence from Sweden in 1905. The throne then offered to Prince Carl of Denmark, son of King Frederick VIII of Denmark.

His wife was Princess Maud, youngest daughter of King Edward VII of Britain and Princess Alexandra of Denmark (Alexandra, Frederick VIII, King George I of Greece and Empress Marie of Russia were siblings). They had an only child who became King Olav V in 1957.

King Olav V of Norway and King George VI of Britain were first cousins. With this blood connection, King Harald V is the second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain and third cousin of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Princess Ingrid Alexandra is a goddaughter of Princess Victoria of Sweden, Prince Frederick, the crown prince of Denmark, and King Felipe VI of Spain. She served as one of the bridesmaids of Princess Victoria in her 2010 wedding to Daniel Westling.

Leonor, the Princess of Asturias

Born on October 31, 2005, in Madrid, Spain, Princess Leonor is the eldest child of King Felipe VI of Spain and Queen Letezia. She has a younger sibling, Infanta Sofia.

Leonor, Princess of Asturias

Her father became a Spanish monarch in 2014 when her grandfather, King Juan Carlos abdicated the throne due to poor health.

Her grandparents, King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, are all relatives to most of the European royals and cousins of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, King Harald V of Norway and King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden. Through Queen Sofia she is a great niece to the deposed king of Greece, Constantine II.

Due to age, Princess Leonor is still not doing public engagement but regularly accompanying her parents on special occasions of the state. She had also given her first public speech in 2019.

If she would be queen someday, Princess Leonor will be the first Queen regnant of Spain since Queen Isabella II in the 19th century.

She descended from the most powerful royal houses in Europe: Bourbon (France), Hapsburg (Austria), Windsor (Britain), Glucksburg (Denmark) and Romanov (Russia).

Today's successful women as Heads of State

There are current world leaders who are women. And most of these female heads of state outperformed male presidents and prime minsters combating the COVID-19 problem.

Jacinda Ardern

She is the current Prime Minister of New Zealand and has been famous with her successful campaign fighting coronavirus in her country.

Prime Minister Jacinta Ardern

She is the current leader of the Labour Party, a political party in New Zealand. During her term as the country's Prime Minister, Ardern passed through difficult times.  The worst-ever terror attack, the deadly volcanic eruption and the pandemic.

She received praises in the international stage however, with her country's successful fight against COVID- 19.

Tsai Ing-Wen

She is currently serving as Taiwan's seventh president. Though China continuously refused to grant Taiwan its autonomy and continues to refer it as its province, Taiwan is recognized in the world stage as an independent country.

President Tsai Ing-Wen of Taiwan

Tsai is a lawyer by profession and studied international trade at the prestigious London School of Economics. She was elected into office in May 2016.

Under her leadership during the coronavirus crisis in 2020, Taiwan successfully prevented the worst spread of COVID-19 in its territory despite having territorial connection with China were the virus originated.

Unlike its male counterpart, these two world leaders successfully led its nations in suppressing the spread of COVID-19 in its respective territories.

Angela Merkel-Sauer

Merkel is the first female Chancellor of Germany, therefore its first female head of government. She was elected into office in 2005.

Angela Merkel-Sauer

During her leadership, she successfully reshaped Germany's economy and stirred back from financial crisis into growth, making it the largest economy in Europe. 

She is a strength behind the European Union and the yielded power in the world's political scene. Currently, she consistently topped the list as world's most powerful woman.

She obtained a degree in Physics and Physical Chemistry and has a doctoral degree in Quantum Chemistry. And worked as a Quantum chemist and scientist before joining politics.

In November 2018 however, she stepped down as head of the Christian Democratic union and announced she would not seek reelection in 2021.


Let's celebrate womanhood! 

Let's acknowledge the great contribution of women in improving the lives and the society. Let's appreciate its great leadership and unique strength. 

Unlike the belief of misogynists that women cannot take highest role in the government or state due to its emotional setup, the past and current women world leaders will tell them a different story.

To our future Queens of Europe, wishing you all the best! 

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