Today we celebrate Queen Elizabeth II becoming Britain’s longest ruling monarch. That’s right… as of today she has ruled for 63 years, 7 months and 2 days, edging out Queen Victoria. That equals a total of 23,226 days! This is all made even more impressive by the fact that she was never even meant to be Queen, but I’ll save that story for another post.
England and Britain have been ruled by a collection of impressive rulers in the past thousand years. Queen Elizabeth II is the nation’s 40th monarch since William the Conqueror in 1066, but only six of those rulers have been women. So few, and yet at least three of them frequently make people’s lists of the Greatest British Monarchs and just last week one of them was voted as the Best Monarch in History.
A few months back I wrote a post celebrating King Henry VIII where I described each of his six wives in terms fanboys & fangirl’s could understand. Today, to celebrate both Queen Elizabeth II and being a strong independent woman, let’s take a look at: A Fangirl’s Guide to Queen Elizabeth II and the other British Queens.
I have taken the liberty of sorting each Queen into their Hogwarts House, Game of Thrones Family, and Divergent Faction.
**If I felt like getting super in-depth, Lady Jane Grey (9 days in 1553) and Matilda, Lady of the English (208 days in 1141) could be included in this list. However, neither was officially declared Queen and I know very little about them, so they will be skipped.
Queen Mary I
Reign: 1553-1558
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Divergent Faction: The people trying to enforce the faction system
Game of Thrones Family: Targaryen (‘Mad King’ Aerys II )
Mary was the daughter of Catherine of Aragon and King Henry VIII. This poor girl was destined for a life of hardship from the start. For years her dad essentially pretended she didn’t exist (creating a healthy dosage of daddy issues). Her rule was tumultuous to say the least. She forced religion and foreign power on her subjects. Many see her as murderous and fearsome (she is remembered today as ‘Bloody Mary’) but instead I think Mary was stubborn, foolish and dealt a series of misfortunes. She tried to change too many opinions and beliefs too fast. She couldn’t understand the point of view of others and was rather misguided. I also think she may not have been completely mentally/emotionally balanced.
Mary was a Gryffindor, but not a heroic one. She was stubborn and reckless, and seemingly brave to the point of stupidity. I think she was a little lost. I don’t feel she fits into a Divergent faction, instead I think she was one of those enforcing the faction system outside the fence. She was determined to have things done a certain way and didn’t want things to change. Relating to Game of Thrones and playing on her ‘Bloody Mary’ title and probable mental instability, I think Mary can be compared to the ‘Mad King’ Aerys II Targaryen.
Queen Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
Reign: 1558-1603
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Divergent Faction: Abnegation
Game of Thrones Family: Targaryen (Rhaegar)
Queen Elizabeth I was the daughter of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. Elizabeth ruled for over 40 years and provided the stability the country greatly needed after her half-sister, Mary I’s rule. This period is known as the great Elizabethan age. As a ruler Elizabeth was a strong diplomat and devoted to her country. She was passionate and ambitious with sharp wits and a clever mind. After seeing the rise and fall of her father’s numerous royal marriages, Elizabeth did not want to share her power and instead dedicated herself to her country. She has become known as the Virgin Queen (but the question of her actual virginity is still debated).
Elizabeth was a strong and bold Gryffindor, a good Gryffindor. The Abnegation are the rulers of the Divergent world. I think a good Queen like Elizabeth would fit perfectly in this faction. She cared about her country and subjects and devoted herself to doing her job well. Sticking with the Targaryen family, I’m going to compare Elizabeth I to Rhaegar. Rhaegar never ascended to the throne, so he was denied a chance to successfully reign like Elizabeth did, but many believe Rhaegar could have been the great ruler Westeros needed, if only he’d been given the chance.
Queen Mary II
Reign: 1689-1694
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Divergent Faction: Amity
Game of Thrones Family: Tyrell (Mace)
Queen Mary II ruled as a joint monarch with her husband King William III. When they were both in England, William wielded most of the power however, Mary showed herself to be a powerful, loyal and effective ruler when he was away engage in military campaigns (which was quite often in later years). Mary was extremely pious and charitable. She was modest and many say her greatest virtue was her unwavering loyalty to William. Near the end of her life however, a fallout with her sister diminished her popularity.
I think Mary II was a perfect Hufflepuff, she was virtuous and loyal. She was outgoing and generally liked by the people. Mary funded schools and hospitals and developed the gardens at Hampton Court Palace. Mary was an Amity. I’m going to draw a comparison between Mary II and Mace Tyrell. Mace is in a position of high power, being the head of the Tyrell family, but is often overshadowed and never executes anything as well as his mother Olenna. Mary and William were joint rulers, but Mary was often overshadowed and never used her power unless William was away.
Queen Anne
Reign: 1702-1714
Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw
Divergent Faction: Erudite
Game of Thrones Family: Tyrell
Following the deaths of William and Mary, Mary’s sister Anne took the throne. Anne was shy and stubborn and quite different from her outgoing sister. She attended more cabinet meetings than any of her predecessors or successors and her reign is remembered today as one of stability and prosperity. Anne is largely remembered for being pregnant at least 17 times throughout her life and having only one child live past infancy, though he passed away when he was 11 (she’s also remembered for being really fat, but that’s mean).
Anne was a Ravenclaw. Unlike Mary II before her, Anne wanted to be involved in politics. She was smart and assertive and while sometimes influenced by her friends, her rule is remembered as one of success. She would also be an Erudite. She was smart, political and determined to rule. A lot of these traits point towards the Tyrell House. She was strategic, stuck to her principles and was able to get what she wanted (except for a healthy child) as a result.
Queen Victoria
Reign: 1837-1901
Hogwarts House: Huffepuff
Divergent Faction: Abnegation
Game of Thrones Family: Tyrell (Olenna)
Queen Victoria was never meant to be Queen, but (after today) is Britain’s second longest reigning monarch. Victoria’s reign has become known as the Victorian era; an era associated with Britain’s greatest age of industrial expansion, economic progress and expanded worldwide empire. Victoria was warmhearted and lively in her younger years. But after the death of her husband, Victoria fell into an expanded period of mourning. For 20 years she was rarely seen and she wore nothing but black for the rest of her reign (just a little extreme?).
I chose to make Victoria a Hufflepuff, though there is a case where she could be classified as a Gryffindor (perhaps a Gryffinpuff like KG?). Victoria was fiercely independent and when faced with dwindling direct political control, she worked to strengthen the monarchy. She was passionate and loyal to her country but was also exceptionally strong willed. Again, in being an excellent ruler, Victoria fits directly into the Abnegation faction. I chose to draw a comparison between Victoria and Olenna Tyrell. Olenna is known for her wits, being strong willed and fiercely loyal to her family and for getting things done. These are all traits I feel Queen Victoria also possessed. In fact, she was so committed and loyal to her family that she was able to put all nine of her children into successful marriages throughout Europe’s royal families!
Queen Elizabeth II
Reign: 1952-Present
Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff
Divergent Faction: Abnegation
Game of Thrones Family: Stark (Ned)
Elizabeth became Queen in 1952. The Britain at this time was a lot different than the one we see today as the country was still enduring rations and widespread hardships from WWII. Over the past 60 years this has shifted. Today Britain is culturally diverse, and women are often successful in the work force. Elizabeth’s main success can be seen in granting independence to former British colonies in Africa and the Carribbean. This smooth transition has resulted in over 40 new nations, many of which have chosen to remain in the British Commonwealth. Throughout her reign Elizabeth has been willing to adapt and meet the needs of an ever changing society. She has done this successfully and as a result maintained her position for over 6 decades.
Elizabeth is a perfect Hufflepuff and a perfect Abnegation. As previously mentioned, both exemplify the traits of a good Queen, especially as the role of Queen has changed over the years. Elizabeth II does not have to worry about being usurped and losing her crown. Today she can focus on charities and improving foreign relationships. The British Monarchy is experiencing an all time-high in popularity right now because of her (with some help from Will & Kate of course). In the Game of Thrones world she can be compared to Ned Stark. Ned was also everything a good ruler should be. If he didn’t have to worry about the constant threat to the King’s life behind the scenes, I think he could have lead Westeros into a new period of prosperity.
I love the Royal Family, but as much as I love the Queen and am super excited she made it to today I have to admit, I am very much ready for William to take the throne ❤️ .
Congratulations on your achievement Queen Elizabeth II, it’s well deserved.
I hope you enjoyed this look at the British Queens! Let me know what historical figures you’d like me to do next in the comments.
– Justine Alyssa
