The first woman to attempt to claim the English throne was Matilda, Henry I's daughter, while her daughter-in-law led a rebellion against her husband.

Isabella and Margaret were both young French girls and political pawns when they were married to English kings. See what each accomplished.

In 1553, the death of a 15-year-old boy caused an unprecedented political crisis. Edward VI was Henry VIII's only male heir. For the first time in English history, all the contenders for his crown were female: Lady Jane Grey, the staunchly Catholic Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I, who showed how capably and gloriously a woman could rule.