Hey there …
I am an M.A. History Graduate from the University of Winchester (2024), who specialises in Global Medieval Queenship with a keen focus on female rulership in East Asia (China, Japan & Korea).
Whilst completing my studies, I realised that the easily accessible resources that existed for European Queenship were not shared by their counterparts from across the globe. And so during my studies, I struggled to find literature to access and support me in my research, and so whilst I alone cannot hope to rectify the imbalance, I hope the resources and materials here can help you and act as a starting point. A starting point, I know myself, around 5 years ago, I would have found incredibly helpful.
I also learnt that many of the Asian female rulers I came to love were unknown by many of my classmates and the people I knew. So this is also a way of me sharing my love for this topic with the world, and getting these women remembered again in History.
Past Research:
Current: MPhil/PhD Researcher
MA Thesis: The Power of Religious and Ideological Patronage: A Comparative Study of Medieval Regnant Queenship in Mediterranean Europe and East Asia
(focusing on: Seondeok and Jindeok Yeowang of Silla (Korea), Wu Zetian Huángdì of China, Kōken-Shōtoku Ten’nō of Japan, Tamar Mepe of Georgia, Melisende and Sybilla Regina of Jerusalem, Urrace la Reyna of Leon-Castille and finally Berenguela la Reyna of Castille).
BA Dissertation: ‘Hens Should Not Announce the Dawn’: A Study of the Rise, Fall and Legacy of Wu Zetian
Other Research:
Queens in Modern Popular Culture 3 Episode roundtable:
Asian Queenship 