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From poisonings to massacres, these royal women wrote their names in blood! Join us as we count down the most ruthless, power-hungry, and deadly queens who terrorized their kingdoms. From Marie Antoinette's decadent indifference to Ranavalona's genocide, these monarchs ruled with iron fists and icy hearts.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're looking at the most vile and depraved queens throughout
00:11human history.
00:12What will it be, Your Majesty?
00:15Do we live?
00:18Or do we die?
00:20Number 20, Marie Antoinette.
00:22This is ridiculous.
00:25This, madame, is Versailles.
00:29Often remembered for the infamous phrase, let them eat cake, which she likely never
00:33said, but whatever, Marie Antoinette became a hated symbol of France's inequality and
00:39royal excess.
00:40While not as bloodthirsty as others on this list, her decadence in the face of widespread
00:44famine and poverty made her appear cruelly indifferent.
00:48She spent lavishly on balls, jewelry, and the extravagant Petit Trainon estate, and all
00:54while ordinary citizens starved around her.
00:57Her stubborn refusal to reform and seeming disdain for the suffering public helped ignite
01:02the French Revolution.
01:03Seen by her people as the embodiment of aristocratic arrogance, Antoinette's downfall was sealed
01:08by her own image as an uncaring and out-of-touch queen.
01:12You thought of me as something quite wonderful, didn't you?
01:16But instead you found an empty-headed, ill-mannered little fool.
01:19Number 19, Empress Dowager Tucci.
01:22How small you are.
01:25Are you afraid of me?
01:29Everyone is.
01:30Tucci ruled China from behind the throne for nearly five decades, consolidating power with
01:36cunning ruthlessness.
01:37She seized control after a coup, and like Marie before her, Tucci's reign was marked by
01:43lavish spending on her own lifestyle while the Qing dynasty crumbled around her.
01:48She infamously mismanaged the Boxer Rebellion, secretly supporting anti-foreign militias that
01:54led to massive bloodshed and humiliation for China.
01:58Critics also claim that she diverted naval funds to build a marble pleasure boat instead
02:03of strengthening the fleet, contributing to China's ultimate defeat by Japan.
02:08Known for scheming, manipulation, and political purges, Tucci has gone down in history as one
02:14of China's most feared empresses.
02:16But the Emperor is on high, riding the dragon now.
02:24He died today.
02:28Number 18, Elfrith.
02:30High up, this party's dry.
02:41Good.
02:43Knees washing down.
02:44Also known as Elfrida, Elfrith was the wife of King Edgar of England and stepmother to
02:50Edward the Martyr, and she is often remembered as one of medieval England's most heinous queens.
02:55Chroniclers accused her of plotting her own stepson's murder in 978, clearing the way for
03:01her own son to inherit the throne.
03:03Whether she did or not, the suspicions cemented her image as a scheming and power-hungry figure.
03:08Monastic writers, hostile to her influence, betrayed Elfrith as a warning against female
03:14ambition and corruption.
03:16Today, her legacy remains controversial.
03:18Some historians see her as a victim of misogynistic propaganda, while others uphold her as an early
03:24example of political manipulation at court, shaping the archetype of the treacherous medieval
03:29queen.
03:30Number 17, Catherine the Great.
03:45So, this is little Sophie.
03:47Sophia Frederica.
03:49Hardly a name for a future empress.
03:51You don't like your name, do you?
03:52I do, your imperial majesty.
03:56You will be called Catherine Alexina, a good Russian name.
03:59Despite her reputation as an enlightened despot, Catherine the Great's ruthless climb to power
04:04and iron-fisted rule earned her a spot here.
04:07She came to the throne after orchestrating the coup and possible assassination of her own
04:12husband, Tsar Peter III.
04:15Catherine also constantly rewarded nobles in the face of serfdom, when peasants were often
04:20bound to the land under horrific conditions.
04:22She also crushed rebellions like Pugachev's revolts with brutal efficiency, executing thousands.
04:29Though she modernized Russia in some respects, Catherine's reign was marked by manipulation,
04:34political purges, and cold ambition.
04:36Her charm and intelligence masked the fact that she secured her power through betrayal,
04:41and sustained it through oppression.
04:43My dear, I am about to seize the throne of Russia.
04:52What on earth shall I wear?
04:54Number 16.
04:56Cleopatra VII.
04:57Take this to him as my answer.
05:02Egyptian generosity.
05:04Octavian may have two heads for the price of one.
05:08Either two or none.
05:12Cleopatra is often romanticized in pop culture, but behind the legend lies a cunning and ruthless
05:18queen.
05:18She secured her throne in Egypt by allegedly poisoning her brother-husband, Ptolemy XIV,
05:24and eliminating her sister, Arsinoe, to remove personal rivals.
05:29Considered a master manipulator, Cleopatra used people, most famously Julius Caesar and later
05:35Mark Antony, to strengthen her own rule.
05:37Her ambitions and misguided political maneuvering helped bring devastation to her kingdom, and
05:43countless people died as a result of her pursuits.
05:46Though undeniably brilliant, Cleopatra was willing to sacrifice family, subjects, and allies
05:52alike to maintain her power, leaving behind a legacy as both seductress and schemer.
05:58Would the proud citizens of Rome wait for hours in the hot sun to see my dead body drag through
06:05the forum?
06:06Number 15.
06:07Teuta.
06:08Queen Teuta of the Ardei is often remembered as an evil queen, thanks largely to contemporary
06:13Roman accounts, which were a we-biased.
06:17After her husband's death, Teuta acted as regent, aggressively expanding Illyrian power
06:23through piracy in the Adriatic.
06:25When Roman envoys demanded she curb these attacks, one was murdered, fueling Rome's
06:31justification for the First Illyrian War.
06:34Ancient sources, mostly hostile Roman writers, painted her as a cruel and arrogant woman who
06:39threatened the very fabric of Mediterranean trade.
06:42However, some modern historians view her as a capable leader defending her people's
06:47independence.
06:47Today, her legacy is mixed, vilified in Roman histories, yet celebrated in Albania as a
06:54symbol of resistance and female strength.
06:56You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of.
07:00But you have heard of me.
07:02Number 14.
07:03Queen Jezebel.
07:04After they finally put Blunky the Queen behind bars and I was rid of him, I went wild.
07:09I was running around, drinking, smoking, Jezebel.
07:14Few queens in history carry a reputation as dark as Jezebel's.
07:18A Phoenician princess who became queen of Israel, she promoted the worship of Baal over
07:23the Hebrew god, defying tradition and enraging her subjects.
07:28But Jezebel's evil reputation stems from her cruelty.
07:31She orchestrated the murder of prophets, plotted the judicial killing of Naboth to seize his vineyard,
07:36and ruthlessly manipulated her husband, King Ahab.
07:39She later became a notable figure in the Bible, which portrays her as the embodiment of idolatry
07:45and wickedness.
07:46And her violent death, thrown from a window, trampled by horses, and then devoured by dogs,
07:52was regarded as sheer divine justice.
07:55Jezebel remains history's archetype of the evil queen.
07:58Number 13, Queen Kristina of Sweden.
08:07Spoils, glory, flags and trumpets.
08:11What is behind these high-sounding words?
08:15Death and destruction.
08:17Triumphals of crippled men.
08:19Sweden victorious in a ravaged Europe.
08:22An island in a dead sea.
08:24Queen Kristina was brilliant, but notoriously unstable, ruling Sweden with both cruelty and whimsy.
08:31Raised as a king rather than a queen, Kristina often displayed erratic behavior, like allegedly
08:37mocking her subjects, fiercely rejecting political counsel, and indulging in bizarre extravagances.
08:43She also ordered the brutal execution of her courtier, Monaldeski, which took place at the
08:48Palace of Fontainebleau in France.
08:50Her arbitrary governance alienated her people, and she eventually abdicated for both personal
08:55and religious reasons.
08:57Though remembered for her intellect and eccentricity, Kristina's reckless abuse of power and chilling
09:02cruelty toward those closest to her earned her a reputation for evil.
09:07Any lie will find believers as long as you tell it with force enough.
09:11Number 12, Queen Livia Drusilla.
09:13She's very presentable.
09:15As ordered.
09:16Impeccable family.
09:17Young.
09:18Healthy.
09:19Proven fertility.
09:20How many children?
09:21Just the one.
09:23A son, Tiberius.
09:27Introduce me.
09:28The wife of Emperor Augustus, Livia Drusilla was ancient Rome's most powerful woman, and
09:34perhaps its most devious.
09:35Ancient sources accuse Livia of poisoning rivals, and even orchestrating the deaths of
09:41Augustus' heirs to ensure the secession of her son Tiberius.
09:45Tacitus and Cassius Dio paint Livia as a master manipulator, working in the shadows while
09:51presenting a facade of virtue.
09:53Her influence extended for decades, as she skillfully eliminated obstacles to her power,
09:58possibly even hastening Augustus' own death.
10:01Although this might only be a rumor.
10:02Although some historians argue that her evil reputation is exaggerated, or just outright
10:08false, Livia endures as a symbol of cold-blooded ambition and lethal political scheming.
10:14And who is this sweet creature?
10:15This is Livia, daughter of Livius Drusus Claudianus.
10:19I'm going to marry her.
10:21How nice.
10:23Welcome to the family.
10:25I'm glad to make your acquaintance.
10:27Number 11, Empress Dowager Liu.
10:30After the death of her husband, Emperor Gaozoo, Liu seized power as regent and unleashed a
10:35reign of cruelty unlike anything the country had seen before.
10:39She is infamous for her sadistic treatment of rivals.
10:42Perhaps her most famous kill is that of Consort Chi, whom she had viciously mutilated,
10:48poisoned, and then thrown alive into a pigsty, calling her Human Swine.
10:53Yes, her ruthless manipulations secured her family's dominance, but at the cost of unimaginable
10:59suffering, Empress Dowager Liu's mix of political brilliance and sheer brutality make her one
11:04of history's most definitive evil queens.
11:07Number 10, Empress Chao Fein.
11:10Heading back to the Han Dynasty, Chao Fein and her sister Chao Heda were born imperial servants,
11:16but both rose through the ranks to become favored consorts of Emperor Cheng.
11:20Fein became Empress, but as neither her nor her sister bore Cheng an imperial heir,
11:26they reportedly went to great and grisly lengths to ensure that no other concubine could produce a
11:31son, from forced abortions to infanticide. Upon Cheng's death, Chao Heda took her own life,
11:38while Chao Fein clung to power for a further five years, until she too took her own life at 31.
11:45Number 9, Olga of Kiev.
11:47A princess who became a saint, Olga probably has a better reputation than most on today's
11:53countdown, but she also led one of the most brutal revenge missions ever.
11:57In the year 945, her husband Igor of Kiev was killed by his enemies, the Drevlians.
12:03So Olga hatched various schemes to settle the score. She had 20 Drevlian messengers buried alive.
12:09She had another delegation of 20 burned to death. She attended a Drevlian feast,
12:14and oversaw the slaughter of 5,000 more. And she supposedly burned down an entire city
12:20by lacing pigeons with sulfur. That's one way to venture anger.
12:25The Lannisters send their regards.
12:28Number 8, Catherine de' Medici.
12:31I do not love my husband. In fact, I feel nothing at all for him.
12:35And yet you plead for his life.
12:37For one reason. To defy you, as I intend to for the rest of your days.
12:44One day you will understand why I have done the things I have.
12:48Queen of France between 1547 and 1559, Catherine de' Medici had some influence over her husband
12:55Henry II's reign, but when he died, her powers grew. As regent, she guided the turbulent rule
13:01of her three sons during a series of Huguenot rebellions. The throne's increasingly harsh policies
13:07are often attributed to Catherine, culminating in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre,
13:12a week-long killing spree which resulted in thousands of Protestant deaths.
13:17Rumored links with the occult also surrounded the former Italian noblewoman,
13:21who owned a talisman created by Nostradamus, master manipulator, or blatant witch.
13:27You decide.
13:28I need something to help me conceive.
13:34It's for luck.
13:36I don't believe in all that.
13:37No one does until they need to.
13:40Number seven. Mary the First.
13:43Right before he died, I said it.
13:45You said what?
13:46Bloody Mary, three times in the bathroom mirror.
13:52She took his eyes, that's what she does.
13:54Given that history has dubbed her Bloody Mary, this queen carved quite a reputation during her
14:00five-year reign. Determined to reverse the Reformation instigated by her father, Henry VIII,
14:05she sought to reinstate Catholicism across the realm. Almost immediately upon ascending to the
14:12throne, Mary had leading Protestant clergymen imprisoned, while hundreds more were forced into
14:17exile. She then arranged the execution of over 250 prominent Protestants, forcing many to watch
14:24their peers be burned at the stake, before suffering the same fate.
14:28Oh no. I can't help myself. I'm going to say it.
14:34Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary.
14:40Number six. Isabella the First.
14:42They believe the ocean is uncrossable, Senor Philundas.
14:48What did they say about Grenada before today?
14:50That it was impregnable.
14:59As one half of the Catholic monarch, Isabella of Spain was a prominent figure behind the
15:05Spanish Inquisition, and the expulsion of Muslims and Jews from the country. Alongside
15:10Ferdinand II of Aragon, she turned Catholicism into a compulsory faith, forcing up to 200,000
15:17people to convert or else flee. Those who continued to practice alternative religions in secret
15:22were imprisoned, often tormented, and sometimes burned alive. And Isabella was keen to see her
15:29hardline policies adopted elsewhere, as she and Ferdinand financed Christopher Columbus and the
15:35colonization of the Americas.
15:37I allow you to undertake another voyage.
15:44But without your brothers, nor are you to return to Santo Domingo or any of the other colonies.
15:53The new world is a disaster.
15:595. Agrippina the Younger
16:02The fourth wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, directly following Valeria Massalina, who supposedly
16:07sought to execute Claudius herself. Agrippina was also Caligula's sister, so you could
16:13say evil was in her blood. She was actually exiled for plotting against Caligula, but returned
16:32following his death and married. Agrippina quickly sought to eliminate her rivals in variously ruthless
16:38ways, and in a bid for long-lasting power, she persuaded Claudius to adopt her son Nero. She
16:44allegedly poisoned her husband soon afterwards, and Nero became emperor. But it also ended badly
16:50for Agrippina, who was ultimately assassinated by her son. Families, huh?
16:554. Irene of Athens
16:58Assuming power over the Byzantine Empire as regent for Constantine VI, who was just nine years old when
17:04he inherited the throne, Irene of Athens is remembered for her controversial efforts to restore the worship
17:10of religious icons. A divisive figure then and now, maintaining power was everything for her,
17:17no matter the cost. When Constantine was old enough to rule, she proved an exceptionally overbearing
17:23mother, until he sought to break free from her authority. Their rivalry was ended when Irene framed
17:28her son for conspiracy. Constantine had his eyes gouged out as punishment. Brutal.
17:34Because he's probably dead, his body will come popping up in the last reel somewhere. Eyes gouged out,
17:41fingers cut off. Number 3. Fredegund
17:44Queen consort with Shilperic I, a 6th century Frankish king, and regent for her son Clothar II,
17:51Fredegund rose through the ranks from royal servant, to the king's mistress, to a cold-blooded murderer,
17:57ready to kill whenever necessary. Amongst other things, she arranged for Shilperic's previous wife
18:03to be strangled. She started a fierce 40-year feud with that woman's sister Brunhilde, and she tried
18:09to crush the skull of her own daughter, using a treasure chest. If you got on her bad side,
18:15you were usually killed, and often in an unpleasant manner.
18:18Number 2. Wu Zetian taking control of China after millennia of male rule, and steering the empire through a
18:26relatively stable period in its history, Wu could well be judged as a very successful leader.
18:32However, her time at the top was drenched in blood. She employed a secret police to find and murder
18:38potential opponents, and she had no qualms with attacking her own. She's heavily implicated in the
18:43death of her own infant daughter, who was supposedly strangled so that Wu could frame a rival. And her
18:49accusations of witchcraft or treason led to various executions, including those of most of her own
18:56family. Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified
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19:18Number 1. Rana Valona I. Also known as the Mad Queen, Rana Valona entered into the Madagascan
19:32royal family a commoner, but fought off various claimants to the throne, and eventually ruled for
19:38over 30 years. Remembered for her fierce policies, such as banning Christianity, she led an exceptionally
19:45harsh regime. Characterized by forced labor practices and brutal executions. Cross Rana Valona and you
19:52were beheaded, boiled alive, or thrown into a ravine. Estimates say that up to 75% of the Madagascan
19:59population died during her reign, through war, disease, or by Rana Valona's own orders.
20:06So long as I am your king, treason shall never go unpunished. Sir Illyn, bring me his head.
20:16Are we forgetting any dreadful queens? Let us know in the comments below.
20:21I am the Grand Empress Dowager.
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