<p>For thousands of years, women have ruled in remote villages and reigned over major empires. Here, a Mongolian princess poses for a portrait in full court dress in the 1920s.</p>

For thousands of years, women have ruled in remote villages and reigned over major empires. Here, a Mongolian princess poses for a portrait in full court dress in the 1920s.

Photograph by Adam Warwick, Nat Geo Image Collection

From Ancient Egypt to today, these women rule the world

Queens today have their ancient Egyptian counterparts to thank for paving the way to positions of power.

Modern queens and princesses, ruling from the highlands of the Tibetan Plateau to the tiny South Pacific island of Niue, have rarely possessed the type of power wielded by the female leaders of ancient Egypt.

These women were not just figureheads or puppet-masters behind a man, they were powerful and ruthless heads of a highly advanced civilization. In ancient Egypt women enjoyed the sort of human rights that their counterparts today are still fighting for—they worked, owned property, ran businesses, and divorced their husbands. Their society was, writes Kara Cooney, a professor of Egyptology at UCLA, in her new book When Women Ruled the World, "light-years ahead of us in their trust of female power."

"In one place on our planet thousands

DON'T MISS THE REST OF THIS STORY!
Create a free account to continue and get unlimited access to hundreds of Nat Geo articles, plus newsletters.

Create your free account to continue reading

No credit card required. Unlimited access to free content.
Or get a Premium Subscription to access the best of Nat Geo - just $19
SUBSCRIBE

Read This Next

'World’s worst shipwreck' was bloodier than we thought
World’s first ultrasounds of wild manta rays reveal a troubling truth
Titanic was found during secret Cold War Navy mission

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet