Originally posted on Instagram 2nd September 2022

When a man holds power and uses it, he is revered and placed on a pedestal to be studied and remembered, no matter how vicious or cruel he may have been.

When a woman holds power and uses it, she is a bitch. She is denounced, often remembered through rumours, which are often false, and often sexual.

Now, there are plenty of women in history who were evil and murderous and, to be crude, bitches. There are also plenty who were not, and plenty who were – gasp – both.

Then there are the women who have been misremembered.

So, maybe she married two Roman senators and murdered a couple of brothers. She also unified Egypt and was one of the most successful Pharaohs of her dynasty.

So, maybe she had a child out of wedlock and was guilty of belonging to an infamous family. She was also a skilled politician and a merciful ruler.

So, she was extremely ill all her life and was plagued by loss and betrayal. She was also loved by her people and was a more committed monarch than any of her predecessors.

Why should we only remember the ‘bad’?

See also:

• Blog post: Marie Antoinette
• Blog post: La Malinche
• Bitesize History: ‘Bloody Mary’: the Tudors in comparison