How Many African Queens Were There? A Living History of Power and Leadership

When people ask, “How many African queens were there?” they are often searching for a number.  Something fixed, countable, and complete.

But African queenship does not lend itself to neat totals.

Across centuries, regions, and cultures, Africa has been home to hundreds of queens, queen mothers, regents, warrior leaders, and spiritual matriarchs — many of whose names were never recorded in colonial texts, and many more whose stories were deliberately diminished or erased.  Many African histories were preserved through oral tradition, passed carefully from one generation to the next through storytelling, ceremony, and memory rather than written record.

Rather than a finite list, African queens represent a living lineage of leadership, shaped by land, spirituality, ancestry, and community.

Queenship Beyond the Western Lens

In many African societies, power was not always singular or hierarchical. Leadership was often shared between kings and queens, councils of elders, spiritual figures, and matrilineal lines.

A queen could be:

• a sovereign ruler in her own right

• a military leader

• a spiritual intermediary

• a queen mother whose influence shaped generations

• a regent ruling during transition or crisis

This diversity is why counting African queens is difficult — and why their legacy is so rich.

Famous and Powerful African Queens Across History

Some queens are widely known:

• Hatshepsut of Egypt

• Amanirenas of Kush

• Nzinga Mbande of Ndongo and Matamba

• Makeda, the Queen of Sheba

• Yaa Asantewaa of the Ashanti Empire

• Njinga of Angola

Others lived and ruled beyond written records, remembered through oral history, ritual, and ancestral memory.

Together, they form a tapestry of female power grounded in responsibility, wisdom, and resilience.

Why African Queens Matter Today

African queens are not relics of the past. Their stories speak directly to modern conversations about:

• women in leadership

• identity and heritage

• strength without domination

• power rooted in community

In my own African Queens paintings, I return to these figures not to romanticise them, but to honour their presence .   I like to portray women as grounded, dignified, and self-possessed, not ornamental.

African queens remind us that power can be quiet, spiritual, and enduring.

I find the stories of African queens deeply inspiring. I paint and write about them not only for myself, but for for my two daughters, and my son. My children are biracial, and it matters to me that they grow up feeling proud of their ancestry, grounded in stories that reflect strength, dignity, and leadership. These histories remind us that we all benefit from hearing about people who endured difficulty, protected their communities, and achieved their goals despite the odds. They offer perspective, courage, and a quiet reassurance that resilience has always been part of our shared human story.

In many school settings, Black history is often taught beginning with slavery. While this chapter is important, it is not where the story begins, nor where it ends. African history holds centuries of leadership, culture, and achievement, and sharing the stories of African queens helps create a fuller, more empowering understanding of that legacy.

By remembering and sharing these stories, we honour a history that is complex, powerful, and deeply human. African queens remind us that leadership has taken many forms, and that strength, wisdom, and courage have long existed within African societies. Telling these stories is not about rewriting history, but about widening it — allowing space for pride, perspective, and a more complete understanding of where we come from.

Click here to explore the African Queens collection →

Written by Jedidah Chick