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In the 18th century, it was still true that most royal succession and most power was in the hands of men. But a number of women ruled, directly or through influencing their husbands and sons. Here are some of the most powerful women of the 18th century, listed alphabetically:Anne Stuart
1665 - 1714She succeeded her brother-in-law, William of Orange, as ruler of Scotland and England, and was Queen at the creation of Great Britain with the Act of Union in 1707. She was married to George of Denmark, but though she was pregnant 18 times, only one child survived past infancy, and he died at age 12. Because she had no offspring to inherit the throne, her successor was George I, son of her cousin, Sophia, Electress of Hanover.
Catherine I
1684 - 1727Married to Peter the Great of Russia, she ruled with her husband until his death, when she ruled as a figurehead for two years until her own death.
Catherine II
1729 - 1796Empress of Russia, 1762 - 1796, perhaps responsible for her husband's death, Catherine the Great was known for her autocratic rule but also for promoting education and the Enlightenment among the elite, and for her many lovers.
Elisabeth of Russia
1709 - 1762Daughter of Peter the Great, she staged a military coup and became Empress Regnant in 1741. She opposed Germany, built grand palaces, and was seen as a beloved ruler.
Isabella Farnese
1692 - 1766Queen consort and second wife of Spain's Philip V, she virtually ruled while he was alive. She briefly served as regent between the death of her stepson, Ferdinand VI, and the succession of his brother, Charles III.
Maria Anna of Austria
1683 - 1754Daughter of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor, she married John V of Portugal. When he suffered a stroke, she ruled for him for eight years until his death and succession by their son, Joseph I. She was sister of Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI and of Maria Elisabeth of Austria, governor of the Netherlands.
Maria Elisabeth of Austria
1680 - 1741She was the daughter of Hapsburg Emperor Leopold I, and was appointed governor of the Netherlands. She never married. She's known for her cultural and artistic patronage. She was sister of Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI and of Maria Anna, Queen of Portugal, who ruled as regent of Portugal after her husband's stroke.
Maria Theresa
1717 - 1780For forty years she ruled a substantial part of Europe, bearing 16 children, reforming and centralizing the government, and strengthening the army.
Marie Antoinette
1755 - 1793Queen Consort in France, 1774-1793, Marie Antoinette will forever be connected with the French Revolution. Daughter of the great Austrian empress, Maria Theresa, Marie Antoinette was not trusted by French subjects for her foreign ancestry, extravagant spending, and influence on her husband Louis XVI.
Mary of Modena
1658 - 1718Second wife of James II of Great Britain, her Roman Catholicism was not acceptable to the Whigs, who saw that James II was deposed and replaced by Mary II, his daughter by his first wife.
Sophia von Hanover
1630 - 1714Electress of Hanover, married to Friedrich V, she was the nearest Protestant successor to the British throne and thus Heir Presumptive. She died before her cousin Queen Anne did.
Ulrika Eleanora the Younger
1688 - 1741Daughter of Ulrika Eleanora the Older and Karl XII, she reigned as queen after succeeding her brother Karl in 1682, until her husband became king; she served as a regent for her husband as well.
