The Lioness Roared: The Problems of Female Rule in English History

Another book I read recently was "The Lioness Roared: The Problems of Female Rule in English History" by Charles Beem. Beem assesses female rulers throughout English history and one of his main arguments is that queens regnant are female kings, a premise that I definitely agree with. He uses the Empress Matilda from the 12th century, Mary I, and Anne as his primary examples. He also briefly discusses Victoria in relation to the Bedchamber crisis, but doesn't go into great detail for Victoria. I found the book well-researched and mostly interesting. However, my primary complaint is that he almost ignores the women who is arguably the best monarch in English history, Elizabeth I. Beem briefly mentions Elizabeth I in the introduction, but it's almost like he's forgotten that Elizabeth I set the standard for female monarchs. I think his reason was that Elizabeth I never married so her situation was different then Matilda, Mary I, Anne, and Victoria. Yet Elizabeth's example clearly informed the reigns of Mary II, Anne, and Victoria. Overall grade: 6. This is only for people who have an intense interest in the history of the British monarchy.