She-Wolves: England's Early Queens
Matilda and Eleanor
The first woman to attempt to claim the English throne, Matilda--daughter of Henry I, granddaughter of William the Conqueror--was hours from her coronation in 1141 when an angry mob chased her away. Her daughter-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine, led a rebellion against her own husband. Neither won the crown, but both ensured that the dynasty would continue.