The sobriquetgrandmother of Europe has been given to various women, primarily female sovereigns who are the ascendant of many members of European nobility and royalty, as well as women who made important contributions to Europe.
Royaltyedit
Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122–1204) was Queen-consort of France from 1137 to 1152, then of England from 1154 to 1189. She earned the nickname because her descendants included royalty in England, France, Denmark, Castile, and Sicily, among other kingdoms.[1]
Maria Theresa (1717–1780), Empress of Austria, was the only female ruler of the Habsburg monarchy. Many of her children and grandchildren married many European royals and nobles. [further explanation needed]
Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763–1814) was Empress-consort of French Emperor Napoleon. She was the maternal grandmother of Napoleon III and the great-grandmother of several Swedish and Danish royals.[further explanation needed]
Louise Weiss (1893–1983) was a French author and a European Union politician. She earned the nickname not for her grandchildren but for her own contributions to European political institutions.[6]
^Sausmikat, Rita (2016). "Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History: Eleanor of Aquitaine's Political Career and Its Significance to Noblewomen" (PDF). Vexillum. 5: 36. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
^Spanheim, Ezechiel (1973). Le Temps retrouvé XXVI: Relation de la Cour de France. Paris, France: Mercure de France. pp. 74–79, 305–308.
^Isabelle comtesse de Paris (1998). La Reine Marie-Amélie, Grand-mère de l'Europe (in French). Perrin. ISBN 978-2-262-01451-3.
^"Queen Victoria I". Éditions Larousse (in French). Retrieved 1 December 2019.
^Bassaid, Leila (2017). Symbolism of the Longest Reigning Queen Elizabeth II from 1952 to2017(PDF) (PhD). Retrieved December 14, 2019.
^Haritos, Anne Blanche (November 1993). "Dear Readers" (PDF). Women of Europe Newsletter (39). Retrieved December 14, 2019.