9 QUEENS MEDIEVAL YOU (PROBABLY) HAVEN’T HEARD OF
1 TAMAR OF GEORGIA
c1160–1209/13
Tamar (known as ‘the Great’) was the first woman to rule the Kingdom of Georgia in her own right. The daughter of George III of Georgia, Tamar began co-ruling with her father when she turned 18 – an act intended to legitimise her claim to the throne after his death.
However, when George died in 1184, the country’s noblemen (deeply opposed to the idea of a woman ruling on her own), forced Tamar to marry the Rus’ prince Yuri. He proved to be a troublesome spouse, and after managing to increase the number of loyal supporters in her court, Tamar eventually secured a divorce.
Yuri went on to launch two failed coups against his ex-wife, but both attempts were crushed with the help of David Sosland, a prince of Ossetia whom Tamar married on her own terms.
Under Tamar’s rule – known as the ‘Golden Age’ – the kingdom of Georgia peaked in size and power, coming to dominate the
