Articles by Lauralee Swann

About Lauralee Swann

I am a former elementary teacher in Tennessee. I have a bachelor’s degree in Liberal and Civic Studies from St. Mary’s College of California, a master’s in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from the College of Saint Mary. Because my family are from East Asia, I have a passion for historical Chinese and Korean television shows. I always wanted to separate fact from fiction in dramas. Writing articles from History of Royal Women gives me a chance to dig deeper and explore these royal women as they might have been in real life. Also, it gives me a chance to look at the history and culture of where my family originated. I love researching East Asian royalty because they rarely get enough attention in the West often being overshadowed by European royalty. I find these royal women to be just as fascinating and their stories deserve to be told. Thus, I am excited to write for History of Royal Women!

Ki – The Tarnished Image of the Last Mongolian Empress

Sunday, 13 January 2019, 0:00 Lauralee Swann 4

Empress Ki’s rise to power is truly astonishing. She was forced to leave her homeland of Goryeo (Korea) to become a female tribute to the Yuan dynasty. She became a palace servant and eventually climbed the ranks to be empress. She still remains largely unpopular. When the popular Korean drama, Empress Ki, aired on television, historians [read more]

Queen Salome Alexandra – Judea’s last great Monarch

Thursday, 6 December 2018, 7:00 Lauralee Swann 0

Salome Alexandra was Judea’s last queen. She was the wife of two of Judea’s kings. However, her second husband, Alexander Jannaeus, chose her out of all his sons to be his successor. She was a woman who is known to have brought her country peace and prosperity. While she remains largely forgotten by today’s world, [read more]

Nana Yaa Asantewaa – The Joan of Arc of Africa

Saturday, 11 August 2018, 7:00 Lauralee Swann 0

Nana Yaa Asantewaa’s story is one of courage and valour. She was a fearless queen who bravely fought against the British rule. Her story has inspired countless others, and she has remained adored by the Ghanaian people. Yaa Asantewaa is a reminder of Ghana’s desire for independence. She was a just queen, but also an [read more]

Queen Arwa of Yemen – The pearl who brought light to a place of darkness

Thursday, 7 June 2018, 7:00 Lauralee Swann 0

Queen Arwa of Yemen ruled for over fifty years. She co-ruled with her mother-in-law, her husband, and her son. She eventually became sole ruler of the Sulayhid dynasty. She was the first woman in Islam history to be given the title of hujja, which is the highest status in Islam. Queen Arwa remains greatly celebrated [read more]

Lady Yohl Ik’nal – The first female ruler of the Mayans

Saturday, 2 June 2018, 7:00 Lauralee Swann 0

Lady Yohl Ik’ nal was the first recorded female ruler of the Mayan city of Palenque and the first to have a full royal title. Historians believe that her role was unusual because she held power for twenty-one years.[1] This is because women only held power temporarily through their son, who was too young to rule.[2] Historians [read more]

Ilancueitl – The first Queen of the Aztecs

Saturday, 12 May 2018, 20:00 Lauralee Swann 0

Ilancueitl was the first queen of the Aztecs. She was a Colhuacan princess who married the king of Tenochtitlan primarily for strategic purposes. She would prove to be barren and did not produce any offspring. However, because of her royal blood, later Aztec rulers would claim to be her direct descendants. We do not know [read more]