A queen is the female ruler of a kingdom or country, holding the same power and authority as a king. Queen Elizabeth I ruled England for 45 years during the 1500s, leading her country through wars and helping establish England as a major world power. Queen Victoria reigned over the British Empire for more than 60 years in the 1800s, giving her name to an entire era of history.

A queen can come to power in two ways: by being born into a royal family and inheriting the throne, or by marrying a king. A woman who inherits the throne rules in her own right and makes important decisions for her country. A woman who marries a king is also called a queen, but traditionally has less political power. Her husband remains the king, while their children might one day inherit the throne.

In chess, the queen is the most powerful piece on the board, able to move any number of squares in any direction. Some people use queen informally to describe someone who excels at something, like calling an exceptional tennis player the queen of the court.

In a beehive, the queen bee is the one female bee who lays all the eggs, making her essential to the colony's survival. The thousands of other bees in the hive work to protect and feed her.