Emperors, Empresses and imperial nobles consorts of China. The Qing Dynasty began in 1644 and ended in 1912. The emperors of China are absolute monarchs of divine right (mandate of heaven). They have absolute power, decide everything and can do everything. It should be noted that the most famous woman in the empire today is undoubtedly the Dowager Empress Cixi, chosen at the age of 16 to become the imperial concubine of Emperor Xiaofeng, she gave birth to a son who became Emperor Tongzhi. Little

👑 Walking a Tightrope: Katharine’s Ladies-in-Waiting 🎤 Talk by Dr Nicola Clark 📍 Peterborough Cathedral 🗓 Sunday | 14.00 Behind every queen stood a group of women navigating loyalty, power, and impossible choices. Who travelled with Katharine of Aragon from Spain? Who stayed loyal as her world fell apart? And who had no choice but to stay? From princess to queen to princess dowager, Katharine’s ladies-in-waiting walked a tightrope of shifting allegiances as Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn changed