History Main / TheHighQueen

* Catherine of Aragon as interpreted in ''Mary, Bloody Mary''. Most novels written about the same period have her in this trope and typically contrast her with Anne Boleyn, who rarely gets this treatment. Jane Seymour is hinted to be this as well, though she only appears at the end of the book after Anne's death.
** The diary book ''My Tudor Queen'' does this with Catherine also, covering her journey from Princess of Aragon to her coronation as Queen of England. The trope is really played straight towards the end of the book where Catherine rallies the troops against King James of Scotland, while Henry is away fighting in France.

%%* Rowena, queen of Alora, in ''LiteratureSummersAtCastleAuburn''.
%%* Kahlan in the ''LiteratureSwordOfTruth'' series.

%%* Queen Morgase in ''LiteratureTheWheelOfTime''.

%%* The ''LiteratureWickedLovely'' series gives us Sorcha, the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Queen of the high court]].

* Queen Selenay and High Priest Solaris in Creator/MercedesLackey's ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' books, especially from a distance.

%%* Queen Elizabeth III in ''Literature/HonorHarrington''. She manages this even though she is in a constitutional monarchy.

* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfDorsa'': Tasia grows into this after becoming Empress. She's already very beautiful and well-trained in political acumen (even if she hadn't always been so attentive to her lessons in this before), using both along with her genuine cornern for people to win over many, inspiring loyalty.

* Serene, graceful and benevolent Fassa from ''Manhwa/{{Chonchu}}'' is one of these, despite being betrothed to a DarkLord that she doesn't really love.

** Khalida is the High Queen of the city-state of Lybaras. While her beauty has somewhat abandoned her [[OurMummiesAreDifferent after over 3,000 years of being dead]], she is still every bit the noble and well-intentioned ruler she was while alive as long as her BerserkButton (mostly involving vampires, and spitting on her authority) aren't pressed. While strictly speaking she is subordinate to TheHighKing of Nehekhara, Settra, the city-states of Nehekhara have enough autonomy that Settra can only really override her authority on matters that involve the Tomb Kings entire; on matters within Lybaras' borders she rules unopposed.

* Tinatin from the 12th-century Georgian epic "the Knight in the Panther Skin" by Shota Rustaveli fits this trope, being described (among other things) as very beautiful, very wise, and generous to a fault. Her father, king Rostevan, abdicates early in the story, appointing her as the next [[SheIsTheKing "king"]]. One of the two main heroes, Avtandil, is in love with her. The (real) Queen Tamar of Georgia,(a.k.a. King Tamar) to whom this work was dedicated, is also described as this trope in the prologue (there is a theory that the author was in love with her).

* ''Series/Willow2022'': In this SequelSeries, Sorsha is the ruling queen of Tir Asleen. Backstory not clearly indicated in the theatrical release states that Bavmorda magically seduced the prince of Tir Asleen in her bid for power, and their daughter Sorsha is thus Tir Asleen royalty, apparently heir to her throne. As queen is a beautiful, good ruler, but also flawed by keeping secrets from her children and Elora (also pushing her daughter Kit [[FeminineMotherTomboyishDaughter to be more feminine like her]], which goes against Kit's desires, along with her unwanted {{arranged marriage}}).

* Amaterasu from ''Myth/JapaneseMythology'' in a rare mythological example. She was made queen of heaven due to her radiant beauty and compassion and tends to be loved by all. She is rarely if ever overshadowed by any of the male deities or portrayed as having a dark side like Hera from Myth/GreekMythology.
* Speaking of whom, [[Myth/GreekMythology Hera]] herself often fit The High Queen mold when interacting with anyone who wasn't [[WomanScorned involved with Zeus]] [[ClingyJealousGirl in an intimate way]], or was the product of such a union. Basically, don't sleep with her husband or be one of his bastards, and pay her godly respects loyally, and she will bless and reward you quite generously. See the myth of Jason and the Argonauts, where Hera is an unambiguously heroic presence.
%%* [[Myth/ArthurianLegend Guinevere]] (picture above) in her more sympathetic iterations, when she isn't [[GodSaveUsFromTheQueen the opposite trope]].

* Of King Henry VII's six queens in ''Series/TheTudors'', Queens Katherine of Aragon and Catherine Parr fit this trope the best, being self-assured and conscious of their duties. (In comparison, Anne Boleyn is a FemmeFatale, Jane Seymour is an HeroicSeductress, Catherine Howard is TheDitz, and Anne of Cleves never gets the chance to technically become a High Queen.)

* Princess Bubblegum from ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''.

** Princess Celestia is swanlike, slender, graceful, wise, perpetually calm and kindly, and [[LargeAndInCharge easily twice as tall as any other pony around]]. She still manages to be rather down-to-earth and mischievous as well, but it doesn't stop her from regally dominating any scene she walks in on.
** Princess Luna is younger and less poised, but still fits in her own way. The evolution of the trope is explored in "Luna Eclipsed". Post-HeelFaceTurn Princess Luna fits the trope as it was before she was [[SealedEvilInACan sealed]] a thousand years ago, although she also shows some of the uncertainty of youth. As a result, she comes across as intimidating and unfriendly due to expectations of how a high queen should act having changed in the interim. '''[[NoIndoorVoice HER USE OF THE "ROYAL CANTERLOT VOICE" ONLY MAKES THINGS WORSE.]]''' (PowerEchoes.) As a [[NightmareFuelStationAttendant steward of the night]], she also seems to [[CreepyGood prefer motifs]] [[DarkIsNotEvil usually associated]] with ObviouslyEvil [[EvilOverlord rulers]], further freaking everyone out: She wears a hooded cloak ''made of living bats'' and her guards (unlike her sister's) look positively demonic, for instance. However, by Season 3, [[CharacterDevelopment Luna has grown into the role beautifully]], having become a welcome guardian of her subjects' dreams.

* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'', [[spoiler:[[EvilOverlord Pink Diamond]]]] turns out to be this, [[spoiler:to the point where it turns out that she was GoodAllAlong.]]