Modern-day female monarchs have their Ancient Egyptian predecessors to thank for setting the example. In fact, queens and princesses of the modern age “have rarely possessed the type of power wielded by the female leaders of ancient Egypt,” according to National Geographic. And although the patriarchy has, over time, tried to obliterate their names from history, “these women enjoyed the sort of human rights that their counterparts today are still fighting for—they worked, owned property, ran businesses, and divorced their husbands.”