The Best Kings Were Queens: Cristina Morató’s Revelation

Discover the untold stories of remarkable queens who shaped history. Cristina Morató’s captivating narrative reveals their hidden power and legacy.

By Megan Sauer

The passion for journalism led the writer, Cristina Morató , to travel around the world from a very early age to learn the story of multiple women who transformed the history of their country and their time. It was these stories that gave life to a literary career where biography would be the protagonist of her work.

Through titles such as “Divas Rebeldes”, “Reinas Malditas”, and her most recent, “Reinas de Leyenda”, Cristina has forged a path driven by the need to give a voice to all those women who impacted the world but have been forgotten. . Today more than ever, the vision and writing of Cristina Morató becomes necessary to remember the names of the women who forged the path we now walk.

After the success of “Cursed Queens” , where Morató told the story of women in power such as Marie Antoinette or Alejandra Romanov , the writer returns with a new book that explores the life, mind and intimacy of other queens. “Queens of Legend” allows us to delve into stories like that of Catherine the Great, Carlota and Isabel I. Each of these women managed to overcome adversity and form a character that demonstrated that women had, and have, the full capacity to lead.

This is what we talked about with Cristina Morató, author of “Queens of Legend”

What led you to give voice to the stories of women you met on your travels?
This adventure began 20 years ago with my book “Intrepid and Adventurous Travelers” when I realized that the guides on my trips always talked to me about men and never mentioned a woman. I started researching and, to my surprise, I realized that there were many forgotten women. Through my books I want to repair that historical injustice.

Why do you think these women’s stories have been forgotten?

History has been written by men because men have had the power. To this day, young people read textbooks from a history that has been manipulated by men. The other half of the story is missing, the one that has been led by women.

What was the research process like for “Queens of Legend”?

It was the most ambitious book and one of the books where it was most difficult for me to research because I talk about 5 queens who were not consorts but queens in their own right. They are powerful queens, great leaders and great strategists. In order to give a feminine vision and where I can show her most vulnerable side and her character, I have had to access private letters, family correspondence, stories from the ladies-in-waiting and some of my own memories. With all this evidence I made a book where I try to show queens who have been very mistreated by history and who deserved their own place.

What have you learned from learning about the private lives of historical figures?

It has been a great learning experience because I have met women beyond clichés and adjectives. I have met women who were bold, brave, cultured and who had much more firmness to govern than their husbands. When you finish reading the book you conclude that, without a doubt, the best kings were queens.

How did you select the 5 queens of “Queens of Legend”?

I was interested that they were queens from different centuries, dynasties and different countries. I wanted them to be well-known queens but for one to be a discovery. That’s how I chose Empress Cixi because at the age of 14 she began to climb positions at court. Her case is unique to her because she became the most powerful woman of her time by ruling one of the most imposing empires. However, due to the fact that she is a woman, she is limited to ruling hidden behind a silk curtain.

Is there a particular story that has impacted you the most personally?

It’s difficult because each female biography has revealed a new world to me. However, one woman who has impressed me is Marga d’Andurain; an adventurer and spy who made her life a true adventure.

What has it been like for you to have to adapt to different cultures in order to write about them in your books?

That is precisely the satisfaction of my job. I do not write historical novels but rather biography. But it is also a travel book because it transports you to the places and castles where they lived. It is a journey through scenarios that have disappeared and that can be recovered through literature.

What common characteristics do you find in each of the women in “Queens of Legend”?

All of them had little decision-making power from a very early age. They were lonely girls with a complicated life. They were generally not treated well by the family or by their husbands. However, all this forged a character in them that made them stronger. They were women who loved their countries very much and who were sure they wanted to govern.

What women have inspired you personally?

The writers who marked me in my childhood and youth. I got hooked on literature because of Agatha Christie and for the same reason, she has inspired me along with other writers like Isabel Allende or Virginia Woolf. I also find the anonymous women whose names we don’t know but who are doing great work in their daily lives very inspiring.