An empress was a female monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. (AUDIO: Empire of the Racnoss, PROSE: Silver Mosquitoes, Original Sin) It was also the title of an emperor's wife. (TV: The Romans, Marco Polo, AUDIO: The Secret History, The Silver Turk, The Choice)
Empresses and their domains[]
One Empress of the Racnoss was encountered by the Fifth Doctor and Alayna. She attacked her old consort, having replaced him with a new emperor. However, her old consort turned her children against her, and she was left to the fury of the Racnoss. (AUDIO: Empire of the Racnoss)
4.5 billion years BC, another Empress of the Racnoss was the leader of the Racnoss Empire. When the Fledgling Empires took over her territory, the last Racnoss hid themselves by forming the core of the planet Earth. She was drawn back to Earth from the edge of the universe billions of years later. Her children were eventually drowned by the Thames river and her Webstar was shot down by Harold Saxon. (TV: The Runaway Bride)
On Mars, Queen-Empress was the highest rank given to an Ice Queen. (TV: Empress of Mars)
Adjit Kwan was a Draconian empress. (COMIC: Cold Blooded War!)
Altari had an Empress. (COMIC: Golden Slumbers)
Ulpia Severina became Empress of Rome after her husband, Julius Caesar, was murdered. (PROSE: Silver Mosquitoes) By 64 AD, Poppaea was the Roman empress, wife of Nero. (TV: The Romans)
Theodora was empress of Byzantium, wife of Emperor Justinian. (AUDIO: The Secret History)
In 1289, Kublai Khan's wife was empress of China. She did not approve of her husband's penchant for gambling. (TV: "Assassin at Peking")
Catherine II was the empress of Russia in the 18th century. (PROSE: The Adventuress of Henrietta Street)
As well as being Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Victoria was Empress of India. (TV: Tooth and Claw)
By 1873, Elisabeth, commonly known as Sisi, was empress of Austria. She was the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph. (AUDIO: The Silver Turk)
The Divine Empress was the ruler of the Earth Empire in the 30th century. (PROSE: Original Sin)
The Scarlet Empress ruled the planet Hyspero. (PROSE: The Scarlet Empress) According to the Eighth Doctor, she lived in a big jam jar. (PROSE: Father Time)
Empress Beyonce II was a human ruler. She greatly resembled Queen Elizabeth I. (AUDIO: Maker of Demons)
Parallel universes[]
In Ecto-Space, Empress Helena ruled the Great Kingdom in the Year of the Flame and "laid down her life for her people", an event which passed into legends; two hundred and thirteen years later, the caveys mistakenly believed they were still ruled by "the Empress", whom they saw in a nigh-religious light. The ruling Emperor Lukor attempted to woo the Mistress to make him his Empress, but she ultimately refused him when she discovered the experiments he was running on the caveys. (AUDIO: The Choice)
Behind the scenes[]
- "The Scarlet Empress", a BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures novel.
- "Empress of Mars", an episode of Series 10.