AHC/WI: An English "Catherine the Great"?

So to me Catherine the Great occupies a unique place in History. She didn't have a drop of Russian blood but claimed the Imperial Throne. She ended up being one of the Greatest Russian Monarchs in history. And she also was one of the only female rulers to act like a man sexually. She openly kept favorites, and rewarded them based on sexual prowess. So my question/challenge is to create an English "Catherine the Great". She doesn't have to overthrow her husband but she has to openly keep favorites/lovers and govern without any input from her husband.
 
So to me Catherine the Great occupies a unique place in History. She didn't have a drop of Russian blood but claimed the Imperial Throne. She ended up being one of the Greatest Russian Monarchs in history. And she also was one of the only female rulers to act like a man sexually. She openly kept favorites, and rewarded them based on sexual prowess. So my question/challenge is to create an English "Catherine the Great". She doesn't have to overthrow her husband but she has to openly keep favorites/lovers and govern without any input from her husband.

On the sexual prowess thing wasn't queen Victoria very active granted it was with her spouse; just an interesting fact;)

Know on the other aspects of queen Catherine, well it just seems impossible. The UK has a lot of difference with Imperial Russia. The Russian nobility had a lot more power than the British one, plus the parliament is also a major factor.
 
Elizabeth I definitely had a hint of this, turning many suitors away whilst flirting with Raleigh and Drake. The famous "Body of a woman, Heart and Soul of a Man" thing also helps. But as Sulemain said, after 1688 no way is any monarch gonna be this influential.

You could have Liz rule more directly, perhaps if she followed Catholicism as opposed to Protestantism she could have led a more authoritarian reign?
 
She openly kept favorites, and rewarded them based on sexual prowess.
IIRC only one of her lovers was a a young stupid sex machine without any other particular qualities and that was when Catherine was getting old. And even he was a patron of arts and sciences.
All her other lovers were mostly intelligent capable men of many abilities. It seems that only that type of men sexually attracted her which helped her in ruling the Empire.
 
So to me Catherine the Great occupies a unique place in History. She didn't have a drop of Russian blood but claimed the Imperial Throne. She ended up being one of the Greatest Russian Monarchs in history. And she also was one of the only female rulers to act like a man sexually. She openly kept favorites, and rewarded them based on sexual prowess. So my question/challenge is to create an English "Catherine the Great". She doesn't have to overthrow her husband but she has to openly keep favorites/lovers and govern without any input from her husband.
England has had some strong female consorts (e.g. Margaret of Anjou or Elizabeth Woodville), but by the time the double-standard had decreased to the point a female monarch might get away with that sort of thing, said monarch has no real power anyway.

It's a bit earlier, but how about doing something with Isabella, the She-Wolf of France?

She fulfills some of the criteria (blatantly cheating on her husband and eventually overthrowing him and seizing power). She seems to have been loyal to Mortimer, but maybe have him die early in her regency?
 
Top