Who was Boudicca?

In Britain, we rule ourselves. But in the past other countries wanted to rule Britain and people had to fight to stop them. People like the Warrior Queen, Boudicca, who fought when the Romans came to rule.

We don't know much about Boudicca, because she lived many years ago. And only two people, called Tacitus and Dio, wrote about her at the time, but their stories were very different.

Boudicca was married to Prasutagus, the King of the Iceni in Eastern England. Back then, parts of Britain were ruled by the Roman Empire. Prasutagus trusted the Romans and promised to leave half his land to them and half to Boudicca. But when he died, the Romans took everything and were very cruel to Boudicca and her two daughters.

In the year 60, Boudicca fought to take back her land.

The Roman army was fighting in North Wales, too far away to save the Roman towns that Boudicca's army attacked. Her army destroyed the towns of St Albans, Colchester and London and killed thousands of people. But when the Roman army returned, it tricked Boudicca's army into a narrow valley, where it was trapped and beaten. This was called the Battle of Watling Street, and afterwards, Rome ruled most of Britain for 350 years.

Nobody knows for sure how Boudicca died. But archaeologists - scientists who dig up buried objects from the past - have found things that help us understand her story, like the burnt soil in Colchester, where she destroyed the city.

Outside the Houses of Parliament in London, there is a statue of Boudicca. It reminds us that she was brave and fierce, and refused to be ruled by another country!