She is Boudica, or Boudicca, or Boadicea, and she was Queen of the Iceni tribe of Britian, whose center is near modernNorwich, at Caistor St. Edmunds, in Norfolk. To their south were the Trinovantes of Essex, another Celtic tribe.

The time is 61 CE, Nero is Caesar in Rome, and Romans were in control in Britian. They levied heavy taxes and enslaved the Celtic peoples, after 14 years of rule.

The new govenor of Britian was Gaius Suetonius Paulinus. Nero had appointed him to take an agressive stand with the Britians to bring them into submission. Nero had given him carte blanche. Suetonius' first action had been to burn the Sacred Groves, as he felt that the Britians were too barbarous. This was in direct opposition to usual Roman occupation methods. Usually they would leave the rulers in place and treat them like vassal-kings. They would usually leave the religions intact, inserting the ruling Caesar as the latest addition to the local list of Gods and Goddesses. The burning of the Sacred Groves was just one more intolerance by the Romans.

We have a wonderful picture of Boudica painted for us by Dio Cassius, a historian who lived and wrote a century after the Queen died. He appears to have much written history and eye witness accounts to draw upon to give us this description of her:

"Boudicca was tall, terrible to look on and gifted with a powerful voice. A flood of bright red hair ran down to her knees; she wore a golden necklet made up of ornate pieces, a multi-colored robe, and over it a thick cloak held together by a brooch. She took up a long spear to cause dread in all who set eyes on her." It is also noted that her two statuesque daughters stood to the left and right of her.

Boudica's husband and king was Prasutagus , who had signed a treaty making Nero co-heir to his kingdom, with his two daughters. He then died, but having no male issue, the procurator Decianus Catus (who was the financial officer) refused to bestow the rule on his wife or daughters. Tacitus, the Roman historian, writes in his Annals: "His kingdom and household were plundered like prizes of war.... As a begining, his widow Boudicca was flogged and his daughters raped. The Icenian chiefs were deprived of their hereditary estates as if the Romans had been given the whole country. The King's own relatives were treated like slaves."

This set the stage for the Icenian Revolt. They were joined by their neighbors (occasionally enemies but in this instance, they joined the revolt) in the south, the Trinovantes, and Boudica led a line that marched from Norwich, to Colchester, to St. Albans and then into London, burning the Romans and her own people who were collaborators, as she went. London suffered the worst, as she considered that place the Roman stronghold.

Suetonius had been in Northern England, as had Petillius Cerialis, on campaigns of their own against various other Celtic tribes. Upon hearing what Boudica was doing, they marched upon London, with their legions. Though we dont know exactly where they met, Boudica met up with Suetonius' and Petillius' legions somewhere outside of or just inside London. Victory turned to defeat.  There were many legends of what was said and done. But in the end, the Iceni were defeated, and the Romans showed no mercy, destroying all. Boudica was familiar with what the Romans did with captive warlords, shipping them off to Rome to be dragged through the streets, put on public display, made slaves, and living the rest of their days in captivity and dishonour. She took poison rather than meet this end.

Today she is the romantic symbol of revolt and victory in the face of adversity. There is a bronze stateue of her, with streaming hair and a defiant profile, which stand outside the House of Parliament.