Boadicea was a queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in 60 or 61 CE. According to Roman sources, shortly after the uprising failed, she poisoned herself or died of her wounds, although there is no actual evidence of her fate. She is considered a British folk hero. Boudica's husband Prasutagus, with whom she had two daughters, ruled as a nominally independent ally of Rome, and left his kingdom jointly to his daughters and to the Roman emperor in his will. However, when he died, his will was ignored, and the kingdom was annexed and his property taken.
In 60 or 61 CE, Boudica led the Iceni, the Trinovantes, and others in revolt against Roman governor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus. The crisis caused Nero to consider withdrawing all Roman forces from Britain, but Suetonius's victory over Boudica confirmed Roman control of the province. Boudica then either killed herself to avoid capture or died of illness.
Interest in these events was revived in the English Renaissance and led to Boudica's fame in the Victorian era. Boudica has remained an important cultural symbol in the United Kingdom.
