Margaret Thatcher has beaten the Queen and the first female Nobel Prize winner to be named the most influential woman of all time, according to British poll.
More than a quarter (28 per cent) of people said the only female British prime minister was more influential than scientist Marie Curie (24 per cent) and the Queen (18 per cent), in an Opinium poll of 2,004 adults commissioned by Scottish Widows.
Diana Princess of Wales (17 per cent), suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst (16 per cent), Catholic missionary Mother Teresa (13 per cent), nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale (12 per cent), Queen Victoria (8 per cent), African-American civil rights activist Rosa Parks (7 per cent) and broadcaster Oprah Winfrey (6 per cent) also made the top 10.
Aviation trailblazer Amelia Earhart was named the most influential sportswoman, author Jane Austen topped the creative arts list, and actress Judi Dench was named the most influential female performing artist.
Suzannah Lipscomb, historian and author, said: "They have been chosen because they were and are game-changers. This is the definition of 'influential' that emerges."
The Scottish Widows Women of Influence list is based on a survey carried out online by Opinium Research of 2,004 UK adults from October 2-5.
