TO HONOUR International Women’s Day today (March 8), we have listed 16 inspirational women associated with Berkshire that we want to celebrate. Not only have many of these women helped put areas such as Reading on the map, but also prove an inspiration to young women and us all.

 

Catherine, Princess of Wales

Catherine, Princess of Wales – more informally known as Kate Middleton – was born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading and grew up in Bucklebury, Berkshire.

Being married to William, Prince of Wales, the heir apparent to the throne, Catherine will be the queen consort one day. Her oldest son Prince George is second in line to the throne.

Catherine holds patronage in more than 20 charities and military organisations, including Action for Children, SportsAid and Maternal Mental Health Alliance.

Her charity work focusing on issues surrounding early childhood care, addiction, mental health and art is something to be admired this International Women’s Day.

 

Kate Winslet

British actress Kate Winslet was born in Reading and went to Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Her first screen appearance, at age 15, was in the British television series Dark Season (1991). The star rose to international fame after starring as leading role, Rose, in Titanic (1997).

Her international success has seen her win an Oscar, two Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, three BAFTA Awards and five Golden Globe Awards, among others.

Time Magazine named Winslet one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2009 and 2021.

Her inspiring work continued as she founded The Golden Hat Foundation non-profit organisation in 2010, focusing on raising awareness of autism.

Kate Winslet was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2012.

 

Theresa May

The former Prime Minister, Theresa May, has a strong history with Berkshire being MP for Maidenhead, and living just down the road from Reading in Sonning.

May was the UK's second female Prime Minister and is the first woman to hold two of the Great Offices of State.

Following the formation of the coalition government in 2010, May was appointed Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities but gave up the role in 2012. 

As Prime Minister, May carried out the Brexit negotiations with the European Union.

 

Natalie Dormer

The Game of Thrones actress was born in Reading, Berkshire, and had her breakthrough playing Anne Boleyn on the Showtime series The Tudors (2007-08).

Dormer rose to international fame for playing Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones (2012-16) and Cressida in The Hunger Games franchise (2014-15).

Natalie Dormer ran the London Marathon in 2014, in support of Barnardo’s, and in 2016, in support of the NSPCC and Childline. Since then, the actress has been heavily involved in supporting the charities, becoming an NSPCC ambassador for Childline in 2019.

Her inspirational charity work has continued as in 2016, Dormer gave a speech at the United Nations to highlight ‘the plight of refugees’ and violence and women and girls. In 2017, Dormer went to Tanzania with the development and humanitarian organisation Plan International to ban child marriage.

 

Dani Harmer

The actress was born in Bracknell, Berkshire, and is best known for her lead role as Tracy Beaker in the CBBC series The Story of Tracy Beaker (2002-06).

She continued the role of Tracy Beaker in Tracy Beaker Returns (2010–12), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA, The Tracy Beaker Survival Files (2011–12), My Mum Tracy Beaker (2021) and The Beaker Girls (2021–2023).

The Dani Harmer Academy is a performing arts academy founded and run by Harmer in Berkshire.  The academy offers drama, dance and singing classes for children and young people. Harmer is also an acting coach at the academy.

 

Kate Richardson-Walsh

The Olympic Gold and Bronze medal winning English field hockey player Kate Richardson-Walsh was GB and England Captain for 13 years.

In 2016, the champion captained the women’s hockey team to their first gold medal in the Olympics. The team were undefeated throughout the tournament.

This inspirational woman may not have been born in Berkshire, but she did well to put Reading on the map as she played club hockey for Reading in the Women’s England Hockey League Premier Division for seven years. Kate has also acted as the women’s team assistant coach.

She has also played domestic hockey for Slough, Leicester and teams in Netherlands.

Kate and Helen Richardson-Walsh made history becoming the first same-sex married couple to win an Olympic Gold medal together.

 

Jane Austen

Regarded as one of the greatest writers ever, Jane Austen is the brilliant mind behind many classics including Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice.

The novelist grew up in Hampshire but attended the Reading Abbey Girls’ Boarding School in 1785.

 

Professor Edith Morley

Professor Edith Morley MBE was a literary scholar and activist. She was a professor of English Language at the University of Reading and is credited as being the first female professor in Britain.

In 2017 the University of Reading's Humanities and Social Sciences Building was renamed the Edith Morley Building, 142 years after she was born. 

 

Kirsty Gallacher

The Scottish television presenter and model was born in Edinburgh but educated at St George’s School in Ascot, Berkshire, making the town her home for the foreseable.

Gallacher began her career at Sky Sports News in 1998 and has since appeared on many television programmes including Lorraine, Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, Strictly Come Dancing and GB News.

 

Amal Clooney

Amal Clooney is a Lebanese/British Human Rights Lawyer. She has represented a number of high profile clients including the creator of WikiLeaks Julian Assange and Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy who was jailed while reporting in Egypt.  

Amal and her husband George Clooney have a multi-million-pound mansion in Sonning, Berkshire. The 17th century estate is a refurbished grade II listed building that the couple live in with their two children.

 

Eliza Bennett

The Reading-born actress and singer landed her first role as Jemima in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium in 2002, aged nine.

Her most notable roles have been those of Meggie Folchart in the film Inkheart, Tora in the film Nanny McPhee, Susan in From Time to Time and Holly Manson in the West End musical Loserville.

 

Phoebe Cusden

Cusden, born in Reading in 1887, was a lifelong trade unionist and peace campaigner. She was also Mayor of Reading. 

She formed the Reading-Dusselldorf Association, which bridged the gap between the two towns during the First World War, and it still exists to this day. 

She was awarded an MBE in 1951 and was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Reading in 1976.

 

Lucy Worsley

Reading-born TV Historian, Lucy Worsley OBE has presented many history-related shows including Empire of the Tsars: Romanov Russia on BBC One.

As well as presenting, she is an author and head curator at Historic Royal Palaces.

As a teenager Lucy represented Berkshire in cross country running.

 

Mary Russell-Mitford

Born in 1787, Mary Russell-Mitford is most well known for producing a famous book of sketches based on life in Three Mile Cross in Shinfield, Berkshire.

Her family lived in a large house in Reading before moving to Three Mile Cross. Towards the end of her life, she lived in Swallowfield and is buried in the village church.

 

Lisa Daniely

Born in Reading as Mary Elizabeth Bodington on June 4, 1929, this leading lady had an impressive career that credits her with 83 characters throughout her lifetime.

Making her debut at 21 years old she was involved in movies, TV series and voice over work in her later life.

 

Alma Cohen

The pop singer was famous during the 1950's and 60's, appearing on many TV shows. Alma Cohen shared her singing voice, famously 'bubbly' personality, and her striking fashion sense for the time.

She attended St Joseph's Convent School, Reading, despite being Jewish, and became the highest paid British female entertainer of her era.