Victoria etc
I heard one missionary of 60 years, TL Osborn say that the revolutions of history have often offered windows for the furtherance of the Gospel. That's not to say that the revolutions are always caused by Christians, though sometimes they are but more often by the upheaval of the oppressed and sometimes they were oppressed by the "Church".

But I have found in looking at scripture that Jesus had his followers and his Pharisees and that's been the pattern of Church History as well.

The women of Church History have for the large part been some of my hero's. Maybe because they didn't have the power and had to work within the system in which they lived; Catherine of Sienna, Teresa of Avila, Hildegaard of Bingham, Catherine Von Bora are just a few.

There have always been the Jezebels and Salomes (who got all the press).

Queen Victoria, though a powerful woman is portrayed in history as plagued with insecurity and self doubt in her personal life.
And you are so right. There is the fallen nature of all humanity. Ultimate power often paves the way to abuse. The classic example is the Catholic Church. Until there was opposition they couldn't neatly condemn and kill and empirical power they couldn't control they wielded a deadly and maniacal power over Europe. It is kind of like the last scene in Lord of the Flies, where the kids that have been brutalizing the others are faced with the British ship and a greater power. Oops! Accountability.