History Tea Time

From repairing the damage wrought by disease, injury and warfare to enhancing beauty, healers have long sought new and innovative ways to improve the looks and the lives of their patients. Let’s take a journey through the historic of plastic surgery, from it’s painful and primitive yet surprisingly effective ancient origins, through a few shocking case studies to the modern medical procedures of t...

1066, a date which lives in infamy in many a school child’s history test. For in that year England saw 4 Kings, and two bitter enemies battle for the throne. The ultimate victor would change the course history. The new series King and Conqueror dramatizes this pivotal rivalry with all the guts and Glory of Game of Thrones, sans the dragons and Ice zombies, and with surprisingly little incest. But...

On October 30th, 2025, Buckingham palace announced that King Charles III had begun a formal process to remove his brother Andrew’s style, titles, and honours. Find out what that means and learn about other royals from history who lost their titles. Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Follow me on Faceboo...

With so much money and power, royals were able to invent some pretty unique and creative ways to slay their enemies, or accidentally seal their own doom. From a Chinese Emperor’s deadly elixir of life to a steamy Roman romance that got a little too scalding hot. From a court jester so hilarious he made a Spanish king litrally die laughing, to a Swedish King’s massive last meal of caviar, champagne...

Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday The eerily beloved British comedy Ghosts was first adapted into an American supernatural sit com. It has now appairated into 3 more adaptations in Germany, France and Australia. In each version, half of a modern, living couple inherit a historic mansion. After moving in, the woman has a brush with death, which allows her to se...

Europe has a new monarch! On the 3rd of October, 2025 Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg abdicated the throne. And his son, Prince Guillaume was sworn in as the nation’s new Grand Duke. Let’s explore the history of this small, but ancient monarchy, learn what a Grand Duke actually is, meet the old and new Grand Dukes and their Grand Duchesses, and find out what happened at this royal event! Join me ev...

For nearly 1000 years, the tower of London has been the site of the bloody executions of some of England’s most famous historic figures. And many of the tower’s victims were laid to their final rest within the walls, never to escape the prison where they met their tragic end. A King, 3 Queens, A Prince, 5 dukes and many more noble men and women were buried here. Let’s meet them and learn how they...

For nearly 1000 years, the tower of London has been the site of the bloody executions of some of England’s most famous historic figures. And many of the tower’s victims were laid to their final rest within the walls, never to escape the prison where they met their tragic end. A King, 3 Queens, A Prince, 5 dukes and many more noble men and women were buried here. Let’s meet them and learn how they...

Royalty 101: Ten hereditary monarchies survive in Europe today; Belgium, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, The United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Monaco. Each of them pass their thrones within their respective royal or noble family based on different rules. Some give daughters equal right to sons, some bar women and their children entirely. Princes and Princesses may be b...

“As rich as a Rothschild” was a common saying in the gilded age. Their rags to riches story reads like many other great modern financial dynasties; a brilliant founder who forged a fortune and future generations who squandered it on eccentricities. But the Rothschilds have a few interesting twists; The Patriarch’s five sons were sent across Europe to establish their own banking dynasties. They exp...

In 2013, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands stepped down and handed the throne to her son, Willem Alexander. In 2022 Queen Elizabeth II of the UK died at the age of 96 and her son, Charles III inherited the throne. And on January 14th, 2024, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark abdicated in favor of her son, Frederik X. In just over 10 years, the world has gone from three accomplished, popular and long rei...

Henry VIII is famous for marrying 6 wives, abandoning 2 of them and beheading another 2. Some might say he ruined their lives! And though they may have briefly been Queens, they also likely cursed they met the royal tyrant. In his Majesty’s search for new brides there were a handful of ladies whom he considered, but either turned down, or rejected him. Let’s meet the 8 lucky ladies who managed to...

For thousands of years, Emperors of China had harems of dozens or even hundreds of wives. Emperors had the right to select concubines from among the teenage daughters of the nobility or the peasantry. During the Ming dynasty 5,000 beautiful woman were brought from around the country and lined up in front of the palace. They were narrowed down to just a handful who were admitted into the palace and...

Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was a bright rose, who bloomed even in the shadow of her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II. She was a fashion icon and the life of many parties. She had a scandalous romance her sovereign sibling could never sanction, and a disastrous marriage which paved the way for future royal divorces. And through it all, she was a dedicated support and friend to the Queen...

I’m at Ye Olde Mitre, one of the oldest pubs in London with a cold pint of Ale. And I can think of no better place to discuss the history of alcohol. Intoxicating beverages has been a part of human culture from the beginning. Alcohol flows through our social, ritual, religious, economic, government, and medical history. So join us for a glass of your favorite hard or non-alcoholic tipple, as we ex...

When Queen Elizabeth II and her family went on vacation, they didn’t fly coach or take a carnival cruise. They traveled in style aboard Her Majesty’s Yacht Britannia. The Queen designed the ship herself the year of her coronation. This was her favorite place to be, where she could truly unwind. I recently had the opportunity to tour this historic yacht in Edinburgh, Scotland. And to talk with the...

King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette of France had 4 offspring. They also adopted 6 orphans. These children spent their early years in the lap of luxury at the Palace of Versailles. But the French revolution tore the family apart. The King and Queen lost their heads to Madame Guillotine and the children were imprisoned and scattered to the wind. Let’s meet the children of the King and Queen o...

Catherine, Princess of Wales is one of the best known, best liked and best dressed women in the world. But she’s far from the only future queen with a fairytale love story, who’s now busy greeting diplomats, supporting charities, raising little royals and looking fabulous! Of the 10 surviving hereditary monarchies in Europe, 5 have heirs who are still young and as yet unmarried. We can look forwar...

Through most of history, monarchs wielded unlimited political and military power, while their Queens and consorts were in charge of producing heirs and ruling the hearts of the people. Since the fall of feudalism, the 10 remaining hereditary monarchs of Europe have lost their unchecked authority. But their spouses’ so called ‘soft powers’ of hosting diplomats, supporting charities and greeting the...

Correction: JFK was assasinated on 11/22/1963 Ever since the United States rejected hereditary Monarchy, Americans have had a fascination with political dynasties. The Adamses, the Roosevelts, and the Bushes have all become pseudo-royal families with multiple generations in high office. But no clan has embodied this more than the Kennedys. They achieved the American dream, going from penniless Iri...

Lady Diana Spencer was the daughter of an Earl and was hand picked at 19 to become the bride of heir to the throne, Charles, Prince of Wales. But he was already in love with another woman and the fairytale marriage soon devolved into a messy divorce splashed across the tabloids. Though she would never get to be Queen, Diana’s glamor, likability and compassionate charity work made her the Queen of...

Caroline was born into old money, and married into the richest new money family in the world. She became the ultimate Queen bee, determining who was and was NOT part of the illustrious 400, the high society of gilded age New York. A coveted invitation to one of her balls was the ultimate achievement for social climbers. Those left off the list might as well catch the next train to Toledo. Like her...

Sexuality and gender politics have differed from culture to culture and age to age throughout history. The concept of homosexuality as an identity only emerged in the 20th century. Prior to that gay and lesbian relationships and activities were commonplace but were thought of as something one did rather than part of one’s identity. There have been many historic figures who are noted to have prefer...

The Queens and Consorts of the Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and later the Windsor Dynasty reined over the United Kingdom and the British Empire. They sometimes spurred on and sometimes resisted the modernization of the world. They inspired their people and even fought during two world Wars. The modern Queens consort and male consorts were: Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha Alexandra of Denmark Mary of Teck...

The German Hanoverian Queens of Great Britain and later the United Kingdom had some of the most epic royal matrimonial brawls in history. One brought enlightenment thinking to court. One was dear friends with Marie Antoinette and endured her husband’s decades of madness. And one got locked out of her husband’s coronation. The Hanoverian Queens consort were: Sophia Dorothea of Celle (not technicall...