Queens Podcast

Hey, y'all! Yes, we are on our summer break, but wanted to keep some content coming your way. So, here's an episode from our private Patreon feed from 2018 about three LGBTQ+ pioneers or... Pioneresses! First up we're talking Christine Jorgensen, a trans trailblazer. Then, we'll jump to a badass bi actress from the Hollywood golden age that just did not give a single f*ck, Marlene Dietrich. And la...

We last left Christina as she was finally coming into her role as queen of Sweden. Join us as we get into the wild ride that is the rest of her life. And y'all. There is never a dull moment in this life. Here are some sources we used to research this episode: https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/articles-movies-360/ulriksdal-palace/2018-04-13-historys-grandest-coronation-procession.html https://...

Christina of Sweden, aka the Girl King, is one of the most famous monarchs of Sweden. Her memory lives in both fame and infamy. She was... complicated. Is it a boy or a girl? Initially, Christina was mistaken for a male at birth, causing her Mom (Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg) to take some really drastic steps to communicate her frustration with her. But it wasn't all trauma. Dad (King Gustavus II...

Messy Messalina has not gone down in history with the tidiest reputation. In fact, we may even say her reputation is kind of messy. Empress Messalina was the wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, who ruled from AD 41 to 54. She is infamous for her promiscuity and extravagance. But, was she really all that extra? Or did she just do what every single Roman man was doing? Messalina was born in AD 17 to a w...

Madame de Montespan is most famous for being the longtime mistress of Louis XIV of France. Last episode we discussed how the queen of Versailles got there, but what happened once she was on top? Our awesome new intro music is thanks to @1touchproduction ! Some sources we used: https://partylike1660.com/francoise-athenais-de-rochechouart-de-mortemart-marquise-de-montespan/ https://www.youtube.com/w...

Born into bougie-ness via one of the oldest noble families in France, Francois-Athenais de Rochechouart de Mortemart (say that three times fast) felt right at home at court. Known for having a great sense of humor and voluptuous curves to boot, it’s no surprise she caught the eye of one of the biggest f-boys in history.   But Franny didn’t always have her eyes set on Louis XIV and was actually mar...

Welcome to another exciting episode of Queens Podcast, where we dive into the life of Amina of Zaria, a legendary figure in African history. Join hosts Katy and Nathan as they sip on a delicious Nigerian Chapman cocktail and recount the incredible story of a woman who defied the norms of her time. Don’t miss this episode filled with historical intrigue, empowerment, and a little bit of fun. Whethe...

Jadwiga of Poland is actually our first king to cover. Yup! It's a female king. And a child king at that. So, lots of familiar territory to cover such as #babiesdontneedjobs #babiesdontneedhusbands (tell your mom). However, we're also covering a lot of new ground in this latest episode. Jadwiga learned how to play her role as er... king. And she did it well! And to top it all off, she's a saint (h...

Betty Marion White, born January 17th, 1922, was a spot-on Capricorn, talented producer, writer, actor, mentor, and activist, with a “live with it” attitude fit for nothing short of royalty. Although born during the Great Depression, she pursued the career of her dreams, working well into her late 80’s without skipping a beat. Betty lived to be 99 years old, peacefully passing away on December 31,...

Ever heard the phrase "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"? Well, we have a sneaking suspicion that it was penned with Jeanne de Clisson in mind. Noble woman turned terrorist of the French king turned pirate for the English... her life was absolutely nuts. And we love to tell her story. Today we've paired a mulled wine with this queen because baby it's cold outside. This is going to be our las...

Hypatia of Alexandria wears many hats. Philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician. And for a woman in the 4th and 5th century... well that's a big deal. Hypatia helped shaped the minds of an entire generation of leaders, but not everyone was a fan. Join us here as we discuss her life. Sources for this episode: https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/killing-hypatia http://www.hellenicaworld.co...

In this episode, we pick up where we left off. Anne is now queen of England and everything should be great, right? Well, think again. Join us as we discuss what really happened in her journey from the king's wife, to the king's sister and after. Join us today as we pair a lemon, raspberry cocktail with the early years of Anne's life. As always, find full show notes on our website http://queenshist...

If Henry VIII was on Tinder, would Anne of Cleves swipe right? Would anyone, given his affinity for getting rid of his wives? Probably not. However, since Anne didn't call the shots, she was shipped off to wed the the recently widowed King and be crowned yet another Queen of England.  Join us as we sip on a lightly stirred “Beloved Sister,” a yummy mix of lemon vodka, cranberry juice, orange juice...

We are so excited to venture to the East to dive into Korean politics and just the bananas royal family that Empress Myeongseong married into. Queen Min really won our hearts over with her love of books, learning, and tried to move her people into the forward-thinking future. The downside? She had a father-in-law from hell! We think you're really going to love this story. Please let us know what y...

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to Re. Welcome back to season 5! We are SO excited to show some respect to the one and only Queen of Soul... Aretha Franklin! Aretha Franklin was one of the most iconic singers ever. But her life wasn't without drama. Raised in a very busy and religious household, Aretha first got noticed singing gospel, but it wasn't until she made her move to pop in the 1960...

Join us on our last episode of season 4. We wrap up the life of Emma of Normandy. In this episode we see this multi-queen go from maybe the most powerful woman in the world to an woman in exile to... well, we won't spoil it for you. Cheers! We'll be on summer break after this episode, but you can find new updates on Patreon. Otherwise, we'll catch you in September! Queens podcast is part of Airwav...

Emma of Normandy wasn't interested in being just the king's wife. She wanted a seat at the table, but it seems like her husband, king Ethelred (the unready) had other ideas. See how our girl went from the new girl in town to a full-blown powerhouse queen in part 1 of our season 4 finale. Find full show notes on our website at http://queenshistorypodcast.com/ Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media...

Irene of Athens was the Byzantine empress who ruled from 797 to 802 AD. And guys, she was brutal. She was born in Athens, Greece and married Emperor Leo IV at a young age. That marriage wasn't great. The two had opposing religious views in a time and place where that wasn't something most relationships really ever got past. After his death, she became regent for their son, Constantine VI. However,...

We've now come to the end of the story, and wow what a story it was. Empress Catherine II of Russia (aka The Great) wasn't perfect. She's complicated, contradictory but endlessly fascinating and we can't wait to tell you the rest of her story. Despite what she did there is no doubt that Catherine the Great Empress of Russia is one of the most influential women in history. Cheers! You can get the f...

When we last left Catherine she had just convinced a whole military to ditch the zero and go with a hero (I'm sorry...) and now she's the Empress of Russia. But... now what? Full show notes & sources at https://queenshistorypodcast.com/catherine-the-great-part-3 Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on ou...

Catherine the great has gone down in history as one of the most impressive female leaders of all time. But she didn't start out that way! Married to a man that hated her, Catherine is finding out that being the wife of the future emperor wasn't all it was meant to be. Catherine was unhappy and lonely with no one on her side. But, Cahterine wouldn't be held down for long. And after the birth of her...

Catherine the great has gone down in history as one of the most impressive female leaders of all time. But she didn't start out that way! Despite being born to a noble, bitter mom in doesn’t-exist-anymore Prussia (what we call Germany and Poland today), Catherine became an even-keeled, sociable woman fit for royalty, thanks to her love of learning and charismatic personality.   Since Catherine eve...

Sayyida Al Hurra's story has EVERYTHING. Vengeance, piracy, crossover with other queens, ladies getting stuff done, so much booty and more! We paired this pirate boss babe with a pomegranate cocktail that is dangerously delicious. Enjoy! Cheers!  https://queenshistorypodcast.com/sayyida-al-hurra Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if...

Welcome back to part 2 in our Elizabeth of York series. Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact sales@advertisecast.com if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our Patreon, check out our merch store and follow us on Instagram! Our awesome new intro music is thanks to @1touchproduction ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...

Elizabeth of York brings the drama on her road to becoming Queen of England. She married Henry Tudor, AKA Henry VII, after the War of the Roses, but did they actually love each other? Grab a glass of bubbly as we dive into what could easily be a plot line in Game of Thrones, which is Elizabeth of York’s life. You might want to get comfy in preparation for this one because a lot of Elizabeth’s fami...