Noble Blood
Noble Blood
Author Dana Schwartz explores the stories of some of history’s most fascinating royals: the tyrants and the tragic, the murderers and the murdered, and everyone in between. Because when you’re wearing a crown, mistakes often mean blood. New episodes every two weeks, on Tuesdays.Social links:
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The Mitford Communist (With Carla Kaplan)
The glamorous Mitford sisters—six daughters of a Baron—have captivated the public imagination for decades. One became a duchess, one a famous novelist, one retired into a life of privacy, two become fascists, and one became a communist. Jessica "Decca" Mitford is a character larger than life, and t…
33:05
How Lola Montez Took Down a King
Though she was born in Ireland with no Spanish blood, the self-named "Lola Montez" captivated Europe with her charm and sexuality, eventually entangling King Ludwig I in a scandal that would lead to the end of his reign. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Ord…
35:45
The Noblewoman Marooned on the Isle of Demons
While sailing from France to the New World, Marguerite de La Rocque and her lover were punished, marooned on an island where they would be tormented by natural forces and, according to some stories, demons. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's boo…
30:18
The Kennedy Marchioness
One of the most glamorous members of the Kennedy clan, Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy dazzled and scandalized British society. But her story would ultimately end in tragedy. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its seque…
28:45
Husbands of the Scottish Queen
Lord Darnley, the husband of Mary Queen of Scots, was murdered under mysterious circumstances. How Mary reacted, and what happened next, would lead to her undoing. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel '…
45:38
Sing Me a Song of a Lad That Is Gone
After the Battle of Culloden, the Bonnie Prince Charlie needed to escape to safety. His salvation would come in the form of a young woman named Flora MacDonald, who would become an indelible piece of romantic Scottish history. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Pa…
30:01
The Example of an Honest Courtesan
As a courtesan, Veronica Franco would entertain Henry III of Valois in her Venetian home. But her greatest accomplishments would be a literary career that defied public expectation and defended her honor from men who would mock and diminish her. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, an…
48:48
Revolutionaries on Cato Street
In 1820, a group of desperate radicals came up with a violent plan for complete social and political reform in England: murdering the entire cabinet at a nearby dinner party. But their scheme—known as the Cato Street Conspiracy—was over before it even began. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes,…
29:03
King James VI's Stolen Crown (with Tracy Borman)
On her deathbed, the unmarried "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I declared that her successor would be King James VI of Scotland. Or at least, that's the story that we've been told. In her new book THE STOLEN CROWN, historian Tracy Borman, Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, discusses the bombshell ne…
36:22
Lady of the Mercians
Æthelflæd's father was Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons, and he married her to the leader of Mercia to seal an alliance. But Æthelflæd's husband would become sickly, and she would become a formidable leader in her own right. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts o…
27:03