On April 3, 1817, a strange woman in a turban and ruffled black dress appeared in a small village to the north of Bristol. She would claim to be a Princess from a distant island, and for a summer, she would dazzle and charm an entire town of Englishmen and women all too ready to enjoy a spectacle of the "exotic."
Yesterday
"The Apple is Ripe; Pick It Now Or It Will Rot"
Leopoldina married into the royal family of Portugal, which meant moving to Brazil with her husband. But civil war was bubbling on both sides of the Atlantic, and while her husband was out of town and Leopoldina was serving as Princess Regent, she would be faced with making a fat ... Show More
35m 1s
Aug 18
Frances Duff's Jamaican Inheritance
When Frances was a child, her mother went before the Assembly to petition that she be legally classified as "white." Frances would go on to become a wealthy heiress, and marry into the British aristocracy, but the cost would be engaging with the very system of slavery and discrim ... Show More
28m 29s
Feb 2011
Cinderella
Once upon a time, in ancient Egypt, a princess was born. But before her happily ever after, she had to live a challenging life of servitude, duty, and a deep belief in her own character. The long life of the woman that we discuss in this episode crosses cultural, territorial and ... Show More
52m 50s
Aug 2020
Mary Willcocks Pt. 1: “Princess Caraboo”
In the early 1800s, Mary Willcocks was a young, restless woman struggling in poverty. Drifting around England as a beggar, she eventually donned a disguise and spoke in a made-up language, hoping to lure more charity. The ruse worked, and her bizarre alias was born. Learn more ab ... Show More
43m 27s
Apr 2019
Susanna Caroline Matilda: The Colonial Grifter Princess
Have you ever dreamed about shedding your old identity, casting aside your obligations and becoming an entirely different person? Susanna Caroline Matilda, narrowly escaping death after stealing from the Queen, did just that upon arriving at the American colonies. Join Ben, Casey ... Show More
53m 27s