The Neck and the Necklace

In the reign of Henry VIII, religion in England became a minefield of confusing and shifting doctrine. Anne Askew, the daughter of a well-connected courtier, preached her interpretation of the Bible. Her punishment was more a matter of politics than of doctrine. Support Noble Blo ... Show More

In the new film Uprising, a ploughman played by Andrew Garfield joins in the 1381 Peasants' Revolt against Richard II of England. Historian Dan Jones served as the medieval consultant on the film, and joins us to discuss the movie, and his upcoming book, CASTLES. Support Noble Bl ... Show More

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

Queen Marie Antoinette's reputation was already tarnished by gossip in 1784, but was completely ruined by the implication that she defrauded the crown jewelers, conning them out of a dazzling, expensive diamond necklace. That's the short summary -- but the story itself is a start ... Show More

Marie Antoinette’s world renowned extravagance made her an icon and then an example as the Queen of France, but her beheading, and the French Revolution, may never have come to pass if not for a lavish piece of jewelry at the center of a salacious con. Hosted by Simplecast, an Ad ... Show More

Real-life or Lifetime movie? Let's find out. In this episode of Thick & Thin, we travel back to 18th century Versailles to learn the story of Jeanne de La Motte: a catfish and con artist who stole the most expensive piece of jewelry in France. // Follow me on IG: instagram.com/ka ... Show More

In August 1785 a shocking affair came to light which would prove so detrimental to the reputation and standing of the French King Louis XVI, and more especially his already unpopular wife, Queen Marie Antoinette, that it would become a decisive moment in the rising tide of the Fr ... Show More

<p>Most people associate Marie Antoinette with towering wigs, bon bons, affairs, and the legendary “let them eat cake” line. And wasn’t she executed for living extravagantly while the French people were starving? The answer is no, no, and no – the truth is way more complicated th ... Show More

A queen's fortunes can change in the blink of an eye. As Henry grows distant and Cromwell plots against her, Anne finds herself facing a life-or-death trial that will shock the court, and the country.Do you have a suggestion for a scandal you would like us to cover? Or perhaps yo ... Show More

This is our first episode from 2011, there's a do-over for this doomed, yet fascinating and glamorous queen in episodes 53 and 54! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

As Orson Welles would say, "Ah, the French." Here, in a lead up to the French Revolution, we consider the tale of one randy Cardinal, one social climbing almost-noble, one doomed queen, and one hideous diamond necklace. C'est ridicule (especially Elizabeth butchering all French p ... Show More

On today’s tapes…>> Catfished << The inception of catfishing.>> Rubbernecking << Did she see something she wasn’t supposed to? Is it out to get her now? 

<p>In Part One, Marie Antoinette came to France as a teenager and ended up getting her name dragged through the mud. Marie’s determination to prove to her people that she’s a queen who deserves respect is about to dig her grave that much faster. Now, she’s not just in a fight for ... Show More