Queen Njinga ruled the united kingdoms of Ndongo and Matamba while facing off against the constant threat of Portuguese colonization. All it took was the cunning to know who to trust and when. [Support Noble Blood on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/noblebloodtales. Noble Blood merch is available here: https://store.dftba.com/collections/noble-blood]
Oct 13
The Clothes that Make the Queen (with Kate Strasdin)
How does a queen show her power through her clothing? In her book DRESSING THE QUEEN, historian Kate Strasdin traces two hundred years of the most important garments that a royal can wear. Support Noble Blood:—ORDER 'THE ARCANE ARTS'— Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patr ... Show More
27m 44s
Oct 6
Betrayal and a Tudor in Scotland
When she was still a child, Margaret Tudor, sister of the future King Henry VIII, was married to the King of Scotland. But it wouldn't be until her husband's death that Margaret would face the greatest challenges of her life during her regency. Support Noble Blood:—ORDER 'THE ARC ... Show More
32m 1s
Mar 2023
Njinga: queen, warrior, diplomat
Queen Njinga, the 17th-century ruler of Ndongo and Matamba, in modern-day Angola, established an impressive reputation for her skills as a warrior and diplomat. At a time when Portuguese colonists were ramping up operations in the region, Njinga had to fight tooth and nail for su ... Show More
37m 34s
Aug 2019
Isabella of Castile Part 1
Never before have we covered a woman with such far reaching influence. This determined woman began by pulling off a coup, then branched out into such far reaching endeavors as the Spanish Inquisition, the settlement of the Americas, and transforming the queen (in chess and in lif ... Show More
1h 10m
Sep 2024
That Time a Swedish Queen Became So Enlightened, She Quit Being the Queen
Christina wasn't your average monarch of her day -- while many rulers sought to subjugate and terrorize their kingdoms, she sought to acquire knowledge, and to empower the public with information. Often called the "Minerva of the North," this ruler skillfully navigated treacherou ... Show More
44m 15s
Jun 2023
History of Everything: The Mad Queen of Madagascar
In 1828, after the death of her husband, Queen Ranavalona I. came into power by killing all other potential regents (wives, sons, mothers). At that time, she was between 30 and 40 years old. Ranavalona I. went down in history rather ingloriously and bears the surname “the cruel”. ... Show More
1h 2m
Mar 2024
Kokang Cowboys: Burma’s Transgender Narco Royalty, a Secret Army, and a “Special Belt”
Olive Yang—or Miss Hairy Legs, or Two-Gun Mulan, or any number of nicknames folks gave her—was the gunslinging princess of Kokang who bucked the royal yolk to become one of the Golden Triangle’s biggest narco traffickers. With DC’s backing she built an empire all over Asia, and d ... Show More
43m 3s
May 2025
Women who ruled over Africa
From rainmaking queens to dogged isolationists, the lives and reigns of Africa’s female rulers have long been shrouded in mystery, misunderstanding and misogyny. Over the centuries and throughout the continent, these individuals navigated the rigid traditions of their own culture ... Show More
39m 58s