logo
episode-header-image
May 2023
31m 38s

Royalty 101: What is a Lady in Waiting?

Lindsay Holiday
About this episode

When discussing the history of royalty, ladies in waiting pop up frequently. King Henry VIII left his first wife Catherine of Aragon for her lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn, and then beheaded her for her lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour. Queen Christina of Sweden and her Lady in waiting Ebba Sparre were secret lovers. And when Marie Antionette’s lady-in-waiting was guillotined the Queen was forced to kiss the lips of her friend’s severed head. But these Ladies were doing a lot more than waiting for the monarch to invite them to bed. Let’s take a look at the evolution, duties, ranks and lives of ladies in waiting at the royal courts of Europe.


Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History!

Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091781568503

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyteatimelindsayholiday/

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyteatime

Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating episodes!


Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell

Music: "Bellissimo" by Doug Maxwell

#womenshistory #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday

Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise on this podcast.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 8
The Kennedys – America's 'Royal' Families
Correction: JFK was assasinated on 11/22/1963 Ever since the United States rejected hereditary Monarchy, Americans have had a fascination with political dynasties. The Adamses, the Roosevelts, and the Bushes have all become pseudo-royal families with multiple generations in high ... Show More
34m 15s
Jul 1
Diana, Princess of Wales
Lady Diana Spencer was the daughter of an Earl and was hand picked at 19 to become the bride of heir to the throne, Charles, Prince of Wales. But he was already in love with another woman and the fairytale marriage soon devolved into a messy divorce splashed across the tabloids. ... Show More
30m 10s
Jun 24
Caroline Astor, The Queen of Gilded Age New York
Caroline was born into old money, and married into the richest new money family in the world. She became the ultimate Queen bee, determining who was and was NOT part of the illustrious 400, the high society of gilded age New York. A coveted invitation to one of her balls was the ... Show More
29m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
Queen Elizabeth I and Her V Card
This week is for the true history girlies! We are taking you through the life and reign of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. From her tumultuous upbringing as the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to her rise to become one of England's most notable monarchs. We talk sister figh ... Show More
1h 15m
Jan 2023
The Lucky Wife: Anne of Cleves (Queens Series)
Anne of Cleves is quickly becoming one of the most popular of Henry VIII's six queens. Thanks partly to today's guest, historian Heather Darsie. Think you've heard everything you've ever wanted to know about this fourth "wife" of Henry VIII? Think again! Today I've had some bombs ... Show More
45m 52s
May 2017
Catherine of Aragon part 1
Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded survived. The wives of Henry VIII, king of England are all famous, but sometimes his first queen, Catherine of Aragon can be overlooked. She was born in Spain in 1485 and was the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had u ... Show More
58m 10s
Nov 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots
This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail. Dan ... Show More
41m 55s
Apr 2024
The Royal Temptress: Isabella of Angoulême
In this revisit episode we look at the second wife of King John – son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. To guide us on this journey of discovery, Rebecca is joined by historian and author Sharon Bennett Connelly. Sharon’s book, Ladies of the Magna Carta: Women of Influence in ... Show More
47m 56s
Jan 2024
Tudors in Love
From Henry VIII declaring himself as the ‘loyal and most assured servant’ of Anne Boleyn to the poems lavished on Elizabeth I by her suitors, the dramas of courtly love have captivated readers and dreamers for centuries.  In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, first released in ... Show More
39m 23s
Jan 2024
Conspiracy | 1. Was Elizabeth I a man?
In her most famous speech, delivered on 9 August 1588, Queen Elizabeth I declared that she had the "heart and stomach of a king". Was that just rhetoric? Or could England’s iconic Tudor queen actually have been a man masquerading as a woman? In this new episode of Conspiracy, Tud ... Show More
26m 21s
Sep 2024
Marie Antoinette Was Misunderstood
In this week's RERELEASE , Claire and Tess sit down with some bubbly and cake and tell the story of the one and only, Marie Antoinette. We start with her beginnings as an Austrian princess leading her to become one of the most notorious rulers in history as the Queen of France an ... Show More
1h 17m
Sep 2022
The Queen & US Presidents
We had plans today to release the first two episodes of American History Hit but due to the news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II last week, we’ve decided to take some time and do something a little different. You’ll hear those episodes on Thursday September 22, until then here ... Show More
6m 50s
Feb 2023
Shirin: Heroine of Iran
Princess, Queen, and political influencer - Shirin should be a name as famed as Cleopatra, but how come so few know of her? Coming to influence in Iran during the early 7th Century, Shirin was the Christian wife of the Sasanian King Khosrow II, and was forced to flee to Syria in ... Show More
48m 48s