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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.


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Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell

Music: "Bellissimo" by Doug Maxwell

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