The Grimaldi family has ruled over the tiny but beautiful and wealthy nation of Monaco since 1297. And for just as long they have been shockingly unlucky in love. Since the dynasty was supposedly cursed by a witch in the 14th century they have endured far more than their fair share of terrible mismatches, mistresses, an affair with King Louis XIV, abandonmen ... Show More
Mar 17
Guinness Family - Ireland's Dark Beer Dynasty
When the Guinness family saw the turmoil and scandals of other great historic dynasties, they literally said, hold our beer, and proceeded to top them all. The new series, The House of Guinness dramatizes just one generation of the famous Irish family; the 4 children of Benjamin ... Show More
36m 1s
Mar 10
Madame Jeanne du Barry - The Last Great Royal Mistress of France
Jeanne Bécu, Jeanne du Barry, Madame du Barry, clawed her way up from the illegitimate daughter of a single mother, to one of the most celebrated courtesans in Paris, to the final royal mistress of King Louis XV. Her captivating life has been dramatized in numerous operas, films ... Show More
32m 34s
Mar 3
Which Nations have had the most Queens Regnant?
Through most of history, male monarchs have been the norm. Their wives held the title of Queen or Empress, but were merely consorts, with little real power. Many monarchies, like France, The Ottoman Empire and Bhutan have strictly barred women from inheriting the throne and have ... Show More
32m 11s
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
57m 10s
Aug 2023
Anne Boleyn part 1 for Tudor Week!
Who's that girl? It's Anne! Anne Boleyn is one of the most infamous figures in British history. Her short life is often defined by her marriage to King Henry VIII, her role in the English Reformation, and ultimately, her execution. However, in this episode (part of our Tudor Week ... Show More
58m 36s
Apr 2022
Memory 7 - The Women of Kinnaird Castle
In these ‘Memories’ episodes, Emma has selected some of her most treasured memories from the Duchess podcast. This time we are revisiting Kinnaird Castle, where the Duchess met Caroline Fife, Duchess of Fife, to talk about the history of empowering women at the estate. In the ful ... Show More
3m 52s
Jul 2022
L’affaire du collier de la Reine, la pire escroquerie de l’Histoire de France
C'est l’une des plus grandes affaires d’escroquerie du XVIIIème siècle. Celle d’un bijou d’une valeur exorbitante qui a terni pour de bon la réputation de Marie-Antoinette et a précipité la Révolution française. Diamants, fausses lettres, rendez-vous galant et manipulation… Autan ... Show More
15 m