In 1854, the twenty-five year old aristocrat Roger Tichborne, heir to an impressive fortune, died in a shipwreck ....Or did he? His mother, certain of her son’s survival, advertised extensively with a tantalising reward for her son’s return. Twenty years later a rough, corpulent butcher from Australia named Arthur Orton arrived in Europe and declared himsel ... Show More
Yesterday
649. The Fall of the Incas: The Last Emperor (Part 6)
With the Incan emperor on the run, and the Spanish divided, what atrocities would unfold in the final phase of this brutal conquest? Who would triumph, Francisco Pizarro or his brutal former partner Diego de Almagro? And how would the once mighty Incas, finally fall…? Join Domini ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2
648. The Fall of the Incas: Battle for the Sacred City (Part 5)
Three years into the conquest of the Incas, how did the Spaniards respond to the Incan uprising, lead by their puppet emperor Manco? How did the despicable behaviour of Pizarro and his men spark the rebellion? And, how would the terrifying assault of Manco and his Incan warriors, ... Show More
1h 7m
Feb 26
647. The Fall of the Incas: The King in the North (Part 4)
How did the Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro take advantage of the Incan civil War? Were they able to discover the glorious city of Cusco, with all of its riches? And, what terrible brutalities did they commit along the way…? Join Dominic and Tom, as they discuss the ... Show More
1h 10m
Apr 2023
Six wives | 2. Anne Boleyn
Harlot, feminist, witch, backstabber, icon, powerplayer, victim – in the centuries since her execution, Anne Boleyn has been branded all of these. But what do we know about the real Anne and her story? In episode two of our new series on the dramatic marital history of England’s ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2023
Dick Whittington: London’s golden boy
Over the past 200 years, Dick Whittington has become one of Britain’s best-loved pantomime heroes. Yet, as today’s long read explores, the real-life story that inspired Dick’s rags to riches tale is even more remarkable than the fiction. Based on his interview with author Michael ... Show More
17m 37s
Sep 2023
Margaret Cavendish: scandalous 17th-century writer
Margaret Cavendish has been largely forgotten and, when remembered, divides opinion. One of England’s first female philosophers, professional authors and scientists, the 17th-century writer challenged convention throughout her life with her proto-feminist writing and audacious be ... Show More
37m 26s
Jan 2024
21. Maria Manning - 'Lady Macbeth of Bermondsey'
Lucy Worsley travels back in time to revisit the unthinkable crimes of 19th century murderesses from the UK, Australia and North America.This episode sees Lucy traverse London, hot on the heels of Maria Manning, the so-called Lady Macbeth of Bermondsey, a woman who confounds expe ... Show More
29m 21s
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
Feb 2022
380 Ian Fleming | PLUS The Black James Bond
Ian Fleming (1908-1964) always wanted to be a writer. Not an "author," as he put it, and not someone in the "Shakespeare stakes," but someone who wrote for money and pleasure. In developing his enduring character James Bond, he managed to accomplish both. In this episode, Jacke t ... Show More
48m 52s
Jun 2023
518 The Curse of the Marquis de Sade - A Notorious Scoundrel, a Mythical Manuscript, and the Biggest Scandal in Literary History (with Joel Warner) | My Last Book with Diane Rayor
Not even imprisonment could stop the Marquis de Sade from writing his insanely intense, unrelenting erotica - and not even Sade's eventual death could stop his secret manuscript, temporarily hidden in a Bastille wall to protect it from looters and revolutionaries, from haunting i ... Show More
41m 54s
Jun 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots: Part Four: The Jewelled Tortoise
This week, Mary, Queen of Scots hosts an eventful dinner party.
Content warning: murder
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References:
Daughters of the North: Jean Gordon and Mary Queen of Scots by Jennifer Morag Henderson
David Rizzio and Mary Queen of Scots: Murder at Holyrood by David Tweedie
Embroidering He ... Show More
1h 51m