logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2025
46m 17s

7 Living Former Monarchs Who Retired

Lindsay Holiday
About this episode

Queen Elizabeth II considered abdication to be a dirty word. She remained on the throne until her death at 96, and left her son Charles to waiting 73 years to take the job he was born to. But abdication is not so despised in other countries. In recent decades more monarchs have elected to retire and pass the throne on to the next generation. Thus allowing them to spend their golden years relaxing and enjoying their ridiculously well-funded retirement plans. Plus we’ll find out what an ex monarch does in retirement; from studying fish to living in a log cabin to getting into even more scandal than they did on the throne. Let’s meet the world’s 6 living former monarchs...

Akihito, Former Emperor of Japan

Albert II, Former King of Belgium

Juan Carlos I, Former King of Spain

Beatrix, Former Queen of the Netherlands

Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Former Emir of Qatar

Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Former Dragon King of Bhutan

Margrethe II , Former Queen of Denmark


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: 'Dream of the Ancestors' by Asher Fulero

#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
Aug 26
Chinese Concubines who became Empresses
For thousands of years, Emperors of China had harems of dozens or even hundreds of wives. Emperors had the right to select concubines from among the teenage daughters of the nobility or the peasantry. During the Ming dynasty 5,000 beautiful woman were brought from around the coun ... Show More
31m 41s
Aug 19
Princess Margaret - Queen Elizabeth II’s Infamous Sister
Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon was a bright rose, who bloomed even in the shadow of her older sister, Queen Elizabeth II. She was a fashion icon and the life of many parties. She had a scandalous romance her sovereign sibling could never sanction, and a disastrous marriag ... Show More
32m 13s
Aug 12
A History of Alcohol
I’m at Ye Olde Mitre, one of the oldest pubs in London with a cold pint of Ale. And I can think of no better place to discuss the history of alcohol. Intoxicating beverages has been a part of human culture from the beginning. Alcohol flows through our social, ritual, religious, e ... Show More
33m 21s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 13
The Queen of Sheba
A figure of wealth, wisdom, and global fascination - how did the Queen of Sheba become one of history’s most enduring royal icons?In this episode, Tristan Hughes is joined by Dr Jillian Stinchcomb to trace the enduring story of the Queen of Sheba — from her biblical debut to her ... Show More
52m 16s
Apr 2025
553. The Last Viking: Warrior of the New Rome (Part 2)
Harald Hardrada; exiled prince of Norway and mercenary, has landed in the greatest city on Earth: Constantinople. There he joins one of the most prestigious military organisations in the world, the Varangian Guard, charged with protecting the Emperor. Almost the next ten years of ... Show More
1h 6m
Dec 2024
The Hanoverian Succession
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the intense political activity at the turn of the 18th Century, when many politicians in London went to great lengths to find a Protestant successor to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland and others went to equal lengths to oppose them. Queen A ... Show More
50m 54s
Dec 2024
The Hanoverian Succession
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the intense political activity at the turn of the 18th Century, when many politicians in London went to great lengths to find a Protestant successor to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland and others went to equal lengths to oppose them. Queen A ... Show More
50m 54s
Apr 2025
The Tudors, Part 2 of 2
The later Tudor years were a time of turmoil, political intrigue, and national transformation. Initially defined by crises of succession, and shifts in the religious landscape, the period went on to see the reign of some of the most famous royal women in history. And, under the 4 ... Show More
1h 3m
Jan 2025
Nell Gwyn: life of the week
Nell Gwyn epitomised the wild spirit of the Restoration era. An orange-seller turned actress, turned royal mistress of King Charles II, she hustled her way to the very top with charm, wisecracks and withering putdowns. Sophie Shorland tells Ellie Cawthorne more about Gwyn's rags- ... Show More
38m 13s
Nov 2024
Emperor Macrinus: Usurper of Rome
Denzel Washington stars as Emperor Macrinus in the epic new movie Gladiator II, but who exactly was this shadowy ruler of Rome? Join Tristan Hughes as he sits down with Dr Alex Imrie and Matilda Brown to explore the real story behind this lesser-known usurper of Rome, a North Afr ... Show More
56m 48s
Mar 2024
Lothar II vs Theutberga: a marriage scandal that shook the ninth century
King Henry VIII famously ran into a world of problems trying to get out of his numerous marriages. And interestingly, we can find a similar story of royal marital strife all the way back in the ninth-century - during the reign of Lothar II. When this Carolingian ruler tried to di ... Show More
35m 22s
Aug 2024
485. Henry IV: The Usurper King (Part 1)
Henry IV has been portrayed as both a shadowy, obscure figure, but also, a strong king who was loved by his people. Prior to ascending the throne, Henry, the son of John of Gaunt, was admired for his glamour, clemency, courage and strong faith, but these sympathies quickly turned ... Show More
1h 6m
Jul 23
585. Mary, Queen of Scots: The Royal Rivals (Part 2)
What was life like in the glittering French court, for the young and newly married Mary Queen of Scots? What momentous destiny was her formidable mother, Mary of Guise, planning for her? How did Mary become, in 1559, not only the queen of Scotland, but also of France, and - accor ... Show More
1 h