logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2025
1h 24m

The Sex Lives of Regency England

Vulgar History | Realm
About this episode
Did people in the 18th century know about contraception? How did young women learn the facts of life before their wedding nights? How accurate is Bridgerton? What do we know about queer people from this era? We answer all these questions and more in a chat with romance novelist Alexandra Vasti! Learn more about Alexandra's books: alexandravasti.com/books P ... Show More
Up next
Aug 19
The Tudors Take America
In 1497, King Henry VII of England sent Italian explorer John Cabot to North America. Over the next two centuries, British adventurers came to various parts of Eastern North America. The objects they picked up, created by Indigenous artisans, sparked various trends back in Englan ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 12
The Other Boleyn Girls (and Boys)
Anne Boleyn is one of the best-known women from the Tudor era. Her family members are less well-known, which is why we're talking about them today. From her Irish granny to her notorious brother and his wife, we're here to talk about The Other Boleyn Family Members and Hever, the ... Show More
1h 2m
Aug 5
Catherine of Aragon: Real Queen Sh*t
Catherine of Aragon was Queen of England for twenty-four years. Yet somehow she's usually only remembered as one of Henry VIII's six wives? This cannot stand! This week we are joined by historian Kate Williams to celebrate Catherine of Aragon's Queen Era, and why she deserves to ... Show More
1h 47m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2020
The Regency era: everything you wanted to know
Emily Brand responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about the Regency era Historian and author Emily Brand responds to listener queries and popular search enquiries about Britain in the Regency era, from the lavish spending and reputation of the Prince Regent hi ... Show More
57m 27s
May 2024
The REAL Bridgerton: Georgian Sex
The long-awaited third season of Bridgerton is here! And with it, we all become obsessed with a particularly sexy version of Regency-era history.Today's episode is the first in our mini-series on the REAL Bridgerton. Across four episodes we'll uncover Georgian attitudes to drugs ... Show More
48m 14s
Feb 2021
24. Sex in the City
Everything you wanted to know about sex in the 18th and 19th Century but were afraid to ask. Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Covent Garden Ladies and the multi-award winning The Five joins Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook to discuss this fascinating subject. Learn more about you ... Show More
47m 58s
Feb 2024
Happily ever after? Love and marriage in Austen's era
From unwanted proposals and lingering looks across ballrooms to a wet-shirted Mr Darcy emerging from a lake, the romantic stories of Jane Austen – and their countless adaptations – have captured the hearts of many of us. But, if we turn to the real historical record of the Regenc ... Show More
30m 54s
Mar 2022
INTRODUCING Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Who had the very first boob job? And did our ancestors have their unmentionables pierced?Join historian, Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets as she unashamedly roots around the topics which seem to have been skipped in ... Show More
1m 43s
Jun 2025
What Did Jane Austen Know About Sex?
She wrote some of the most enduring romances in literature. But what did Jane Austen really know about love ... and sex?From longing looks and flirtation, to seduction and elopement, in this episode we're investigating how much of Jane Austen's works was based on experience.Kate ... Show More
48m 56s
May 2024
The REAL Bridgerton: Queen Charlotte, Lord Byron & Georgian Celebrity
The third season of Bridgerton is out and we are back in sexy scandalous Georgian society. But while we watch, we're taking a step back to ask: how real is Bridgerton?On this second episode in our REAL Bridgerton mini-series, we're looking at the royals and celebrities who filled ... Show More
43m 8s
Apr 2022
Medieval Sex
*WARNING this episode includes explicit language and adult themes*What were your medieval ancestors getting up to in the bedroom? Join sex historian Kate Lister, Betwixt the Sheets, to find out.Medievalist and George Michael super-fan Dr Eleanor Janega is on the podcast to chat a ... Show More
42m 56s
Mar 2023
From Eve to Austen: Women in Literature
Why might a woman have willingly confined herself to a cell for the rest of her life? Why have so many female authors in history published under aliases or initials? And what was Jane Austen’s dirtiest joke?In this episode of Betwixt the Sheets, Kate is joined by Anna Beer to dis ... Show More
41m 59s
Mar 2023
Medieval Women: Beauty, Work & Pubic Hair
How would a medieval woman achieve a Brazilian bikini line? Why can’t you trust a nun in the night time? And what were women doing at Medieval universities? Kate is joined for the THIRD time by Eleanor Janega to talk about how women were expected to be in the medieval era, and ho ... Show More
38m 4s