The Queen becomes King. Throughout Akhenaten’s reign, the Great King’s Wife Neferet-Iti (Nefertiti) grew more and more prominent. By regnal year 16 (1437 BCE), she seemed to be an equal to her husband. Eventually, the Queen may have transitioned to a new role, and become a co-regent alongside Akhenaten. In this episode, we explore the evidence for Nefertiti ... Show More
Apr 27
The 100 Children of Ramesses II with Prof. Peter Brand
Ramesses is famous for fathering 100+ children. But what did all these princes and princesses do? Prof. Peter Brand joins us once more to explain the lives and roles of these children, how we know about them (or don't), what's up with those "Daughter Wives," and where all the 100 ... Show More
42m 39s
Apr 24
Come visit the Great Pyramid! Tour to Egypt 2027 January Announcement
It’s time, once again, to think about visiting Egypt. I just returned from a tour in March, taking a group through the Nile Valley, and we had a great time. Egypt is quite safe, and the sites are ready to receive you. If you’re in the mood for some antiquities, exploration, and t ... Show More
9m 26s
Apr 20
232: Real Housewives of Per-Ramesses with Prof. Peter Brand
Hybrid episode (narrative & interivew). The Hittite Queen, Maat-Hor-Neferura, may have been surprised to find she wasn't the only King's Great Wife. In fact, Ramesses had already turned to other women to be his Queens. Notably, his eldest daughter Bint-Anat ("Daughter of Anat") b ... Show More
1h 25m
Jul 2022
15 minutes of fame: Queen Tiye, overshadowed ancient Egyptian royal
It’s the HistoryExtra podcast’s 15th birthday! To celebrate, we’ve asked 15 historians to nominate a figure from history they think deserves their ‘15 minutes of fame’. In this episode, Professor Joyce Tyldesley nominates the ancient Egyptian Queen Tiye. Speaking with Ellie Cawt ... Show More
17m 35s
Jun 2022
A History of Royal Incest and Inbreeding
From Egyptians Pharaohs marrying their own sisters, to the Hapsburgs’ notoriously oversized lower jaws. Here are the stories of some of the most shocking incestuous relationships and tragically inbred individuals in royal history. King Tut, Queen Juana the Mad of Castile, King Ch ... Show More
31m 50s
Jun 2022
The Safavid Princess in Power
<p>When the Shah of the Safavid empire died in 1576, three of his sons would eventually become Shah. But the real power behind the scenes was their sister, Pari Khan Khanum, a brilliant strategist and political thinker who maintained control of the kingdom until it led to her tra ... Show More
39m 17s
Jan 2024
Queen Margrethe II, King Frederik X & Queen Mary of Denmark
During her annual New Year’s eve speech in 2023, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced that she will retire. The 83 year old sovereign recently underwent back surgery and experienced a decline in health. On January 14th, 2024, the 52nd anniversary of her father’s death and her ... Show More
33m 9s
Aug 2022
Tutankhamun | 1. Unearthing the boy king’s lost tomb
One hundred years ago, in 1922, Egyptologist Howard Carter made one of the most spectacular discoveries in the history of archaeology, when he unearthed the tomb of Tutankhamun in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings. In the first episode in our new series on the life, death and legacy of ... Show More
45m 30s
Aug 2023
Æthelstan: First King of the English
<p>The grandson of Alfred the Great, Æthelstan the Glorious was the first King of England, reigning from 924 to 939. Æthelstan inherited the title King of Mercia from his father Edward the Elder, but was not immediately accepted as King of England. Shortly after his cro ... Show More
26m 49s