Catherine Monvoisin aka La Voisin

Royal Witches: Witchcraft and the Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England by Gemma Hollman

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Halloween Super Special: Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of England

October 13, 2021

Elizabeth Woodville was the first commoner AND the first English woman to marry an English King (in the most super secret sexy wedding ever??), but more importantly for Halloween reasons, was maybe descended from a mythical Luxembourgese mermaid-witch-goddess.

References:

The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged The Medieval World by Shelley Puhak

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Fredegund, Queen of Neustria: Part Three

September 29, 2021

All good things must come to an end, and so it is with this three-part exploration of the legend that was FREDEGUND! Her story concludes with yet more innovative military victories, unrelenting badassery, and some info about how she lived during an Ice Age (???). Then comes the moment we’re all waiting for: how will this one of a kind Queen score on the scandilicious scale?

References:

The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged The Medieval World by Shelley Puhak

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Fredegund, Queen of Neustria: Part Two

September 22, 2021

In part two of this Super Special, we delve into Fredegund’s Warrior Queen Era as well as learning more about her Wile E. Coyote-like relationship to Brunhilda. Also: absinthe! And: Breton stripes!

References:

The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged The Medieval World by Shelley Puhak

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Fredegund, Queen of Neustria: Part One

September 15, 2021

Fredegund, Queen of Neustria was a 6th century enslaved girl turned Queen turned regent turned maybe my fav historical person. This is part one of a two part super special episode, because there’s too much info to put into one hour. In this part, we learn about who tf were the Merovingian Frankish dynasty, why was Fredegund’s sister-in-law Brunhilda so intent on murdering her, and more!! Check back next week when we get into the real meat of this story of QUEEN VS QUEEN as Fredegund arranges more assassinations, becomes a military genius, and a lot more people die of dysentery.

References:

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Doña Ana de Mendoza de la Cerda y de Silva Cifuentes, Princess of Eboli, Duchess of Pastrana

June 23, 2021

Doña Ana de Mendoza was a 16th century Spanish princess who wore a goddamn eyepatch for no reason anyone could figure out, and if that isn’t enough to interest you, I don’t know what else to say to convince you.

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Sophia Dorothea of Celle

June 16, 2021

Sophia Dorothea of Celle (1666-1726), or as we call her in this episode, S.D., is known as England’s Uncrowned Queen. She was raised by loving parents who also loved her, but then got married off to her truly odious cousin and things did not go well.

References: The Imprisoned Princess: The Scandalous Life of Sophia Dorothea of Celle by Catherine Curzon

Recommended history reading: African Europeans: An Untold History by Olivette Otele

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Lady Arbella Stuart

June 9, 2021

Lady Arbella Stuart (1575-1615) is one of the lesser-known figures from Tudor and Stuart history. She was Mary Queen of Scots’s niece and granddaughter to both Margaret Douglas and Bess of Hardwick. This genealogy meant she was both a threat to Queen Elizabeth and James I/VI (her cousin), but also that she was used as a figurehead by people who wanted to promote their own interests. Her life was like Grey Gardens meets Rapunzel, and all our girl wanted to do was run off and get secret sexy married like her ancestor/role model Katherine Grey had done. And when she finally took her fate into her own hands, it all got WILDLY scandilicious.

Recommend history podcast: Telling Our Twisted Histories

Recommended history reading: Arbella: England’s Lost Queen by Sarah Gristwood

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Marguerite de Valois, Queen of Navarre (aka Queen Margot)

June 2, 2021

Marguerite de Valois (1553 – 1615) was a French princess whose life was truly non-stop scandiliciousness. Poison gloves! Two assassinations! Scandalous memoirs! A fanatic monk! Carrying around the decapitated head of ones lover! A man named Bussy d’Amboise!

Recommend history viewing: La Reine Margot / Queen Margot (1994)