History Tea Time

Through most of history, monarchs selected wives for their royal blood and political significance. Women they actually liked and were attracted to were relegated to being mere mistresses. These women were usually local aristocrats or even commoners who would not be considered contenders to be consort. The majority of monarchs had mistresses and their wives usually looked the other way, safe in the knowledge that their place as Queen could never be usurped. But a number of royal courtesan did come to wield great power. In a past episode we met 8 royal mistresses who beat the odds and succeeded in become Queen. Today let’s meet another 8 lovely ladies who came so close, but because of ruined romances, royal family resentment, or early death, just barely missed out on the crown... Krystyna Rokiczana, Almost Queen of Poland (1365) Gabrielle d’Estrées Almost Queen of France (1573-1599) Catherine Henriette de Balzac d’Entragues, Almost Queen of France (1579-1633) Françoise d’Aubigné, Almost Queen of France (1634-1719) Marie Emilie de Joly de Choin Almost Queen of France (1670-1732) Rosa Vercellana, Almost Queen of Italy (1833-1885) Catherine Dolgorukov, Almost Tsarina of Russia (1847-1922) Wallis Simpson, Almost Queen of UK (1896-1986) 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: Butterflies in Love by Sir Cubworth #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Through most of history, Kings selected wives for their royal blood and political significance. Women they actually liked and were attracted to were relegated to being mere mistresses. These women were usually local aristocrats or even commoners who would not be considered contenders to be consort. The majority of monarchs had mistresses and their wives usually looked the other way, safe in the knowledge that their place as Queen could never be usurped. But a number of royal courtesan did come to wield great power. And on a few, incredibly rare occasions the stars to aligned to put the King’s lover on the throne. Let’s meet 8 royal mistresses who successfully became Queens. Inês de Castro Posthumous Queen of Portugal Christina Abrahamsdotter, Queen of Sweden Anne Boleyn, Queen of England Jane Seymour, Queen of England Catherine Howard, Queen of England Karin Månsdotter, Queen of Sweden Catherine I, Empress of Russia Camilla Shand, Queen of the UK & Commonwealth Realms 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: Butterflies in Love by Sir Cubworth #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Disney Princess Moana may voyage across a fantasy version of the Pacific ocean, and represent an amalgamation of several islands’ cultures. But she is based on many real-life women who have led their people with courage, strength and compassion. From a 13th century Queen of Samoa who protected her people and was revered as a Goddess, to the 27 year old woman who was crowned Queen of the Māori in September 2024. Let’s meet X inspiring real-life Queens from the Pacific Islands. Nafanua, Queen of Samoa (1200s) Purea, Queen of Tahiti (1722.-1775) Vaekehu, Queen of Nuku Hiva (1823–1901) Lili’uokalani, Queen of Hawai’i (1838-1917) Makea Takau Ariki, Queen of the Cook Islands (1839–1911) Sālote Tupou III, Queen of Tonga (1900-1965) Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō, Queen of the Māori (1997) Sources: “Women of Power” documentary from TheCoconetTV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibQdMfuPYc Moana 2 Wikipedia 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: Ukulele Beach by Doug Maxwell #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday #moana #moana2 Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ridley Scott’s epic historical sequel, Gladiator II promises to be a dramatic and spectacular, if not particularly historically accurate roller-coaster ride through the Roman Empire. And while there are already some excellent videos out there discussing the authenticity of the battle scenes, dramatic deaths and exactly which era saw the flooding of the Colosseum, I want to take a look at something different – the cast of characters and their real historic counterparts. Today let’s explore the family trees which connect the key players, sort out who was real and who was fictional, meet a few fascinating women who did more than wait around to be rescued, and discover everyone’s true fates, which are even more dramatic than Hollywood could come up with. Caution, there will be some spoilers, but I won’t give away the ending of the new film, only what really happened in history. Gladiator I : Marcus Aurelius Commodus The Year of Five Emperors - 193 Pertinax Didius Julianus Pescennius Niger Clodius Albinus Septimius Severus Gladiator II: Caracalla and Geta Macrinus 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: Dragon Rojo by The Mini Vandals #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday #gladiator2 Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices