Gráinne O'Malley (often known as Grace O'Malley) has gone down in history as The Pirate Queen. Born into the powerful, seafaring O'Malley clan in western Ireland, she took to the pirate's life at a young age. Basically, everything a woman wasn't supposed to do at the time, Gráinne was doing it. Cutting off your hair and going sailing with your dad? ✅ Telling troops of sailors what to do and getting respect from the men? ✅ Seeking revenge in a super dramatic way? ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Seriously, y'all are go...
Mar 08, 2023•47 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Daisy Bates was a civil rights warrior who was ahead of her time. Daisy Bates was an American civil rights activist, journalist, and lecturer who devoted her life to fighting for the rights of minorities in the United States. From her work as the president of the Arkansas NAACP to her undercover investigations of the Little Rock Nine, we'll explore her inspiring legacy and how her story still resonates today. Join us as we dive into the incredible story of Daisy Bates, an icon of civil rights ac...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 20 min
In 2018 we first covered Alexandra Feodorovna, the last tsarina of Russia. But, after our Mathilde Kschessinska episode, we thought it might be interesting to revisit her. So, you don't need to go digging back through the back catalog. Alex was born into German royalty. She was very loved as the favorite granddaughter of the HBIC, Queen Victoria (maybe you heard of her). In fact, Queen Victoria wanted Alex to be the next queen of England and tried to play matchmaker and marry baby Alex to her co...
Feb 15, 2023•1 hr 14 min
Mathilde Kschessinska was an iconic prima ballerina of the Russian Imperial Ballet. She was also the scandal of St. Petersburg. Let's spill the tea. Born into a connected dance family, Little K first met the tsarevich (the future Nicholas II of Russia) when she was 18 and oh boy she was smitten kitten. The relationship ended before she would have liked when he married the future empress, Alexandra Feodrovna. But don't feel too bad for her. Mathilde wasn't lonely long. In her life she saw Russia ...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 11
When we last left Margaret of Austria, she was grieving the loss of her husband, Juan the prince of Spain. At only age 20, Maggie is now back on the market as a widow. As the daughter of the Holy Roman Empire, she can't stay single long and before you know it is a wife... again. As ruler of the Low Countries, Margaret was a formidable negotiator and diplomat, and her actions helped to shape the course of European politics for decades. She successfully maintained the peace between the Habsburgs a...
Jan 25, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Margaret of Austria. In her life Margaret was the duchess of Savoy, regent for the Holy Roman Emperor, princess of Spain, *kinda* queen of France. So, yeah. She's kind of a big deal. Join us as we drink our Habsburg margaritas and get into this fascinating life. Story starts around 7:30 Doing dry January? So is Katy! So, make a mocktail with us with this mocktail-friendly tequila. Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact [email protected] if you would li...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Welcome back, as we wrap up the life of the one and only, Josephine Baker. Josey was one of the biggest stars in the world, but when she saw injustice during the lead-up to World War II, she knew she couldn't sit by and do nothing. So, she became a spy. Josephine Baker, the spy. We like the sound of that! After World War II, Josephine Baker continued to perform and speak out against injustice. She was an important figure in the civil rights movement of the United States, In 1963, she was one of ...
Dec 27, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Everything Josephine Baker did was iconic. Whether it was entertaining the entire world with her captivating stage performances or sneaking intelligence across enemy lines to defeat the Nazis, she was doing it in style. In this episode we'll be exploring her early years, from her childhood in St. Louis, Missouri up to her rise to fame as a world-renowned entertainer. So, put on your dancing shoes, pour a drink and join us as we explore the iconic life of Josephine Baker. Jump to about 3:55 if yo...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 6Ep. 7
After our visit into the life of Margaret Beaufort, Katy and Nathan found themselves down memory lane and once again discussing the Princes is in the Tower. This could case murder mystery has captivated tons of us for centuries. So, we thought we'd share a good one from the Patreon vault of 2020 with you guys where we play a game called Chillin' or Killin' to try and decipher who killed these kids! First we set up the concept, but we start discussing the suspects at around 31:35 Queens podcast i...
Nov 30, 2022•1 hr 8 min
We're back with part 2 in our Margaret Beaufort series. If you missed part one, you can catch it here. So, it's the 15th century and the Plantagenants are all slowly doing away with themselves. It was time for the fighting to end Margaret had a huge role to play in finally ending the Wars of the Roses and this story takes so many exciting twists and turns. Murder, deceit, mystery, war... this story has everything. So grab a drink and settle in! If you, like us, love the Wars of the Roses, you mi...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 7
Margaret Beaufort the countess of Richmond and mother to the first Tudor king came into this world set up for success. However, family secrets, child marriage and civil war made her life anything but easy. In this episode we see Margaret married three times by the ripe old age of 16. Story starts at about 4:44 If you like this episode, you may like some of our other Wars of the Roses women like... Elizabeth Woodville Katherine Swynford Jacquetta of Luxembourg We've also got a Spotify playlist Ma...
Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Are you a lover of long fiction novels? Well, did you know that you have Lady Murasaki to thank for starting the trend? Often known as Murasaki Shikibu, the lady of the chronicles was born in a time and place in Medieval Japan when the lady's court was so secluded. If it wasn't for her novel (Tale of Genji) and collections of poetry, we might have never known the intricate ins and outs of the Japanese court! We pair this girl with a sake-flavored mimosa and a whole lot of laughs. The story reall...
Oct 26, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Welcome back to part 3 of our Empress Matilda saga. And this episode is where the action happens. Get ready for lots of Game of Thrones references, given that Empress Matilda and the Anarchy (the 18-year civil war that goes down in this episode) are the inspiration for George RR Martin's "Fire and Blood" aka, House of the Dragon. And if you just found us, you may want to check out part 1 and part 2 before jumping in! Here are some fun sources for this episode: https://www.thoughtco.com/empress-m...
Oct 12, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 6Ep. 3
We're back for episode 2 of Empress Matilda's story. (You can find episode 1 here). In this one we see even more parallels to where George RR Martin likely got his inspiration for House of the Dragon and the story leading up to the Dance of the Dragon (spoiler alert). When we last left Matilda she was a newly grieving widow. So, what's a young widow to do besides moving back in with the parents and hope to be named heir of an empire? Here are some fun sources for this episode: https://www.though...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr•Season 6Ep. 2
We are back for season 6 and boy do we have a story for you. Empress Matilda was supposed to be the first Queen Regnant of England, but things took... a different turn. In fact, the time of her would-be reign (known as The Anarchy) is actually the inspiration for HBO's newest Game of Thrones spin off, House of the Dragon. So, without our girl Matilda, you wouldn't have our girl Rhaenyra. But before we can get to the epic historical drama, we're going to learn about the early years of Empress Mat...
Sep 14, 2022•51 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Warning: this episode is a bit of a hot mess and we love it. 🙃 Have you heard of Uriel, Queen of the archangels and founder of the Unarius Academy of Science? No? Well, we hope you're ready because she is just the sassiest little cult leader that you didn't know you needed in your life. As we continue our summer break, we wanted to share some of our classic Patreon episodes with you and after a lot of bummer stuff in the news / world / everywhere lately, we felt we could all use some levity and...
Jul 29, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Hey, y'all! We are on summer break, so we asked our friend Zach from Drinks with Great Minds in History to hook us up with a great episode for your listening pleasure. Zach, much like the Queens, pairs cocktails with a great mind in history. Today, he's pairing an Italian cocktail with one of y'alls favorites: Catherine de Medici. This story is full of "mysteries, lies and so much more". Enjoy y'all! You can find DGMH on Twitter & Patreon Want more Queens? Head to our Patreon, check out our ...
Jul 19, 2022•54 min
As we continue with our summer break, we wanted to share this fascinating story with you guys that we recorded last year for 4th of July on Patreon. Sojourner Truth lived a life full of ups and downs and overcame obstacles we couldn't imagine. HOWEVER, the first half of this story includes lots of possibly triggering material. So, if you want to skip the first half jump to 24:45 that's where the second half of her story begins. Cheers y'all! --------- Want more Queens? Head to our Patreon, check...
Jul 02, 2022•51 min
In this Patreon episode from Autumn 2021, Katy takes on Thomas Howard. This F-ing guy! Ugh, he's the worst. Thomas Howard was born into a noble English family during the tumultuous Wars of the Roses. The young Howard was lucky to come out on the other end of the wars with his life. From there he built and built his career up to the highest point he could hope for. Too bad on the way to such heights he abused and imprisoned a wife, put three nieces in the bed of the king which ended in two of the...
Jun 28, 2022•37 min
Hey, y'all! We are on summer break, so we asked our dear friends at Ancient History Fangirl to hook us up with a great episode for your listening pleasure. And they did not disappoint. Ancient Rome was full of rich, ambitious social climbers in a cutthroat political environment—people who had enemies to get rid of, and deep pockets to pay for the service. Poison assassins were in high demand—and one of the most notorious was a woman named Locusta the Poisoner. Learn her story--and get a crash co...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr
Hey, y'all! Yes, we are on our summer break, but wanted to keep some content coming your way. So, here's an episode from our private Patreon feed from 2018 about three LGBTQ+ pioneers or... Pioneresses! First up we're talking Christine Jorgensen, a trans trailblazer. Then, we'll jump to a badass bi actress from the Hollywood golden age that just did not give a single f*ck, Marlene Dietrich. And lastly, we can't really have a pride episode that doesn't dive into the life of the one and only Marsh...
Jun 06, 2022•49 min
We last left Christina as she was finally coming into her role as queen of Sweden. Join us as we get into the wild ride that is the rest of her life. And y'all. There is never a dull moment in this life. Here are some sources we used to research this episode: https://www.kungligaslotten.se/english/articles-movies-360/ulriksdal-palace/2018-04-13-historys-grandest-coronation-procession.html https://headstuff.org/culture/history/queen-christina-of-sweden-lesbian-troublemaker/ https://www.jta.org/20...
May 30, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Season 5Ep. 15
Christina of Sweden, aka the Girl King, is one of the most famous monarchs of Sweden. Her memory lives in both fame and infamy. She was... complicated. Is it a boy or a girl? Initially, Christina was mistaken for a male at birth, causing her Mom (Maria Eleonora of Brandenburg) to take some really drastic steps to communicate her frustration with her. But it wasn't all trauma. Dad (King Gustavus II Adolphus), on the other hand, loved and adored her and eventually had her educated and trained as a...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 14
Messy Messalina has not gone down in history with the tidiest reputation. In fact, we may even say her reputation is kind of messy. Empress Messalina was the wife of Roman Emperor Claudius, who ruled from AD 41 to 54. She is infamous for her promiscuity and extravagance. But, was she really all that extra? Or did she just do what every single Roman man was doing? Messalina was born in AD 17 to a wealthy family and became a powerful influence on the Roman court during her brief reign. She was kno...
May 05, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 13
Madame de Montespan is most famous for being the longtime mistress of Louis XIV of France. Last episode we discussed how the queen of Versailles got there, but what happened once she was on top? Our awesome new intro music is thanks to @1touchproduction ! Some sources we used: https://partylike1660.com/francoise-athenais-de-rochechouart-de-mortemart-marquise-de-montespan/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgdmDURB--0&t=185s https://www.historyextra.com/period/stuart/scandal-conspiracy-and-the-...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 5Ep. 12
Born into bougie-ness via one of the oldest noble families in France, Francois-Athenais de Rochechouart de Mortemart (say that three times fast) felt right at home at court. Known for having a great sense of humor and voluptuous curves to boot, it’s no surprise she caught the eye of one of the biggest f-boys in history. But Franny didn’t always have her eyes set on Louis XIV and was actually married with a kid before she stole the role of his official mistress. Learn what led her to Louis’ bed, ...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Welcome to another exciting episode of Queens Podcast, where we dive into the life of Amina of Zaria, a legendary figure in African history. Join hosts Katy and Nathan as they sip on a delicious Nigerian Chapman cocktail and recount the incredible story of a woman who defied the norms of her time. Don’t miss this episode filled with historical intrigue, empowerment, and a little bit of fun. Whether you’re a history buff or just looking for an inspiring story, Amina of Zaria’s tale is sure to cap...
Mar 09, 2022•54 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Jadwiga of Poland is actually our first king to cover. Yup! It's a female king. And a child king at that. So, lots of familiar territory to cover such as #babiesdontneedjobs #babiesdontneedhusbands (tell your mom). However, we're also covering a lot of new ground in this latest episode. Jadwiga learned how to play her role as er... king. And she did it well! And to top it all off, she's a saint (her feast day is February 28th... just around the corner!). Enjoy! Our awesome new intro music is tha...
Feb 23, 2022•54 min•Season 5Ep. 9
If you're a fan of British history, then you have Katherine Swynford to thank. She may be a Side Hustle, but her descendants were very much front and center. Katherine was born in total obscurity, but at one point was the highest-ranking woman in England. WOW. So little is actually known about her, but what we uncover is so cool. Nathan pairs this episode with a spicy margarity while Katy pairs it with a virgin-cocktail as she wraps up dry January. Some useful sources: History of a medieval mist...
Jan 29, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Betty Marion White, born January 17th, 1922, was a spot-on Capricorn, talented producer, writer, actor, mentor, and activist, with a “live with it” attitude fit for nothing short of royalty. Although born during the Great Depression, she pursued the career of her dreams, working well into her late 80’s without skipping a beat. Betty lived to be 99 years old, peacefully passing away on December 31, 2021, just 18 days shy of her 100th birthday. In Betty’s honor, we’re enjoying a dirty martini with...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 32 min•Season 5Ep. 7
