The sheer force of will that was Eleanor of Aquitaine has been the source of many a salacious tale. But what is real and what is embellishment? Eleanor’s wealth and land made her Europe’s most eligible bachelorette and a tempting damsel to snatch up. But she proved every bit as difficult for her would-be captors as she did the kings she would go on to marry. History’s singular Queen Consort to both France and England, Eleanor inspired many a tale of scandal wherever she went. Eleanor was the definition of difficult and the standard to which all future Difficult Damsels will be held. And your hosts Rachel and Kat end with an in-depth conversation about what is a soulmate!

History may have forgotten Empress Matilda, but we haven’t. When The White Ship disaster deprived Henry I of his only legitimate male heir, he names his daughter Matilda as his successor. But the throne is stolen from her by her cousin, Stephen of Blois. England is subsequently thrust into a civil war known as The Anarchy for nineteen years. But Matilda eventually gets her victory in her son, the future King Henry II of England, the first Plantagenet King.

Known as the Blood Countess, Elizabeth Bathory’s atrocities have been sensationalized over time. But what do we really know about this difficult damsel? Was she the notorious monster of legend? Did she truly bathe in the blood of virgins or did the myth end up taking on a life of its own?

Welcome to Difficult Damsels! In this inaugural episode we introduce your hosts Rachel and Kat and ask what it means to be a difficult damsel, how we strive to be difficult in the world today, what it means to be authentic and what we want out of this podcast. We hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording and we hope you join us on this podcast journey. Stay Difficult!