Queens Podcast

We’re back for part 2 in our Caroline of Brunswick series—and the drama only escalates.

After her disastrous marriage to George IV, Caroline becomes Britain’s ultimate “people’s princess” while her husband doubles down on being the worst.

In this episode, we cover the birth of Princess Charlotte, George IV’s infamous will, and how Regency-era tabloids fueled Caroline’s rise in public support. From palace spying and a toxic court to her separation and new independent life, Caroline refuses to stay quiet.

It’s messy, dramatic, and completely unfair—and somehow, the public never stops rooting for her.

Time stamps:

00:00 Cold Open Banter

01:21 Caroline of Brunswick & George IV Marriage Recap

02:11 Birth of Princess Charlotte of Wales

03:37 George IV’s Infamous Will & Treatment of Caroline

10:03 Caroline & George IV Separation Explained

11:29 Caroline’s Independent Life & Affair Rumors

14:22 Who Was William Austin? Royal Baby Scandal

14:57 Lady Douglas Feud & Royal Gossip Escalates

20:26 The Delicate Investigation Explained

23:27 Regency Era Begins: George IV Takes Power

27:18 Death of Princess Charlotte (1817 Tragedy)

28:22 Adultery Trial Fallout

31:55 George IV Coronation Drama & Caroline Snub

38:47 Caroline of Brunswick Death & Final Days

41:50 Funeral Riots Legacy

44:08 George IV Reputation

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In this episode of Queens Podcast, we dive into the chaotic early life of Caroline of Brunswick, the future Princess of Wales and one of the most controversial royal figures of the Regency era.

Raised in isolation in the Duchy of Brunswick, Caroline’s childhood was anything but typical—marked by family dysfunction, social restriction, and a deep craving for attention that would follow her into adulthood. But everything changes when she’s chosen to marry her cousin, George IV, the scandal-prone Prince of Wales.

From a disastrous first meeting to a wedding day filled with drunken chaos, this royal marriage starts off on the worst possible foot.

If you love royal history, scandals, and messy marriages, this is just the beginning.

Time stamps:

Sources:

For this one, I'm taking stories and research from Ann Foster's book Rebel of the Regency

I also really enjoyed Even The Royals 2 episodes on Caroline

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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Note: This episode was previously released in our Patreon vault and is now available on the main feed for the first time. TRIGGER WARNING: EVERYTHING.

If you thought you’d heard every shocking true crime story… you haven’t.

In 2008, a case out of Austria stunned the world: a woman held captive for 24 years in a hidden basement by her own father, Josef Fritzl.

In this episode, we break down the full story of the Fritzl case — how it started, how it went undetected for decades, and how it finally came to light. We also unpack the psychological manipulation, systemic failures, and the aftermath of one of the most disturbing crimes in modern history.

Time stamps:

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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Queen Nzinga of Ndongo and Matamba is one of the most formidable rulers in African history, and in this episode of Queens Podcast, Katy and Nathan dive into her extraordinary life.

In this episode, we explore Nzinga’s early life, her tense relationship with her brother, and the political chaos that followed his rule. We also get into her legendary 1622 meeting with the Portuguese governor, where she turned a calculated insult into one of the most iconic power moves in royal history. From there, Nzinga built alliances, commanded armies, and spent decades resisting Portuguese control.

We also discuss the more complicated parts of her legacy, including religion, diplomacy, warfare, and the ways European writers tried to shape her story for their own purposes.

If you love stories about powerful queens, African history, women rulers, and anti-colonial resistance, this episode is for you.

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro

00:53 Meet Queen Nzinga

01:29 Cocktail and Shoutouts

02:32 Tarot Vibe Check

03:51 Nzinga Early Life

10:20 Brother Takes Throne

15:09 Luanda Power Move

23:46 Civil War Begins

25:10 Mercenaries Introduced

31:18 Taking Matamba Power

33:38 Dutch Alliance

39:52 Catholicism as Strategy

46:28 Peace Deal and Dark Compromises

49:35 Prosperity and Final Years

52:04 After Death Legacy

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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Isabella of Angoulême: The Scandalous Queen of England Who Helped Spark a War

In this episode of Queens Podcast, Katy and Nathan unpack the chaotic life of Isabella of Angoulême, the controversial Queen of England and wife of King John.

Married at just twelve to the 33-year-old king, Isabella’s union helped ignite political turmoil between England and France, contributing to the loss of Normandy and the instability that led to the Magna Carta. Chroniclers painted her as a “Jezebel,” blaming her for wars, rebellion, and even witchcraft.

After King John’s dramatic death in 1216, Isabella returned to France, remarried in scandalous fashion, and continued making waves well into her fifties.

Troublemaker or survivor? From child queen to dowager rebel, this is one of medieval England’s most misunderstood women.

Time stamps:

00:00 Language Warning Intro

01:43 Cocktail of the Week Jezebel

03:50 Isabella Origins and Aquitaine Explained

09:06 King John Enters the Chat

11:56 War Fallout and Blaming Isabella

15:02 A Queen Packed Away and Controlled

19:15 Tumultuous Marriage and Heirs

20:43 Heir and Haters

22:59 Magna Carta Chaos

28:04 Exile and Motherhood Myths

29:58 Hot Second Marriage Scandal

33:38 Loyalty Wars and Queen Feud

35:34 Rebellion and Poison Rumors

40:17 Abbey Retirement and Legacy

Sources

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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This week’s episode is a crossover we’ve been manifesting forever: Katy welcomes Ann Foster of the Vulgar History podcast for a messy, delightful deep dive into the Regency era—and one of its biggest villains: George IV.

Ann brings the tea from her new book, Rebel of the Regency, as we unpack Regency vibes vs. reality, the absolute chaos of royal relationships, and why Caroline of Brunswick became such a lightning rod for public sympathy.

If you love historical mess, flawed royals, and women who refuse to behave, this one’s for you.

Make sure you're subscribed to our Patreon for a giveaway of her book!

📚 Check out Ann’s book: Rebel of the Regency

Time stamps:

00:00 Welcome + Surprise Guest Anne Foster (Vulgar History)

01:47 Patreon Giveaway & Introducing the Book: Rebel of the Regency

02:13 Regency Era 101: Bridgerton, Jane Austen, and the Real Timeline

07:15 Meet the ‘Rebel’: Caroline of Brunswick & Why She Matters

08:40 Enter ‘This F-ing Guy’: Prince George (Prinny) Backstory

20:34 Secret (Not-Legal) Marriage: Maria Fitzherbert

30:37 Marriage for Money: How Caroline of Brunswick was chosen

33:30 A Royal Arrival… and a Disaster First Meeting

40:40 1810: Regency Begins—Parties, Jealousy, and Power Plays

49:59 $56M Coronation Spectacle & Caroline Locked Out of Westminster

51:51 Aftermath: Caroline’s Death, George’s Decline, and Laudanum Breakfasts

55:48 Legacy & Wrap-Up: Regency Aesthetics, Branding, and Where to Find the Book

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf⁠⁠⁠

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In Part Two of our series on Charlotte of Belgium (Empress Carlota of Mexico)… we wish we had better news.

When we last left our neglected princess, she and her husband, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, had been approached by Napoleon III and offered the crown of Mexico. Charlotte—starved for purpose and convinced this is her destiny—is all in. Max is less sure, but with the blessing of Pope Pius IX, the new Emperor and Empress set sail for Mexico.

Where the dream immediately implodes.

What follows is one of the most tragic and debated breakdowns in royal history—and the fall of the Second Mexican Empire.

We also draw parallels to one of our classic Queens Podcast episodes on Juana of Castile, another queen labeled “mad” and locked away. If this story leaves you thinking about power, politics, and madness, you can revisit Juana’s story here.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome + Content Warning (History Tea Time Crossover Intro)

00:51 Previously On: Maximilian’s Mess & The Crown of Mexico

06:47 Sailing to Empire: Papal Blessings, Big Dreams & Bigger Delusions

10:46 Veracruz Reality Check: a Lukewarm Welcome

13:59 Mexico City & the Illusion of Support

18:22 "Hey— Did we just kidnap these kids?" And other bad ideas.

27:19 Empress on a Mission: Charlotte Travels to Europe to Save the Mexican Empire

33:53 Vatican Rejection: The Pope Won’t Intervene—and Charlotte Snaps

44:14 Vienna & Victorian Psychiatry: Diagnosed ‘Madness’ by an ‘Alienist’

47:01 Meanwhile in Mexico: Maximilian Captured, Tried, and Executed

49:54 A Life After the Break: 60 Years in Belgium, Good Days and Ghosts

54:52 What Caused the Collapse? Theories, Bad Medicine, and a Tragic Farewell

Sources

⁠History Tea Time⁠

⁠Thought co

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

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With a new Wuthering Heights movie on the way (directed by Emerald Fennell), I’m dropping Part One of my Patreon Katy Reads the Classics So You Don’t Have To series on the main feed.

This episode kicks off a six-part recap of Wuthering Heights.

If you’ve always meant to read Wuthering Heights but don’t have time before the movie comes out, I’ve got you. Normally this full six-part series is available for $10, but this week only, you can grab the entire series for $5.

👉 Get the full Wuthering Heights series here (sale runs until Feb 16th) : https://www.patreon.com/collection/1960670

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro

01:28 Katy's Corner: Literature Edition

03:19 Emily Bronte's Life and Inspirations

07:15 Diving into Wuthering Heights

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf⁠⁠

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This week, we’re kicking off a two-part series on Charlotte of Belgium (sometimes known as Carlota of Mexico) while sipping on a Ranch Water. In Part One, we meet Charlotte as a beloved child turned purpose-driven young woman, then follow her whirlwind courtship with Archduke Maximilian of Austria and her arrival at the rigid Habsburg court.

If that court sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before — this is the same world that made life miserable for Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi), married to Emperor Franz Joseph. Charlotte, however, seems to understand the assignment, quickly becoming everything a Habsburg princess is supposed to be… even as her marriage quietly begins to unravel.

From whispered affairs in Italy to a voyage that breaks her marriage beyond repair, Charlotte’s story takes a sharp, devastating turn. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get worse, a knock at the door offers an unexpected — and dangerous — new role: Empress of Mexico.

Cheers 🥂

Time stamps:

00:00 – Disclaimer from Vulgar History
01:26 – Meet Charlotte of Belgium
04:25 – A Very Well-Connected Childhood
14:17 – From Happy Kid to Purpose-Driven Princess
17:08 – Marriage Season Has Entered the Chat
18:50 – Enter: Archduke Maximilian
24:59 – Love at First Sight (For Charlotte, Anyway)
29:15 – Thrown Into the Austrian Court
34:28 – Italy: The Honeymoon That Wasn’t
41:27 – The Voyage That Broke the Marriage
45:53 – Separate Bedrooms Forever
47:46 – So… Want to Be Emperor of Mexico?

Sources

Charlotte's Chart

History Tea Time

Thought co

Queens Podcast Empress of Austria aka Sisi series

Behind the Bastards: King Leopold II

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf⁠

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Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a 17th-century Mexican nun, poet, playwright, composer, and all-around intellectual menace to the patriarchy.

In this episode of Queens Podcast, we trace Sor Juana’s rise from hacienda library goblin to celebrated court intellectual and how she used wit, logic, and theology to argue that women deserved education because women are people. Radical stuff.

Paired with a twist on the Paloma cocktail, we explore her poems like You Foolish Men and essays such as Respuesta a Sor Filotea, works that helped shape modern feminist thought centuries before feminism had a name.

Sor Juana did not just challenge misogyny. She out-argued it, and history is still taking notes.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Content Warning

00:36 Meet the Hosts: Katy & Nathan

01:36 Introducing Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

02:56 Patreon Shoutouts and Mocktail Recipe

05:31 Sor Juana's Early Life and Education

14:43 Juana's Move to Mexico City

16:45 Life with the viceroy's court

18:28 Juana's Intellectual Challenge

20:55 Becoming a nun

24:59 Juana's Writing Career Begins

26:08 A Close Relationship with Maria Louisa

30:23 You Foolish Men: A Poem of Hypocrisy

37:57 Juana's Feminist Manifesto

43:59 Juana's Downfall and Final Years

47:00 Legacy of a Feminist Icon

Sources:

Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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