Boudica, after seeing her kingdom annexed and her daughters violated fights her final battle against the Romans. She may have lost it, but her enduring legacy has seen her attain the rank of folk heroinehood in England.
A former ally of Rome, Boudica led one of the fiercest challenges against Roman rule of the early Empire. Since her death she has been lauded as a British hero; but who was she, and why did she rebel?
Welcome to this third season of the Other Half! In this episode I set out what a folk heroine is, and why they are important.
Big news! We’re a member of Lyceum, a new app that makes it easy to discover great educational podcasts and chat with other passionate listeners. Download the app by visiting lyceum.fm, and come find me in discussion room.
In this final episode of the second season of the Other Half, we see a political crisis in Spain force Ena and her family into exile. Stick around to the end to hear about what the next season will be about.
After such an inauspicious start to her time as Queen of Spain, Ena had a lot of work to make her mark on her new home.
No one expected Victoria Eugiene of Battenburg to become Queen of Spain - but when King Alfonso turns on his charm - it's hard to resist.
We’re back with Missy, with the final chapter of her story. We see her live through some of the most tumultuous times in the Kingdom of Romania’s short history.
I chat with Ellen Alpstein about her amazing new book Tsarina, the story of how a peasant girl from the Baltic became the first female ruler of Russia.
How to get Tsarina
UK
Get your hardback here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/tsarina/ellen-alpsten/9781526606419
ebook here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tsarina-Ellen-Alpsten-ebook/dp/B0844W5YWJ/
USA
Get your hardback here: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250214430
Missy finally crowned as queen and begins to marry her children off across Europe - but her eldest son would continue to be a thorn in her side.
After pushing Romania into World War I, Missy discovers that taking on the Central Powers was somewhat harder than she had imagined.
With war on the horizon, King Carol will prepare Romania for the succession, identifying Missy as one of the future leaders of this proud new nation-state.
Missy struggles to adapt to her new life with a husband she barely knew and in a country she didn’t much understand.
Missy is one of the most badass modern queens that you have never heard of. A woman who dominated a kingdom - a controversial figure whose life and legacy shaped the history of Balkans in the first half of the twentieth century.
A three hour epic in this movie night as we review the 1971 film 'Nicholas and Alexandra', as well as discussing our recent trip to see SIX.
Music credits:
After the February Revolution toppled the Romanov dynasty, Alix found herself under house arrest with the rest of her family ultimately ending up meeting her end in Yekaterinburg.
Alix, a woman who hated elite society, was put in charge of Russia's capital city in a time of war. What could possibly go wrong?
As the Romanovs prepare to celebrate the 300th anniversary of their dynasty, the storm clouds of revolution and war lie just over the horizon.
Christmas is a time for sitting down and watching a fun film - preferably something romantic with plenty of snow. The 1997 animated film Anastasia hits the mark perfectly. Kaitlyn and I discuss the historicity of the film (not so much), and handsomeness of Dimitri (maximum handsome) and the truth behind the ultimate fate of the real Grand Duchess Anastasia.
Christmas is a time for sitting down and watching a fun film - preferably something romantic with plenty of snow. The 1997 animated film Anastasia hits the mark perfectly. Kaitlyn and I discuss the historicity of the film (not so much), and handsomeness of Dimitri (maximum handsome) and the truth behind the ultimate fate of the real Grand Duchess Anastasia.
Music credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q30y4sLs7g
In 1905, Gregory Rasputin was introduced to Alix and Nicky. Nothing would ever be the same afterwards.
Alix settles into her position as Empress of Russia and has a bunch of kids. Unfortunately, she kept having daughters...
Women make up half of the world's population, and yet history books often consign them to the sidelines. They are dismissed as merely the wives of powerful men; babymakers and nothing more. Yet women have been the driving force behind history for millennia, from female Pharoahs, warrior princesses and pirates, to the revolutionaries who sought to topple the male-dominated political systems of their day. From host of the popular 'Queens of England Podcast', The Other Half tells the forgotten and ignored stories of the most powerful and influential women in history.
