A History of Royal Incest and Inbreeding

Jeanne Bécu, Jeanne du Barry, Madame du Barry, clawed her way up from the illegitimate daughter of a single mother, to one of the most celebrated courtesans in Paris, to the final royal mistress of King Louis XV. Her captivating life has been dramatized in numerous operas, films ...  Show more

Through most of history, male monarchs have been the norm. Their wives held the title of Queen or Empress, but were merely consorts, with little real power. Many monarchies, like France, The Ottoman Empire and Bhutan have strictly barred women from inheriting the throne and have ...  Show more

This week is for the true history girlies! We are taking you through the life and reign of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. From her tumultuous upbringing as the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to her rise to become one of England's most notable monarchs. We talk sister figh ...  Show more

From recent research we know that the great boy king Tutankhamun was a result of incest.

How did it effect him? And was incest in Ancient Egypt mostly for symbolic reasons of retaining power, or did it go further than that?

Joining Kate today is the wonderf ...

Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded survived. The wives of Henry VIII, king of England are all famous, but sometimes his first queen, Catherine of Aragon can be overlooked. She was born in Spain in 1485 and was the daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, who had u ...  Show more

Power, greed, religion and sex: historian Dan Jones brings the drama of mediaeval history alivethrough compelling stories, larger-than-life characters and vivid scenes. The third season tells the incredible story of England’s most diabolical ruler. King John makes enemies whereve ...  Show more