445. The Habsburgs: Secrets of a Dynasty

Who was Lieutenant Napier, the man set out to rescue the European hostages held by Emperor Tewodros II? How did he plan to attack the emperor’s fortress, Magdala? And, did they manage to successfully escape Abyssinia? Join Dominic and Tom as they conclude the story of one of the ...  Show more

Who was Emperor Tewodros II, the colourful and controversial Emperor of Abyssinia? Why did he brutally imprison a number of British emissaries, and how did Queen Victoria respond? And, how would this spark one of the most ambitious expeditions undertaken by the British Empire…? J ...  Show more

In the first of a special four-part series on the Habsburgs, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb traces the unlikely rise of Europe’s most enduring imperial family. Emerging from a modest Swiss noble house in the 10th century, the House of Habsburg would go on to dominate the political, ...  Show more

Royals throughout history are notorious for inbreeding. But the European royal family by far infamously incestuous were the Habsburgs (Hapsburgs). The royal house ruled Spain from 1506 to 1700 and held the Holy Roman Empire from 1452 until 1806. These two branches of the family v ...  Show more

People will do crazy things to keep hold of power.The Habsburgs - one of the most powerful families in European history - were a prime example of this. To keep hold of their power, they decided they would keep their gene pool as small as possible.What were the disastrous conseque ...  Show more

Royals throughout history are notorious for inbreeding. But the European royal family by far infamously incestuous were the Habsburgs (Hapsburgs). The royal house ruled Spain from 1506 to 1700 and held the Holy Roman Empire from 1452 until 1806. These two branches of the family v ...  Show more