Catherine the Great & Her Many Lovers

Catherine the Great & Her Many Lovers

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Guinness Family - Ireland's Dark Beer Dynasty

When the Guinness family saw the turmoil and scandals of other great historic dynasties, they literally said, hold our beer, and proceeded to top them all. The new series, The House of Guinness dramatizes just one generation of the famous Irish family; the 4 children of Benjamin ...  Show more

Madame Jeanne du Barry - The Last Great Royal Mistress of France

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

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Catherine the Great: life of the week
HistoryExtra podcast

Catherine the Great stands out from the rulers of Imperial Russia – a 'philosopher empress' whose wit, political savvy, and unyielding ambition transformed her empire into a European powerhouse. Seizing the throne through an audacious coup against her own husband, Catherine wield ...  Show more

The Scandalous Royal Mistress Who Ruled France
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Is this strangest threesome in royal history?!We're endlessly fascinated with the lives of royal mistresses, and this has to be one of the most notorious.It takes place in 16th century France between Henry II, his wife Catherine de Medici and his much older mistress, Diane de Poi ...  Show more

Sex & Scandal in Catherine of Aragon's Court
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

When Henry VIII wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he needed to prove that she was not a virgin when they wed.


One woman was key to proving this: Catalina of Motril, Catherine's enslaved servant who was always present in the royal bedroom.


Before ...

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The Real Anne Boleyn: Sex, Scandal & Betrayal
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Anne Boleyn was smart, sophisticated and had SO much charisma.


She kept Henry VIII waiting for SEVEN YEARS before they finally got together, and even then it was on her terms.


So where did it all go wrong for Anne Boleyn? Were any of the wild accusations ma ...

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