Catherine the Great & Her Many Lovers

Catherine the Great & Her Many Lovers

Up next

Commoner Queens of England

The United Kingdom has a new Queen Consort, Camilla. She is the first Queen of England to have been born a commoner since Catherine Parr (1547). Since the Norman conquest in 1066, English and British Royals have almost exclusively married other royals, usually as part of treaties ...  Show more

Royalty 101: Queens Regnant through History

I answer your questions on ruling Queens through the ages: 5 Types of Queens (Queen Regnant, Queen Consort, Dowager Queen, Queen Mother, Queen Regent) Who was the first ever Queen Regnant? What was the most common Regnal name for a Queen Regnant? Have there been Queens Regnant wh ...  Show more

Recommended Episodes

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

Catherine de' Medici, Serpent Queen
Not Just the Tudors

Queen Consort of France and mother to three successive Kings, Catherine de’ Medici's legacy could have been one of intelligence, fortitude, artistic patronage and religious moderation. But instead, as with so many women in positions of power, Catherine's life and actions have ...

  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 ...

  Show more