Royal Mistresses who ALMOST became Queens

The Crown. The very symbols of power, wealth, majesty and royalty. It was a shining signal to the mud-caked peasantry that here was a person who was above them and blessed from above. You can’t be the King without the Bling. Let’s take a closer look at 10 incredible crowns from h ...  Show more

In the final episode, we’ll find out what happened with the Kings of Scotland inherited the throne of England. And learn what the Scots thought of the English chopping off one King’s head, exiled another, and finally invited a German to take the throne. James VI of Scotland & I o ...  Show more

The role of the royal mistress may, on the face of it, seem a simple position but in reality, there was a lot more to being a royal mistress than it might seem. Throughout the courts of Europe, the role of the royal mistress was often a semi formalised one and gave these women ex ...  Show more

Lucy Walter, Barbara Palmer, Louise Kérouaille and Nell Gwynn. These are the names of just a key few of King Charles II’s mistresses.In this episode, Kate is joined by Linda Porter to introduce us to these women, in addition to the King’s wife, Catherine of Braganza.We find out w ...  Show more

Why did kings and queens have spectators on their wedding night? Was sex always just for the love of their country and the want of an heir, or were some royals into different kinks?And what about outside marriage? From an official mistress who does not have sex with the king, to ...  Show more

One thing royal families strive for is the common touch. Whilst some have struggled with it, King James IV and V in the 15th and 16th centuries excelled in it. It could be said, however, they took the term ‘common touch’ too literally, as it wasn’t uncommon for them to have sexua ...  Show more