Berengaria of Castile spent much of her life as a political pawn with a throne just in her grasp, only to have it taken away from her time and time again because of her gender. Despite all that, she became an amazing politician who actively contributed to her kingdom's future, whether she was on the throne or not. In her time, she tried to find a b…

Queen Boudicca of the Iceni is by far one of the most impressive queens I have ever read about. Boudicca grew up in a time before the Romans came to Britain, but in her adult life, she had to deal with constant Roman oppression against her pepole. When the Romans refused to honour the will of her husband and attacked her and her daughters, she call…

Ahilybai Rani of Indore is often remembered as one of India's greatest female rulers. At only eight years old, she married far above her station, and due to many unfortunate deaths, she ended up in charge of a key state in the Maharathi confederacy and started a golden age of rule lasting over thirty years. join me today to learn about her incredib…

It’s Pride Month, and I thought what a great time to talk about the other half of one of the most infamous pirate duos in history: pirate queen Mary Read. We don't know a ton for sure about Mary's life before she became a pirate. However, we do know that Mary had wild adventures disguised as a boy in the military before she ever took up a life of p…

Matilda of Scotland has often been overshadowed in her accomplishments because of her saintly mother and empress daughter, but it was because of her mother that she became who she needed to be to make sure her daughter could be even better. Matilda had a rough but pretty normal Scottish royal childhood with a lot of murder and succession crises, bu…

Many forget that Johnny Cash had a first wife, and if they do remember her, they think of her as a vindictive shrew who hated his career. Vivian Liberto Cash has been horribly misrepresented in popular culture, but she supported her husband throughout much of his early career and dealt with anxiety and depression from her husband's drug use and fro…

China has had many influential and ambitious Empresses in its history, such as Empress Wu, but Zhao Feiyan certainly gives them all a run for their money. Zhao Feiyan was born into a relatively poor family, but due to her talent as a dancer, she was able to get the attention of the emperor, and from there, hijinx ensued. Join me on today’s episode …

As a longtime Swiftie, I was elated when I found out that Taylor Swift had a new song named after Clara Bow, and I thought, what better time to help people who may not know her story get to know her better? Clara was born desperately poor in early 1900s New York and suffered from a bad home life with an alcoholic father and a mentally ill mother. H…

If you have not heard of Arsinoe II, you are missing out on a great story. Arsinoe started out as the daughter of the first Ptolemaic pharaoh of Egypt and, through her own grit, determination and political savvy, managed to survive the disastrous political consequences of her first husband's death and come back to her home country as its queen. Joi…

Killers of the Flower Moon has brought the world's attention to one of the most vile murder cases in American history, and at the center of it all was Mollie Kyle-Burkhart. Mollie would have grown up in the traditional way of her Osage ancestors, but by the time she was an adult, her family was wealthy, and she lived in a big home with white servan…

If I had an award to give out for the messiest Queen of England, I’m sure Isabella of Angoulême would be in the running. Isabella started out as a young child heiress in France and had the unfortunate experience of being married to bad King John. It gets worse from there. Come join me this week to hear her crazy story. BibliographyRebecca Starr Bro…

Welcome to the second special episode of black history month, where we will be discussing one of the South's wealthiest black women, Amanda America Dickson. Amanda, like many mixed people in the South before the Civil War, was a product of an assault, but unlike most mixed-race children, she was raised in white society. She would go on to inherit h…

Happy Black History Month everybody. To kick off this month I wanted to start with a story of one of my favourite African queens Yaa Asantewaa. Yaa Asantewaa was not born to be a leader but when her brother appointed her to the important position of queen mother it thrusted her into a world of complicated politics and a war against the British. Tod…

Very recently, I’ve become obsessed with the HBO TV show the Gilded Age and it has led me to a new appreciation for this time. And what a better way to explore it, then to talk about the queen bee of the Gilded Age Caroline Astor. Caroline set the standard for gilded age New York society and she had to be petty to keep society the way she thought i…

Malinche’s name is synonymous with betrayal. She has been called all sorts of names throughout history, but does she really deserve such a bad reputation? Malinche was a slave girl sold to the Spanish as they arrived in Mexico, and when they realized she had a talent for languages, she was an instrumental tool in the takedown of the Aztec empire. M…

Many of you know my deep love for my birthday twin Queen Claude of France but have you heard of Claude’s little sister Renee? Renee had a turbulent life from almost the second she was born from the death of her parents to her disinheritance at a young age. Renee also lived at the height of the religious wars in France and was a princess caught betw…

Many people are familiar with the stories that come out of the Hundred Years War, like the heroism of Joan of Arc or the battle of Agincourt, but few know the story of the queen of four kingdoms who helped France win the war. Yolande was born the daughter of the king of Aragon and, over her life, was the unofficial queen of four nations. As a teen,…

The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings to ever exist. No matter who you are or what language you speak you’ve probably heard of the building, but I bet you haven’t heard of the woman who it was built for. Mumtaz Mahal was the most beloved wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jehan but while Mumtaz may be famous for dying, I’m more interested …

Many people have never heard of Sarah Winnemucca, but they really should have. Sarah was born amongst the Paiute people at a time when Americans were flocking west by the thousands and causing lots of issues for Native Americans. Sarah’s family sought out a strategy of being kind and helpful to settlers coming west, and as a child, she performed sh…

Of all the queens of England Berengaria is famous for one strange fact about her reign she never stepped foot in England while she was Queen. As the wife of Richard the Lionheart Berengaria faced a heavy challenge of trying to make a marriage work with a man who was more interested in crusading than dynasty making. Come and join me on today’s episo…

Zenobia of Palmyra could rival the famous Cleopatra when it came to pissing off Rome. Zenobia grew up at the daughter of a minor Syrian nobleman but when she married the king of the small but important city of Palmyra her life changed. When her husband died Zenobia took her small city and turned into an empire while simultaneously challenging the k…

Maria of Portugal is often remembered for her decent into madness. Much like her contemporary George III, Maria suffered from severe mental health issues that made her seem like a raving lunatic but before all that she was an accomplished and beautiful princess who was preparing to be the first queen of Portugal. Join me to hear about the story of …

Queen Seondeok of Silla is by far one of the most fascinating Asian queens I have ever read about. Her father fought ferociously for her right to rule and she presided over a golden age for the Korean kingdoms in terms of art and culture. However the political situation between the various Korean kingdoms was always shaky and Queen Seondeok spent m…

Compared to Queen Liliuokalani, Queen Emma gets very little attention in the grand scheme of things. Like her cousin Lili, Emma was born into Hawaiian royalty, but she hardly could have conceived that she would not only be a popular consort but also have the chance to campaign to run the kingdom in her own name. Emma was fashionable, beautiful and …

We’re back at it again entering the Tudor era. However instead of discussing women married to Henry VIII it’s time to discuss the women unfortunate enough to be related to him. Margaret was Henry VIII older sister and a force to be reckoned with. As a young girl she was married to the king of Scot’s and spent her entire life navigating bloody Scott…

Queen Zabel of Armenia is a little-known, often-forgotten reigning queen due to her short life and the lack of information on her. However, in her short life, she became a very successful first queen of the Armenian crusader state but also suffered much tragedy as a child queen in a world of complex crusade politics. Join me to learn about Zabel’s …

Grand Duchess Marie has often been called the grandest of the grand duchess’s and boy did she certainly earn that title. Marie was a breath of sophisticated air to the Russian court and she kept her composure even in hardships like the Russian Revolution. Join me to learn about her fascinating life. Bloks, Moniek. “Marie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin - ‘…

Ingeborg of Denmark probably thought her life wouldn’t amount to much until she scored the marriage alliance of a lifetime with the King of France, but less than a few days after her wedding, her new husband was demanding a divorce, and Ingeborg would spend the next few decades of her life defending her place as the rightful Queen of France! Biblio…

Abigail Adams is often a name heard after you mention her husband John Adams but she was so much more than the wife of a president. Abigail was a forward thinking woman who wanted better for her children and was staunch abolitionist. Join me and my first ever podcast collab guests Aubrey and Emily of the National Treasure Hunt podcast to hear the s…

As African countries go, Ethiopia has always been a place I have known very little about, but I was fascinated to find that the country's ancient monarchy has had just one women rule independently. Empress Zewditu is incredibly underrated in her own country and in world history so I feel as if it is time to bring her story alive and learn all about…

If you don’t know who Anna May Wong your missing out on by far one of the most interesting Hollywood stars I have ever read about. Anna was a second generation Chinese American who came from humble beginnings to become one of the most popular Asian actresses of her time. Anna faced a great amount of racism and typecasting in her career but persever…

The fall of the Aztecs and the rise of the Spanish in Mexico was a traumatic experience for the people that lived it, especially for Isabella Montezuma. Isabella, originally born as Tecuichpoch Ichcaxochitzin, was the most beloved daughter of Emperor Montezuma, but her life all came crashing down when the Spanish arrived. For the next few decades o…

Queen Fred has a nasty reputation in history, from accusations of murder to a blood feud with her sister-in-law that lasted decades, and an infamous fight with her daughter, Fred, has been through the wringer. But was she really as bad as we think she is? Kinda. However, in this house, we support women's wrongs; join me and my bestie Lindsay in my …

Lucrezia Borgia has gone down In history with a pretty bad rep. From murder accusations to incest accusations, this girl never gets a break. In reality, Lucrezia was a political pawn used by her father to establish her low-key Italian mobster family. In today’s episode, see how this little girl went from an irrelevant illegitimate child to a report…

Nanyehi is perhaps one of the most impressive leaders I have ever come across. As a teenager she lept into battle while her husband was shot down and under the Cherokee title of “ Beloved Woman” tried to negotiate the independence of her people from increasing European incursions onto their land. Come listen to her incredible story on today’s episo…

Queen Salote started out as an unlikely heir to the throne of Tonga. Her parent's marriage was unpopular with the people, so Salote grew up isolated and ignored until she ascended the throne as a young teenager who was determined to be the best queen she could be. It was through her efforts in Tonga and abroad during WWII that Tonga began to prospe…

Mary duchess of burgundy was perhaps one of the most eligible bachelorettes of her time. She had one of the most desirable inheritances in Europe and she yet she managed to marry for love but is sadly overshadowed by her husband Maximillian. In her time as duchess she effectively lead her people against invaders and increased the wealth of her land…

Alice Roosevelt was by far one of the most iconic first daughters to enter the White House. Alice started off life partially orphaned and raised in an environment with a domineering stepmother. She would go on to cause scandal after scandal, from smoking on the White House roof to scaring people with her pet snake. Alice was a true American princes…

Throughout the history of the Ottoman Empire many influential women have lobbied for power and influence over the sultans but few did it better than Hurrem Sultan. Originally born somewhere in Poland and captured into slavery Hurrem worked her way up to becoming the beloved wife of the empire’s most powerful Sultan. Works CitedYou Are Being Redirec…

Anna of Kyiv is a relatively obscure French queen but she is by far one of my favourite. She started out as the daughter of the most powerful man in the east and upon marrying the king of France she brought Kyiv style to the drab French court and is still the only Ukrainian or Russian princess to marry into the French Royal family. Come learn about…

Of all the women who influenced early America, no one has been more iconic than Martha Washington. As a young woman, it’s unlikely she would have dreamt of having such a large part in America’s future. However, she had the burden of being the first, First Lady and setting a precedent for all the women who would come after her. Come learn about the …

Many people remember the great English king, Henry V and his many accomplishments but few people remember his French wife Catherine of Valois. Catherine grew up in a turbulent time for France with her mentally ill father on the throne and basically becoming a teen war bride. However after her husband’s death she would take her life into her own han…

Out of thousands of years of Chinese history only one women managed to rule China independently. Wu has been written off as a power hungry usurper but she was also one of China’s best rulers and did many great things for the country. Join me and my bestie Lindsey to uncover the life of China’s only Empress. BibliographyMagazine, Smithsonian. "The D…

As we finally make it to the end of the six queens series, we finally get to talk about the one the only Catherine Parr. Catherine Parr gets very little attention as Henry VIII's sixth and final Queen. She is most often remembered as the one who nursed Henry at the end and managed to keep her head, but she is so much more. Catherine was an intellig…

In a first on the long may she reign podcast we will be covering my first ever female king. Tamar was nothing but a child when she became the first female ruler of the country of Georgia but in her time on the throne she revolutionized a country and took charge of her destiny. Come learn about the fascinating life of this podcasts first female King…

Marie Thérése has been through more than than your average seventeen year old girl. In less than six years she has lost her entire family and is now an exile from her home land. She will spend the rest of her life trying to make France pay for what they did to her family and she will even become Queen herself. Tune in to find out how she became the…

Many people know the story of Marie Antoinette the tragic last Queen of France but very few people know the story of her daughter Marie Thérèse. Marie grew up in a life of extreme privilege with two dotting parents and a close relationship with her siblings that was violently taken away by the revolution. Join me for the first half of her life. Wor…

Before Princess Diana, Grace Kelly was the standard of going from commoner to royal princess. Grace Kelly was the IT girl of old American Hollywood and could have had a decades long successful career until she fell in love with a prince from the small nation of Monaco. Join me to learn about her rollercoaster ride of a life. Works Cited“Grace Kelly…

Harriet Tubman has been through some of the worst things imaginable. Against all odds she survived slavery and helped rescue slaves from the south but now the civil war is brewing, which will cement her legacy as one of history’s most famous black women. Harriet Tubman Biography, www.harriettubmanbiography.com/harriet-tubman-biography.html.“African…

Harriet Tubman is perhaps one of the most famous black women in history. She was a conductor on the Underground Railroad after escaping slavery and a general during the civil war. However before all that she was just a woman who dreamed about the day she would be free. Join me for the first part of her life. Works CitedHarriet Tubman Biography, www…