Noble Blood

Author Dana Schwartz explores the stories of some of history’s most fascinating royals: the tyrants and the tragic, the murderers and the murdered, and everyone in between. Because when you’re wearing a crown, mistakes often mean blood. New episodes every two weeks, on Tuesdays.

History
Society & Culture
1
Empress Sisi's Beating Heart
Elizabeth was Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. She was a beauty icon with long, chestnut brown hair that came down, allegedly to her ankles. But she also lived a life of quiet, lonely depression. She was a ghost, even before her assassination. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story
58 min
2
The Princess That England Lost
Princess Charlotte of Wales was England's grand hope for the future, directly in line for the throne after the infirm King George III and the buffoonish Prince Regent George IV. She fought for her independence, for the ability to choose her own husband, and ultimately succeeded. But her love story was short-lived. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
41 min
3
The Ghost Princes and Richard III
In 1483, the two sons of the late King Edward IV went into the Tower of London, preparing for the older son's coronation. Instead, their uncle, Richard III was crowned, and the two boys were never seen again. The truth of what happened to the "princes" in the tower is one of history's greatest mysteries, and writers have imagined answers for centuries. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
47 min
4
The 'Six' Wives: An Interview with Lucy Moss an...
When Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow were students at Cambridge University, they co-wrote a musical about the six wives of Henry VIII. From Edinburgh Fringe to the West End to Broadway, 'Six' has become a global phenomenon. Dana speaks to Moss and Marlow about theatre, women in popular culture, and revisionist history. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
33 min
5
The Rice Box
Prince Sado of Korea had gone mad. He was prone to violent fits of rage; he would assault and threaten and even kill servants at court. His father, King Yeongjo, needed a way to get rid of him. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
29 min
6
The Queen's Goddaughter
When Sarah Forbes Bonetta was seven years old, she was enslaved in the African kingdom of Dahomey and presented as a gift to a visiting British naval captain. The captain brought her to London in order to "rescue" her. The young girl would soon become the goddaughter to the most powerful woman in the world: Queen Victoria. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
31 min
7
Boudica Victoria
Boudica is one of the most famous folk-heroines of Great Britain, a woman who led thousands of troops in 61 A.D. against the Roman occupiers. Though her rebellion was ultimately uncessful, Boudica's final victory would be in becoming a symbol that endured through the centuries. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Pre-order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
28 min
8
A King Legitimate and Illegitimate
In a small town in the northeast of Spain, in a small pub, a man named Albert Solà works as a waiter. He might also be the rightful King of Spain. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Pre-order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
28 min
9
Trial By Combat
In 1386 France, Jean Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris faced each other in a fight to the death. The two were former friends turned bitter enemies. Le Gris was accused of a terrible crime, and the courts determined that only God could determine the guilty party. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes and scripts on Patreon — Merch! — Pre-order Dana's book, Anatomy: A Love Story — Sign up to join Dana on the Mary Shelley Pilgrimage in April
33 min
10
Murder, Madness, and Eric XIV
Throughout history, there have been stories of royals going mad. But very few kings have committed murder in their fits of insanity.
34 min
11
The Tiger of Mysore
At the end of the 1700s, Tipu Sultan was the leader of the Kingdom of Mysore, facing off against the encroaching invasion of the British East India Trading Company. Today, Tipu's legacy is complicated and still confused with propaganda and mythology. Was he a crusading hero, or a religious bigot?
21 min
12
Darya Saltykova, Serial Killer
In the 18th century in Russia, a noblewoman named Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova was well known in her area for treating her serfs with unique cruelty. But the true situation was far worse than the rumors. Eventually, she would be convicted of beating 38 young women to death, but many think she might have killed over a hundred more.
22 min
13
The Blood Countess Elizabeth Báthory
Elizabeth Báthory is famous for being one of history's most prolific serial killers, a Hungarian Countess who tortured and slaughtered hundreds of young women, protected by her power as a noble. But what is the story is a little more complicated? What if the political power that allegedly protected her was actually a target for her political enemies? Is it possible that history's favorite murderess is actually innocent?
28 min
14
The Mistress, the Murderer
King Edward VIII is notorious for abdicating the British throne to marry a twice-divorced American woman. But Wallis Simpson was far from his most notorious paramour...
29 min
15
The Runaway Duchess
Hortense Mancini is perhaps most famous for being a royal mistress, but her life was a series of adventures and scandals. Hortense was willing to do whatever it took to be a woman who lived on her own terms in the 17th century.
28 min
16
The Schemes of Countess Frances Carr
Frances Howard wanted to divorce her first husband and marry someone else. Someone was standing in the way. [Support Noble Blood on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/noblebloodtales. Noble Blood merch is available here: https://store.dftba.com/collections/noble-blood]
29 min
17
The Beheading of the Cousin Queen
The rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Queen Elizabeth I is stuff of legends: neighboring queens, cousins, opposites, and deadly opponents. [Support Noble Blood on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/noblebloodtales. Noble Blood merch is available here: https://store.dftba.com/collections/noble-blood]
33 min
18
The Prince's Marriage Test
Vincenzo Gonzaga's first marriage ended in a humiliating divorce by non-consummation,. His next set of would-be in-laws wanted to make sure the same problem wouldn't happen twice, and so the Vatican was called in to help orchestrate a public trial for Gonzaga to undertake. Turns out there was nothing simple about sex and masculinity in Renaissance Italy. [Side note: I wrote a book! It's a gothic love story about 19th century Edinburgh, and you can pre-order here: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/anatomy-a-love-story/ ]
25 min
19
Lovers and La Maupin
A bisexual, sword-fighting, opera-singing, 17th century arsonist... no wonder there are so many stories about her. [Side note: I wrote a book! It's a gothic love story about 19th century Edinburgh, and you can pre-order here: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/anatomy-a-love-story/]
21 min
20
The Later Life of Bloody Mary
When Mary rode into London to claim her crown, she was met with celebration the likes of which had never been seen before in the city streets. Five years later, at the end of her reign, she was a hated figure. Today, she's known as Bloody Mary. [Side note: You can pre-order ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY here! https://read.macmillan.com/lp/anatomy-a-love-story/]
32 min
21
The Early Life of Bloody Mary
The oldest daughter of Henry VIII, Mary Tudor, is commonly known today as "Bloody Mary" for her persecution of Protestants in England during her reign as queen. But as a young woman, she was a girl whose life was ripped out from under her when her father declared that she was no longer a princess. [Side note: I wrote a book! It's a gothic love story about 19th century Edinburgh, and you can pre-order here: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/anatomy-a-love-story/]
35 min
22
Queen Christina Removed Her Own Crown
Christina of Sweden is one of the most compelling figures of the 17th century, a queer Catholic convert who rejected social norms and stepped down as a monarch to live a life completely on her own terms. [Side note: my novel, ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY is available for pre-order at read.macmillan.com/lp/anatomy-a-love-story]
30 min
23
Historical Mythbusting Spectacular!
For our 50th (!) episode, Noble Blood is tackling historical rumors: "Let them eat cake," Elizabeth I being a man, the lost dauphin of France, and....... *that* rumor about Catherine the Great. [Side note: I wrote a book!!!! It's a novel about a 19th century surgeon and body snatcher, and you can pre-order it here: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/anatomy-a-love-story/]
35 min
24
The Mad Tyrant, Hey Hey!
In American history books, King George III is painted as the despotic villain keeping us from our independence. That he was "mad," then, makes perfect sense. But in reality, his madness was a sad coda to a long reign, a tragic untreated illness that left him completely alone.
35 min
25
The Double Agent
The Chevalier d'Éon was a diplomat, spy, traitor, and international celebrity. She's also sometimes regarded as one of the most prominent transgender figures in European history.
25 min