Noble Blood

The Virgin and Thomas Seymour

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When the future Queen Elizabeth I was just 13 years old, she was living with Catherine Parr, who remarried after the death of Henry VIII. Catherine's ...

Marilyn, Hamilton + John Wilkes Booth's Statue: NYC History Hiding in Plain Sight

25 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week's Very Special Episodes is a tour of New York’s secret history with a very special guest! Greg Young of the beloved Bowery Boys p...

The Mad Baron in Mongolia (Part 2)

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For eight months, Roman von Ungern-Sternberg took control of the capital of Mongolia, in a campaign that was less about international politics and mor...

The Mad Baron in Mongolia (Part 1)

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 1921, a Russian officer named Roman von Ungern-Sternberg invaded Mongolia, ostensibly with the goal to liberate it from Chinese forces. But he had ...

This Is Not a Drill: Hawaii's Text Message Debacle [from Very Special Episodes]

11 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On a quiet morning in Hawaii in 2018, cell phones lit up with a text message that felt impossible. A ballistic missile was inbound, and this was not a...

The Queen Mother Who Refused to Die

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Against the odds, Idia's son, Esigie, became the leader—Oba—of the Edo people. And against even greater odds, Idia survived to help him ru...

A Medievalist of the Seven Kingdoms (with Dr. Hugh Doherty)

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Hugh Doherty (University of East Anglia), the historical consultant for A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, joins the podcast to discuss 14th century ...

Fortune Has Changed My Life

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Born in Africa, enslaved, and brought to a foreign land, Abram Petrovich Gannibal forged an incredible path for himself, rising until he became a resp...

Politics and Murder in the Harem

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Kösem Sultan was the favorite of the Sultan and the mother of a ruler. She had extraordinary power over the Ottoman Empire, but, as we've learned...

Movie Mystery: The 2000 Oscars Heist [from Very Special Episodes]

14 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

In 2000, weeks before the Academy Awards ceremony, 55 Oscars vanished during shipment to Los Angeles. The disappearance triggered a frantic search. Th...

A Terrible Waste

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When Heinrich VI, King of Germany, called a gathering of noblemen to deal with a property dispute, he couldn't have predicted how tragic—and dis...

Daughters of the Empress (with Veronica Buckley)

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Veronica Buckley, author of the new book SEVEN SISTERS, joins us to discuss the daughters of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, who remade Europe with ...

Olympic Glory for a Princess

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Though Queen Elizabeth II's daughter, Princess Anne, competed in the Olympics, the first princess to do so beat her to it by more than a thousand year...

The Winter Queen

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Elizabeth Stuart was the daughter of King James I and VI of England and Scotland. Her husband was offered the throne of Bohemia, and who would ever sa...

Very Special Episodes: How to Make the Olympics (Without Supernatural Athletic Ability)

14 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Elizabeth Swaney fulfilled her childhood dream of becoming an Olympian, defying all odds. But it wasn’t supernatural athletic ability that got h...

A Philosopher's Death

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Giovanni Pico Della Mirandola was a brilliant and precocious philosopher, who caused a stir in Italy with his writings before he was even 25. But Pico...

Maria Theresa's Medical Legacy (with Matt Kaplan)

03 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Dana is joined by the science writer for The Economist, Matt Kaplan, to discuss 18th century medical progress, the legacy of Maria Theresa, and the tr...

The Real Cyrano

27 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Cyrano de Bergerac is a larger-than-life figure in pop culture, whose story has been adapted countless times. But it turns out, Cyrano was a real man,...

The Missing Diamond in Case XIII

20 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Florentine Diamond was one of the crown jewels (sorry) of the Habsburgs—a 137-carat diamond that had come from the court of the Duke of Tusc...

Antoine Lavoisier's Head

13 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Antoine Lavoisier was a French chemist, who gave us the name for oxygen and other terminology that we still use today. But he was also a wealthy man w...

Cruelty and Murder, War and Peace

06 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Natasia Minkin was the mistress of one of the cruelest men in tsarist Russia. She apparently tried to give him a run for his money. Support Noble Bloo...

The Affair of the Poisons

30 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the 17th century, aristocratic France was set on high alert—women were procuring poisons and using it for nefarious, murderous means. It was ...

Very Special Episodes: The Cabbage Patch Crisis

27 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1983, a cherubic, homely doll triggered something close to national hysteria. Parents fought in store aisles. Shelves were stripped bare. Even the ...

The Mitford Communist (With Carla Kaplan)

23 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The glamorous Mitford sisters—six daughters of a Baron—have captivated the public imagination for decades. One became a duchess, one a fam...

How Lola Montez Took Down a King

16 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Though she was born in Ireland with no Spanish blood, the self-named "Lola Montez" captivated Europe with her charm and sexuality, eventually entangli...

Very Special Episodes: Skylab Is Falling

13 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

NASA's Skylab was one of the greatest scientific achievements of the 1970s. But in 1979, the 77-ton space station suddenly began to fall. As the world...

The Noblewoman Marooned on the Isle of Demons

09 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While sailing from France to the New World, Marguerite de La Rocque and her lover were punished, marooned on an island where they would be tormented b...

BONUS: “Remain: A Supernatural Love Story” (with Kal Penn)

06 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to Dana Schwartz's conversation with Kal Penn on his podcast Earsay: An Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club, where they dive into Remain: A Super...

The Kennedy Marchioness

02 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most glamorous members of the Kennedy clan, Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy dazzled and scandalized British society. But her story would ultimately...

Husbands of the Scottish Queen

25 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lord Darnley, the husband of Mary Queen of Scots, was murdered under mysterious circumstances. How Mary reacted, and what happened next, would lead to...

Sing Me a Song of a Lad That Is Gone

18 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the Battle of Culloden, the Bonnie Prince Charlie needed to escape to safety. His salvation would come in the form of a young woman named Flora ...

How a Texas Grocery Store Ended the Cold War [Very Special Episodes]

15 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1989, Boris Yeltsin walked into a Houston supermarket — and walked out ready to end an empire. What he saw in Texas that day would shake the ...

The Example of an Honest Courtesan

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As a courtesan, Veronica Franco would entertain Henry III of Valois in her Venetian home. But her greatest accomplishments would be a literary career ...

The Disastrous Arctic Balloon Mission of 1897

05 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1897, a Swedish engineer set out to reach the North Pole ... by balloon. With two companions, a crate of champagne, and the faith of a nation, he r...

Revolutionaries on Cato Street

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1820, a group of desperate radicals came up with a violent plan for complete social and political reform in England: murdering the entire cabinet a...

King James VI's Stolen Crown (with Tracy Borman)

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

On her deathbed, the unmarried "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I declared that her successor would be King James VI of Scotland. Or at least, that's the stor...

Lady of the Mercians

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Æthelflæd's father was Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons, and he married her to the leader of Mercia to seal an alliance. But &AE...

Æthelstan and a United England (with David Woodman)

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Why does William the Conqueror get all of the credit when Æthelstan was king of a united England in 927? David Woodman (Professor of History at ...

Introducing: SNAFU with Ed Helms - Season Four! 

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Hi Noble Blood listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts’ newest season of SNAFU with Ed Helms.  ...

Sentencing His Son to Death

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Peter the Great's son and heir was on trial for treason, the emperor instructed the jury to treat him as they would any other man. If he were to ...

The Princess Onstage at the Moulin Rouge

30 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Clara Ward was a "dollar princess" from Michigan who married a Belgian prince. But her adventurous spirit soon had her eloping with a Hungarian musici...

More Malatesta Murders

23 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The bloody murder of an adultrous brother and wife was just the beginning for the Malatesta family, whose family tree would be dotted with murders and...

The First Malatesta Murder

16 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Dante's Inferno, Dante meets two lovers, Paolo and Francesca. Francesca was married to Paolo's brother, but the two had a secret affair, until they...

Renaissance Man (with Peter Weller)

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Frederick II was celebrated as a "renaissance man" who championed education and the arts. But his conflicts with the Pope would lead to multiple excom...

An Earl, a Priest, and Martha Ray

02 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Martha Ray was 18, she met the Earl of Sandwich. The married Earl took Martha as his mistress, and they spent years living together as husband an...

The Drillmaster of Valley Forge

26 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Baron von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge, he was met with a dismal sight. The soldiers were starving, undisciplined, and freezing. The Baron had...

Who's Afraid of the Duchess of Newcastle (Part Two)

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Virginia Woolf compared her to a giant cucumber plant. Had she read that, Margaret Cavendish might have thought it a compliment. Support Noble Blood:&...

Who's Afraid of the Duchess of Newcastle (Part One)

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 'A Room of One's Own,' Virginia Woolf writes of Margaret Cavendish's reputation: "Evidentally the crazy Duchess became a bogey to frighten clever g...

The Real King Arthur

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

King Arthur is arguably the most famous monarch in British history, the subject of countless films and books of both non-fiction and fantasy. But ther...

A Smoking Gun in the Spanish Royal Family

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

King Juan Carlos I had an astonishingly eventful life and ruled as King of Spain for nearly four decades. But a tragic event when he was a teenager ma...

Beethoven's Immortal Beloved, Part 2

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Beethoven wrote an effusive, romantic letter, to a woman identified only as his "Immortal Beloved." Her (or his!) identity remains a matter of debate,...

Beethoven's Immortal Beloved, Part 1

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After Beethoven died, his secretary published an effusively romantic letter the composer had written to someone identified only as his "Immortal Belov...

Pope of Math and Dark Magic

08 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing the theme of exploring Papal history, we discuss Gerbert of Aurillac, AKA Pope Sylvester II, who's scientific and mathmatical mind lead him...

The Thousand-Day Conclave

01 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Continuing the theme of exploring Papal history, we discuss Gerbert of Aurillac, AKA Pope Sylvester II, who's scientific and mathmatical mind lead him...

Teaching People Manners

24 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1921, Katherine Mansfield wrote a letter to Princess Bibesco which began, "I am afraid you must stop writing these little love letters to my husban...

The Murder of the Last Korean Queen

17 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Queen Min was the de facto power behind the throne in Korea, and so she had plenty of enemies. Eventually, a coup would come to the palace. Support No...

Count and Cavalry Commander

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Through sheer force of will, Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski came to America and forced the Continental forces to allow him to create a cavalry unit. ...

The "Wild" Nobleman of French Court

03 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Petrus Gonsalvus was born with a rare genetic condition that meant he was entirely covered in hair. His life took him to French court, where he lived ...

A Scandal at Tranby Croft

27 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Queen Victoria's son, Albert Edward, was gambling with his friends at a country estate when the host's son noticed one of the guests cheating. Eventua...

Vasa, Sunken and Resurrected

20 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1688, a royal ship was embarking from Stockholm harbor on its maiden voyage. The Vasa was incredibly grand and intricate; it was also incredibly to...

The Witches of Belvoir Castle

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Earl and Countess of Rutland were dealing with unimaginable tragedy - their eldest son had died and their second son began suffering from the same...

The Life and Prophecies of Nostradamus

06 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Nostradamus's names and predictions are famous, centuries after his death. But the man behind the predictions is still largely unknown. Was he a true ...

Petronilla of Aquitaine Had Chosen Her Husband

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Eleanor of Aquitaine's younger sister Petronilla was attractive and wealthy, but she remained unmarried until she was 19 and met the charming Ralph of...

The King's Alphabet

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

King Sejong the Great is considered, well, the greatest king in Korean history. And his greatest contribution of all might have been twenty-four lette...

Rival Queens (Part 2)

15 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The 6th-century feud between Brunhild and Fredegund would last the rest of their lives, defining their kingdoms for generations as the women went...

Rival Queens (Part 1)

08 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Queen Brunhild married Sigeburt I of Austrasia. Her sister married Sigebert's brother. At least, they were married, until Brunhild's sister died under...

More Blood Than You Can Drink

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cyrus the Great of Persia wanted to conquer the Massengetae people and, through cunning, he killed the son of their warrior-queen, Tomyris. It was a b...

Agnes, Mary, and Mary Magdalene

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Agnes Sorel was the first official mistress in France, the lover of King Charles VII. But with her official position came a target on her back. Her in...

The Pope's Kidnapped Child

18 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1858, a Jewish child was taken from his family. They said that because the boy had been secretly baptized, he was now a ward of the Papal States. A...

The Coquette Avenged

11 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most women in 17th century France were faced with a choice: marriage, or a convent. Ninon de l'Enclos chose her own path. Support Noble Blood: —...

Will the Real Tsar Dmitri Please Stand Up? (Part 2)

04 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tsar Dmitri I was murdered by assassins, but he wouledn't be the last to use the name of Ivan the Terrible's son claiming to be the rightful ruler of ...

Will the Real Tsar Dmitri Please Stand Up? (Part 1)

25 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 1605, Dmitri — the son of Ivan the Terrible — became the Tsar of Russia. Less than a year leader, he was brutally deposed. But one ques...

Count Orlok's Coat (with Linda Muir)

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From leg-of-mutton sleeves to fur overcoats, the costumes in Robert Eggers's Nosferatu are extraordinarily detailed and, thanks to the research of Osc...

“No one else in the world but her!”

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Prince Wilhelm of Prussia had fallen in love with Elisa von Radzwill, and wanted to marry her. Unfortunately, even though she was a princess, her rank...

The Myth and Making of Lawrence of Arabia

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most people know of the famous "Lawrence of Arabia" thanks to the iconic imagery of the Oscar-winning film. But far fewer people know of the real man ...

The Mistress Makes Her Escape

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Henrietta Howard was saddled with an abusive embarrassment of a husband and no money. She took matters into her own hands, ingratiating herself with t...

Survived (From the Archive)

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Catherine Parr was the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon —...

Beheaded II (From the Archive)

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Katherine Howard was the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon  — N...

Divorced II (From the Archive)

07 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Anne of Cleves was the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Nobl...

Died (From the Archive)

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jane Seymour was the third wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble ...

Beheaded (From the Archive)

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Anne Boleyn was the second wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Noble ...

Divorced (From the Archive)

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of King Henry VIII. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — ...

Noble Steed

10 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The "fun fact" that Caligula tried to appoint his horse to the senate is a classic example of an emperor gone mad with power. The truth is, his appoin...

The Maxwell Prison Break from the Tower of London

03 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Winnifred Maxwell's husband was tried and sentenced to death after participating in the 1715 Jacobite uprising against King George I. She refused to l...

Dunstan and Eadwig's Notorious Twosome

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the end of the 10th century, King Eadwig was locked in a bitter rivalry with Abbot Dunstan. Their feud would eventually lead to exile, a broken mar...

E.T. and Me

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1981, 11-year-old Matt DeMeritt got a call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a sub...

The 'Unruly' British Monarchy (with David Mitchell)

19 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Comedian, writer, and actor David Mitchell joins the podcast to discuss his newest book, Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens....

The 500-Year Medici Mystery

12 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Lorenzino de Medici killed his cousin, the Duke of Florence, 11 years ago. Still, he's constantly looking over his shoulder, worried that justice migh...

The Murder of Licoricia of Winchester

05 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the 13th century, Licoricia of Winchester rose to prominence as the wealthiest Jewish woman in England. Twice widowed, she ran a successful busines...

The Impossible Identity of Elegabalus

29 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2023, a museum in England determined that they would refer to the Roman emperor Elegabalus using feminine pronouns. Elegabalus, who allegedly asked...

Gilles de Rais, Baron Serial Killer of Legend

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Gilles de Rais was a powerful, wealthy French baron who fought alongside Joan of Arc. But a castle sale gone-wrong would lead to an investigation, rev...

The Notorious Banquet of Chestnuts

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On October 31, 1501, the notorious Italian family. the Borgias, threw a party in the Papal Palace. The salacious details of that event, known as the "...

Napoleon's Brother Off Exit 7

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo, it became a dangerous thing to be a Bonaparte in Europe. And so Joseph, Napoleon's older brother, sailed to Ameri...

Miscalculations in the Court of Richard II (with Helen Castor)

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Richard II, grandson of the great King Edward III, inherited the throne when he was 10 years old, and was told he was a Messiah. The power went to his...

Lettice Knollys and her Pride

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Queen Elizabth I's favorite, Robert Dudley, got married without her permission, nothing would protect the new couple from the Queen's wrath. But ...

The Witch of the Ottoman Empire

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When Roxelana was a teenager, she was captured from her homeland and brought to Istambul to be sold as a slave. With a famusly dazzling personality, s...

Henry V (with Dan Jones)

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Was Henry V the greatest king in English history? Or was he a violent and vindictive monarch overrated by history? Historian Dan Jones joins us to tal...

"The Princess with the Sad Eyes"

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It should have been a fairytale romance: after a whirlwind courtship, Soraya Esfandiary-Bakhtiary married the Shah of Iran and the two fell deeply in ...

A Double Murder in Madrid

27 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 1980, a story captivated the Spanish media — the Marquis and Marchioness of Urquijo were found dead in the summer home, with no clear suspect in ...

The Cannibal Count of Pisa

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

CW: Cannibalism, child death Dante's Inferno presents a stark view of the ninth circle of Hell, the circle reserved for traitors, in which sinners are...