Vulgar History: Revolution

Mary Shelley (1797-1851) was the calm in the eye of the storm that was literally everyone in her life: her parents, her stepmother, her stepsister, her husband, her husband's BFF, literally EVERYONE was the most chaotic and she somehow stands out for just keeping it together all these years. She was the ultimate Goth Queen Mom Friend, casually invented a whole new genre of fiction/revolutionized English language literature while on the world's worst couples getaway and while dealing with perpetual pregnancy and grief. To say we stan is an understatement.References:In Search of Mary Shelley by Fiona SampsonRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History Merch - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOU10 for 10% off your orderVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth Woodville was the first commoner AND the first English woman to marry an English King (in the most super secret sexy wedding ever??), but more importantly for Halloween reasons, was maybe descended from a mythical Luxembourgese mermaid-witch-goddess.References:Royal Witches: Witchcraft and the Nobility in Fifteenth-Century England by Gemma HollmanRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History Merch - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOU10 for 10% off your orderVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All good things must come to an end, and so it is with this three-part exploration of the legend that was FREDEGUND! Her story concludes with yet more innovative military victories, unrelenting badassery, and some info about how she lived during an Ice Age (???). Then comes the moment we're all waiting for: how will this one of a kind Queen score on the scandilicious scale?References:The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged The Medieval World by Shelley PuhakRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History Merch - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOU10 for 10% off your orderVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In part two of this Super Special, we delve into Fredegund's Warrior Queen Era as well as learning more about her Wile E. Coyote-like relationship to Brunhilda. Also: absinthe! And: Breton stripes!References:The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged The Medieval World by Shelley PuhakRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History Merch - use code TITSOUT for free U.S. shipping or TITSOU10 for 10% off your orderVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fredegund, Queen of Neustria was a 6th century enslaved girl turned Queen turned regent turned maybe my fav historical person. This is part one of a two part super special episode, because there's too much info to put into one hour. In this part, we learn about who tf were the Merovingian Frankish dynasty, why was Fredegund's sister-in-law Brunhilda so intent on murdering her, and more!! Check back next week when we get into the real meat of this story of QUEEN VS QUEEN as Fredegund arranges more assassinations, becomes a military genius, and a lot more people die of dysentery.References: The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged The Medieval World by Shelley PuhakRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History MerchVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Doña Ana de Mendoza was a 16th century Spanish princess who wore a goddamn eyepatch for no reason anyone could figure out, and if that isn't enough to interest you, I don't know what else to say to convince you.Recommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History MerchVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sophia Dorothea of Celle (1666-1726), or as we call her in this episode, S.D., is known as England's Uncrowned Queen. She was raised by loving parents who also loved her, but then got married off to her truly odious cousin and things did not go well. References: The Imprisoned Princess: The Scandalous Life of Sophia Dorothea of Celle by Catherine CurzonRecommended history reading: African Europeans: An Untold History by Olivette OteleRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History MerchVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lady Arbella Stuart (1575-1615) is one of the lesser-known figures from Tudor and Stuart history. She was Mary Queen of Scots's niece and granddaughter to both Margaret Douglas and Bess of Hardwick. This genealogy meant she was both a threat to Queen Elizabeth and James I/VI (her cousin), but also that she was used as a figurehead by people who wanted to promote their own interests. Her life was like Grey Gardens meets Rapunzel, and all our girl wanted to do was run off and get secret sexy married like her ancestor/role model Katherine Grey had done. And when she finally took her fate into her own hands, it all got WILDLY scandilicious.Recommend history podcast: Telling Our Twisted HistoriesRecommended history reading: Arbella: England's Lost Queen by Sarah GristwoodRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History MerchVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marguerite de Valois (1553 – 1615) was a French princess whose life was truly non-stop scandiliciousness. Poison gloves! Two assassinations! Scandalous memoirs! A fanatic monk! Carrying around the decapitated head of ones lover! A man named Bussy d'Amboise!Recommend history viewing: La Reine Margot / Queen Margot (1994) Recommended history reading: The Rival Queens: Catherine de'Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom by Nancy GoldstoneRecommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History MerchVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lady Margaret Douglas was the only daughter of Margaret Tudor, making her a niece of Henry VIII on the Scottish-disinherited-side. Her parents had an acrimonious divorce which led to Margaret herself growing up mostly in England with various guardians. She was imprisoned five times, mostly in the Tower of London, but her ruthless scheming and family connections freed her every time. She wanted to be Queen, then amended her goal to see her son as King, then finally wound up being OK with her grandkids being King and/or Queen.Recommend history reading: Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee / The Six (documentary)Recommended books on Bookshop.orgSupport Vulgar History on PatreonVulgar History MerchVulgar History is an affiliate of Bookshop.org, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices