10 Bizarre Royal Deaths from History

10 Bizarre Royal Deaths from History

Author: Lindsay Holiday October 28, 2025 Duration: 31:45
With so much money and power, royals were able to invent some pretty unique and creative ways to slay their enemies, or accidentally seal their own doom. From a Chinese Emperor’s deadly elixir of life to a steamy Roman romance that got a little too scalding hot. From a court jester so hilarious he made a Spanish king litrally die laughing, to a Swedish King’s massive last meal of caviar, champagne and cream puffs. Let’s dig up 10 truly bizarre royal deaths. 1. Hatshepsut, Pharaoh of Egypt 1507–1458 BC, Toxic Lotion 2. Qin Shi Huangdi, Emperor of China 259 - 210 BC, Deadly Elixir of Life 3. Valerian, Roman Emperor 199 – 264, Forced to Drink Molten Gold 4. Fausta, Roman Empress 326, Boiled in the Bath 5. Henry I, King of England, 1068 – 1135, Over indulged in lampreys 6. Phillippe, Prince of France, 1116-1131, Horse tripped by a pig 7. Martin, King of Aragon & Sicily 1356 – 1410, Laughed to death 8. Charles II, King of Navarre 1332 – 1387, Soaked in brandy, caught fire 9. Adolf Frederick King of Sweden 1710 – 1771, Ate himself to death 10. Alexander King of Greece 1893 – 1920, bite by monkey Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! Check out my Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/lindsayholiday Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091781568503 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyteatimelindsayholiday/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@historyteatime Please consider supporting me at https://www.patreon.com/LindsayHoliday and help me make more fascinating episodes! Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell Music: Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns, Public Domain, Performed by Kevin MacLeod #HistoryTeaTime #LindsayHoliday Please contact ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ if you would like to advertise on this podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every Tuesday, Lindsay Holiday pours a fresh cup and settles in to share the fascinating, often overlooked tales from our past. History Tea Time is built on the idea that history is best served with a generous helping of personality and a focus on the compelling narratives that textbooks tend to skip. Lindsay’s approach feels like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend who has a real knack for digging up the juiciest details. While you’ll often find episodes delving into the lives of queens and royalty from across the globe, there’s a consistent spotlight on women’s history, bringing forward the stories of figures who shaped the world from behind the throne or beyond the traditional spotlight. Listening to this podcast feels like uncovering a secret side of the past, one where the human drama, ambitions, and scandals are given center stage. Each episode is a deep dive into a specific story, told with clarity and a genuine enthusiasm that makes even the most complex historical moments accessible and utterly engaging. If you’ve ever wanted the real, unvarnished, and truly interesting stories behind the names and dates, this is your weekly invitation to listen in.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 218

History Tea Time
Podcast Episodes
Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:21
Catherine de' Medici from the powerful Italian family married the future King Henry II of France at 13. When he was impaled through the eye during a joust Catherine ruled France as regent for three of her sons during civ…
King George V’s Children: Scandalous Siblings 2/2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:02
Queen Victoria’s great-grand children, the children of King George V were a fascinating bunch. The two eldest brothers Edward VIII and George VI both took their turns on the throne. The four younger siblings never wore c…
Bonus! 'Diss and Tell' from Wondery – Prince William & Prince Harry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:06
Sibling fights are unavoidable, but what if every moment of tension – real or imagined – was under a microscope on a global scale? That’s the reality for the brothers from the House of Windsor: Prince William and Prince…
King George V’s Children: Brother Kings 1/2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:13
Queen Victoria’s great-grand children, the children of King George V were a fascinating bunch. The two eldest brothers both took their turns on the throne. Edward VIII abdicated amid scandal because he wanted to marry a…
Mary & George Villiers - The King’s Gay Lover & His Mom [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
The story of George Villiers and King James I & VI reads like a stylish, sexy and scandalous historic drama series. It probably hasn’t been made into one before because, until recently, Hollywood wasn’t too keen on portr…
A History of Breastfeeding [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:12
Throughout history, women have been feeding their babies from their bodies. Breastfeeding is portrait as the natural way. But since ancient times, women have been struggling to nurse, feeling societal pressures and shame…
Transgender & Non-Binary Royals & Nobles [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:24
Throughout history, across cultures and in every walk of life, there have always been people whose identity went beyond the two-gender mold. And those who do not fit the gender assigned to them at birth. Though people in…
Royal Pretenders [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:57
Join me on my historic tour of Scotland, May 15th-21st. MARCH 25th is the LAST DAY TO BOOK: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/united-kingdom/united-kingdom-with-lindsay-holiday-may-2024 Whenever a royal dies under myster…
The Jacobite Succession - Who should really be King of the UK? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:25
Join me on my historic tour of Scotland, May 15th-21st. MARCH 25th is the LAST DAY TO BOOK: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/united-kingdom/united-kingdom-with-lindsay-holiday-may-2024 Fans of the hit show Outlander or…
7 Princesses Royal of the UK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:53
Join me on my historic tour of Scotland, May 15th-21st. MARCH 25th is the LAST DAY TO BOOK: https://trovatrip.com/trip/europe/united-kingdom/united-kingdom-with-lindsay-holiday-may-2024 Today we assume that all the daugh…