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
Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:49
Enjoying the Netflix romantic drama "The Empress"? Check out the real story of Empress Elisabeth "Sisi" of Austria. Elisabeth of Austria was a shy woman who’s beauty won the heart of Emperor Franz Joseph. She suffered un…
A History of Menstruation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:04
Periods. About 50% of the population gets them. But this natural process of shedding the uterine lining every month as part of fertility has long been shrouded in mystery, embarrassment and taboo. Let’s take a look back…
Queen Elizabeth II's Grandchildren [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:42
Queen Elizabeth II’s 4 children have given her 8 grandchildren. While her children were the first generation of royals to have their lives laid bare for public scrutiny, her grandchildren grew up in the limelight and hav…
Queen Elizabeth II's Children [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:57
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is mother to four children: Charles, Prince of Wales Anne, Princess Royal Prince Andrew, Duke of York Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex The famously stoic monarch is unsurprisingly no…
3 Twisted Tales of Royal Exhumation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:20
Happy Halloween! When someone dies and is laid to rest we tend to think of them as gone. But their remains may remain waiting to play a further part in history. For your consideration, here are three twisted tales about…
4 Tudor Queens: 4. Mary, Queen of Scots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:50
The Tudor era is all about the women. Once you get past Henry VIII and his six wives, three successive Queens got a chance to warm the throne of England. But being a Queen in a man’s world wasn’t easy. Unfortunately thes…
4 Tudor Queens: 3. Queen Elizabeth I [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:42
The Tudor era is all about the women. Once you get past Henry VIII and his six wives, three successive Queens got a chance to warm the throne of England. But being a Queen in a man’s world wasn’t easy. Unfortunately thes…
4 Tudor Queens: 2. Queen Mary I [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:34
The Tudor era is all about the women. Once you get past Henry VIII and his six wives, three successive Queens got a chance to warm the throne of England. But being a Queen in a man’s world wasn’t easy. Unfortunately thes…
4 Tudor Queens: 1. Jane Grey, The 9 Days Queen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:57
The Tudor era is all about the women. Once you get past Henry VIII and his six wives, three successive Queens got a chance to warm the throne of England. But being a Queen in a man’s world wasn’t easy. Unfortunately thes…
Royal & Noble Serial Killers – Female [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:58
Today about 85% of all serial killers are male. On the rare occasions when a woman commits murder, it is far more shocking to society. But history reveals a handful of femme fatals who took the lives of others to gain po…