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
Royalty 101: The Rules of Succession [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:49
How is the next monarch decided? How many people are in the line of succession and what can they do to get themselves booted? Can LGBT+ royals get married and can adopted children be a part of the succession? Will Prince…
LGBTQ Royals of the World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:24
Happy Pride! In the history of the world there have been numerous royals and countless common people who preferred the romantic company of their own gender. Acceptance of this has varied by time period and by culture. Be…
How Inbred were the Habsburgs? 2/2: The Austrian Line [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:10
Royals throughout history are notorious for inbreeding. But the European royal family by far infamously incestuous were the Habsburgs (Hapsburgs). The royal house ruled Spain from 1506 to 1700 and held the Holy Roman Emp…
How Inbred were the Habsburgs? 1/2 The Spanish Line [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:19
Royals throughout history are notorious for inbreeding. But the European royal family by far infamously incestuous were the Habsburgs (Hapsburgs). The royal house ruled Spain from 1506 to 1700 and held the Holy Roman Emp…
Queen Victoria's 9 Children [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:42
Queen Victoria of the united Kingdom gave birth to 9 children in 17 years. Her eldest son was destined to inherit the throne of the British Empire at the height of it’s power. The younger sons joined the military and adv…
A History of Royal Incest and Inbreeding [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
From Egyptians Pharaohs marrying their own sisters, to the Hapsburgs’ notoriously oversized lower jaws. Here are the stories of some of the most shocking incestuous relationships and tragically inbred individuals in roya…
Trailer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:19
Welcome to the History Tea Time Podcast! I'm Lindsay Holiday. For the past three years, I’ve been making weekly videos on my YouTube channel, History tea time with Lindsay Holiday. And now I’m turning my videos into a ne…