Asexual Royals from History

Asexual Royals from History

Author: Lindsay Holiday June 2, 2026 Duration: 29:45
Throughout history, across cultures and in every walk of life, there have always been people with varied sexual attractions, or lack there of. Asexuality, in particular, has only been identified and studied since the early 20th century. People in the past did not have the concepts, terminology or relative freedom we have today. So those who might now identify as asexual had a limited understanding of what they were experiencing. This makes it difficult for historians to identify people from the past who may have been asexual. Sexual attractions and relationships of every variety often left evidence, like steamy love letters and reports from others. But a lack of sexual desire was much less likely to be expressed. Sexuality, particularly among royals and especially among women, was often not a matter of choice. Princes and Princesses had to marry and reproduce with whoever their parents told them to. In many cases, particularly when young princesses were wed to much older kings, their own desires were invalid. So unless they risked their lives by having an affair, we can’t know if they were secretly lusting after the stable boy, the kitchen maid, or if they just wanted to be left alone to enjoy a slice of cake. As with all of my LGBTQIA+ videos, I am sensitive about outing people posthumously. These people are no longer able to tell us their own stories, and we must therefore rely on journals, letters and reports from others, which can’t give us a complete picture. But despite the gaps in our knowledge, these people deserve to have their stories told. I think it is incredibly important for people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to see themselves represented in history and to know that they are not alone in the world or in time. And I have had many requests to do a video about ace royals from the past. So today let’s meet 6 royals from history who’s experiences and actions indicate that they may have been asexual. 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: Brandenburg Concerto No4-1 BWV1049 - Classical Whimsical by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100303 Artist: http://incompetech.com/ #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
Louis XIV's Illegitimate Children [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:38
Louis XIV, King of France from 1638 to 1715 was, like all French Kings, expected to have many lovers to prove his virility. And as could be expected in a time before reliable birth control, he also had large a crop of il…
Louis XIV's Mistresses [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:15
Louis XIV, King of France from 1638 to 1715, ruled over the court at Versailles with the sheer magnetism of his personality. All were desperate to be in the light of the sun king. His image was paramount to maintaining h…
Empress Wu Zetian of China [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:20
Empress Wu Zetian rose from royal concubine to become the only female ruler in China’s 2,000 years of imperial history. Today she is seen as ruthless, tyrannical and willing to murder her own family to hold onto the thro…
Royalty 101: What is the Order of the Garter? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:19
The Most Noble Order of the Garter sneaks into so many of my videos. Nearly ever significant member of the English and British royal family since the 1300s, and a number of foreign royals have been knights or ladies of t…
3 Spooky Christmas Episodes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:23
Throughout history, the cold, dark and hungry winter season had been infused with a certain spooky feeling of dread. Festivals like saturnalia, yule and eventually Christmas brought light to the darkness. But that linger…
Royal Mistresses who ALMOST became Queens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
Through most of history, monarchs selected wives for their royal blood and political significance. Women they actually liked and were attracted to were relegated to being mere mistresses. These women were usually local a…
Royal Mistresses who became Queens [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:42
Through most of history, Kings selected wives for their royal blood and political significance. Women they actually liked and were attracted to were relegated to being mere mistresses. These women were usually local aris…
Queens of the Pacific Islands - History’s Real Moana [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:42
Disney Princess Moana may voyage across a fantasy version of the Pacific ocean, and represent an amalgamation of several islands’ cultures. But she is based on many real-life women who have led their people with courage,…
Roman Emperors in the time of Gladiator II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:21
Ridley Scott’s epic historical sequel, Gladiator II promises to be a dramatic and spectacular, if not particularly historically accurate roller-coaster ride through the Roman Empire. And while there are already some exce…
Catherine the Great & Her Many Lovers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:56
The deliciously witty drama series ‘The Great’ tells the occasionally true story of Catherine II, Empress of Russia. It’s a wonderful example of why historic dramas should be taken as entertainment, not a history lesson.…