Maggie Dickson aka Half-Hanged Maggie

Eleanor of Aquitaine was Queen of France, Queen of England, Duchess of Aquitaine, mother to Richard the Lionheart and King John, and one of the most powerful women of the Middle Ages. While we get our Season 10 premiere ready, we’re sharing Katy’s visit to Right Answers Mostly, where she joined hosts Tess Bellomo and Claire Donald to tell the story of Eleanor’s marriages to Louis VII and Henry II, her time on the Second Crusade, the rebellion that landed her in captivity for 15 years, and her return to power later in life. Want the deeper dive? Listen to our full three-part Eleanor of Aquitaine series: Eleanor of Aquitaine Follow our friends: Right Answers Mostly (where this episode originally aired) --- Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Before there was Dubya, there was Ann Richards the sharp-tongued, silver-haired Democrat who went from schoolteacher to Governor of Texas. Ann Richards battled alcoholism, got sober, transformed the Texas Treasury, and became a national political star after her unforgettable speech at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. But first, she had to survive one of the wildest gubernatorial races in Texas history, featuring an opponent who seemingly could not stop saying the worst possible thing at the worst possible time. Nathan tells Katy the story of the woman behind the famous one-liners, her rise through Texas politics, and the legacy she left behind. You can watch her DNC speech here: - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pvrvRT23is - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CzzkUHyDLI Timestamps: 00:00 Patreon Preview Intro 01:06 Who Was Ann Richards? 07:09 Ann Richards Enters Texas Politics 11:47 Alcoholism, Rehab & Political Comeback 14:10 Texas State Treasurer & “Magic Money” 17:44 Ann Richards’ 1988 DNC Speech 23:38 The 1990 Texas Governor’s Race 26:53 Ann Richards vs. Clayton Williams 31:03 Ann Richards Becomes Governor of Texas 34:18 Education Reform & the Texas “Robin Hood” Plan 38:46 Life After the Governor’s Mansion 41:21 Ann Richards’ Death & Legacy ----- Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're peeking behind the Patreon wall with one of my favorite Katy's Corner episodes! When Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, was accused of witchcraft in 1441, was she actually casting spells... or simply too close to the English throne at the wrong moment? We follow Eleanor's rise from noblewoman to one of the most powerful women in England, her romance with Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and the political intrigue that turned astrological predictions into charges of treason and sorcery. If you like this episode, you may also like our Margaret of Anjou series. Find episode one here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4hcxHSkmoUU4NP1m8lCLfs ----- Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

She was hanged. Declared dead. Buried... almost. This week we're sharing one of our favorite stories from the Queens Podcast Patreon vault: the unbelievable tale of Margaret "Half-Hanged Maggie" Dickson, one of the most famous women in Scottish history. Join us as we travel to Edinburgh's Grassmarket, explore the history behind public executions, body snatchers, and the city's infamous medical schools, and unravel the true story of the woman who survived her own hanging. If you enjoy this episode, you'll find hundreds more bonus episodes covering forgotten women, haunted history, scandals, cults, and more over on Patreon. Cheers, and enjoy! time stamps: 00:00 A Story From Scotland 06:04 Meet Half-Hanged Maggie 14:12 A Crime Punishable by Death 26:05 She Wakes Up 31:28 The Legend of Half-Hanged Maggie ----- Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we're joined by our friend Bash from Historical Homos to tell one of the most unbelievable stories we've ever covered. Meet the Chevalier d'Éon: an 18th-century French noble who somehow managed to be a spy, soldier, diplomat, bestselling author, blackmailer of the King of France, celebrity fencer, and one of the earliest people in history to have their gender officially recognized by the state. Seriously. This story has everything. From secret missions in Russia to political scandals in London, royal intrigue at Versailles, and a transition that left all of Europe gossiping, d'Éon's life feels less like history and more like something a Netflix writer would get rejected for making too unrealistic. Join us and Bash as we dive into one of history's strangest, funniest, and most fascinating lives. --- Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Katy and Nathan take a break from queens and head into the world of UFO cults. In 1950s Chicago, housewife Dorothy Martin began receiving messages through automatic writing from beings she believed lived on the planet Clarion. With the help of a small group called the Seekers, she spread a startling prediction: a catastrophic flood would soon destroy Earth, and flying saucers would arrive to save the faithful. The prophecy never came true, but what happened next fascinated psychologist Leon Festinger. His study of the Seekers would eventually lead to one of the most influential concepts in modern psychology: cognitive dissonance. Join us for a story featuring alien Jesus, failed doomsday predictions, flying saucers, and the surprisingly important cult that helped explain why people cling to beliefs even when faced with evidence that they're wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the Season 9 finale of Queens, we're back in Russia with Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Tsarina of the Russian Empire. When we last left Alexandra, she had married Tsar Nicholas II and stepped into one of the most powerful—and unforgiving—courts in Europe. Now, the pressure to produce an heir, her son Alexei's devastating hemophilia diagnosis, and the arrival of Grigori Rasputin will change the course of Russian history forever. As Russia faces war, political unrest, and revolution, Alexandra becomes one of the most controversial women of her era. But was she truly the villain history remembers, or a devoted wife and mother caught in an impossible situation? Join us as we explore Rasputin, the Romanovs, the Russian Revolution, and the tragic final chapter of the last Empress of Russia. Time stamps: 00:00 Intro & Patreon shout outs! 03:37 All Daughters No Heir 05:32 Stress and Phantom Pregnancy 08:52 Faith Healer Philippe de Lyon 09:53 IT'S A BOY! Then... uh oh 13:59 Rasputin Enters 21:05 Russo Japanese War 23:43 Bloody Sunday 29:25 War Sparks Suspicion 31:15 Alexandra as Regent 36:02 Rasputin's Murdered... probably not as dramatic as you've heard 38:55 Russia Collapses Into Revolution 41:14 Pulling up to the Abdication Station 44:13 House Arrest 49:53 Execution Night 52:59 Legacy and Remains Found 55:06 Final Toast and Farewell Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back with a completely reworked and expanded 2026 version of one of our most requested redo episodes: Alexandra Feodorovna, the last empress of Russia. Originally covered way back in 2018, we realized there was so much more to unpack about the woman who would become the tragic final tsarina of Imperial Russia. So this time, we’re slowing down, diving deeper, and fully embracing the gaudy, dramatic chaos of the Romanov court. In part one, we explore Alexandra’s early life as Princess Alix of Hesse, Queen Victoria’s favorite granddaughter, whose happy childhood was shattered by tragedy, illness, and loss. We talk about the spread of hemophilia through Europe’s royal families, Alexandra’s intense religious beliefs, and the deeply romantic (and deeply codependent) love story between Alix and the future Tsar Nicholas II. From doomed romance to catastrophic public relations disasters, this is the beginning of the end for the Romanovs. Timestamps: 00:00 Return to Imperial Russia & Alexandra Feodorovna Redo02:39 The Revised “Rasputin” Cocktail Recipe03:40 Alexandra Feodorovna’s Birth, Family & Triple Gemini Chaos05:24 Queen Victoria, Royal Upbringing & Life in Hesse10:12 Hemophilia in Europe’s Royal Families Explained16:22 Alexandra’s Religion & the Divine Right of Kings21:42 Alexandra Feodorovna’s First Trip to Russia22:22 Young Nicholas II Meets Alexandra for the First Time27:14 Nicholas and Alexandra’s Romantic Letters & Courtship34:26 Nicholas II Proposes & Alexandra’s Religion Crisis38:03 Alexandra Arrives in Russia as the Tsar Dies45:40 Alexandra Feodorovna’s First Impressions at Court47:35 Nicholas II’s Coronation & the Khodynka Field Disaster53:06 “She Came to Russia Behind a Coffin” — Bad Omens Begin Sources: Queens of Misfortune The History Chicks Ambivalent Offenders Check out our Dagmar of Denmark series Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back for part 2 in our Caroline of Brunswick series—and the drama only escalates. After her disastrous marriage to George IV, Caroline becomes Britain’s ultimate “people’s princess” while her husband doubles down on being the worst. In this episode, we cover the birth of Princess Charlotte, George IV’s infamous will, and how Regency-era tabloids fueled Caroline’s rise in public support. From palace spying and a toxic court to her separation and new independent life, Caroline refuses to stay quiet. It’s messy, dramatic, and completely unfair—and somehow, the public never stops rooting for her. Time stamps: 00:00 Cold Open Banter 01:21 Caroline of Brunswick & George IV Marriage Recap 02:11 Birth of Princess Charlotte of Wales 03:37 George IV’s Infamous Will & Treatment of Caroline 10:03 Caroline & George IV Separation Explained 11:29 Caroline’s Independent Life & Affair Rumors 14:22 Who Was William Austin? Royal Baby Scandal 14:57 Lady Douglas Feud & Royal Gossip Escalates 20:26 The Delicate Investigation Explained 23:27 Regency Era Begins: George IV Takes Power 27:18 Death of Princess Charlotte (1817 Tragedy) 28:22 Adultery Trial Fallout 31:55 George IV Coronation Drama & Caroline Snub 38:47 Caroline of Brunswick Death & Final Days 41:50 Funeral Riots Legacy 44:08 George IV Reputation Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Queens Podcast, we dive into the chaotic early life of Caroline of Brunswick, the future Princess of Wales and one of the most controversial royal figures of the Regency era. Raised in isolation in the Duchy of Brunswick, Caroline’s childhood was anything but typical—marked by family dysfunction, social restriction, and a deep craving for attention that would follow her into adulthood. But everything changes when she’s chosen to marry her cousin, George IV, the scandal-prone Prince of Wales. From a disastrous first meeting to a wedding day filled with drunken chaos, this royal marriage starts off on the worst possible foot. If you love royal history, scandals, and messy marriages, this is just the beginning. Time stamps: Sources: For this one, I'm taking stories and research from Ann Foster's book Rebel of the Regency I also really enjoyed Even The Royals 2 episodes on Caroline Queens podcast is part of Airwave Media podcast network. Please get in touch with [email protected] if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Want more Queens? Head to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices