Noble Blood

On her deathbed, the unmarried "Virgin Queen" Elizabeth I declared that her successor would be King James VI of Scotland. Or at least, that's the story that we've been told. In her new book THE STOLEN CROWN, historian Tracy Borman, Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, discusses the bombshell new discoveries that reveal that the Stuart Dynasty was built on a lie. (For more, here's Tracy for History Extra's Life Lessons from History) Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1960s, there were 36,000 Americans living in the Canal Zone. They had Friday night high school football games, sock hops, and Hollywood movies at the local theater. It looked like a mid-century American town had been dropped into the Panamanian jungle — because that’s exactly what it was. But many Panamanians weren’t happy with this “country-in-a-country” arrangement. What would it take to get the Americans to leave? The answer, it turns out, was a bunch of teenagers. * Listen to Very Special Episodes wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday! Check out Marixa Lasso's Erased: The Untold Story of the Panama Canal and Wendy Tribaldos' books about the history of Panama and the Canal Zone. Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Dave Roos Senior Producer is Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Original Music by Elise McCoy Research and Fact-Checking by Dave Roos and Austin Thompson Special thanks to our voice actors Chris Childs and Josh Fisher Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Æthelflæd's father was Alfred the Great, King of the Anglo-Saxons, and he married her to the leader of Mercia to seal an alliance. But Æthelflæd's husband would become sickly, and she would become a formidable leader in her own right. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does William the Conqueror get all of the credit when Æthelstan was king of a united England in 927? David Woodman (Professor of History at Cambridge University) joins us to talk about his new book The First King of England. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi Noble Blood listeners! We're excited to share with you a sneak peek at iHeartPodcasts’ newest season of SNAFU with Ed Helms. SNAFU with Ed Helms: Your favorite history podcast is back with even more SNAFUs -- one per episode, to be precise. With guests like Nick Kroll, Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey, Paul Scheer, Jordan Klepper, Mike Schur, and more, it's part history lesson, part hangout pod, and part group therapy for humanity. Listen to season 4 of SNAFU with Ed Helms on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Peter the Great's son and heir was on trial for treason, the emperor instructed the jury to treat him as they would any other man. If he were to be convicted, the sentence would be death. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clara Ward was a "dollar princess" from Michigan who married a Belgian prince. But her adventurous spirit soon had her eloping with a Hungarian musician and she lives a life that scandalized and captivated Europe in equal measure. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The bloody murder of an adultrous brother and wife was just the beginning for the Malatesta family, whose family tree would be dotted with murders and betrayals for decades. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During one of the most delicate periods for international relations, the United States sent Bob Hope to China with the ultimate wingman. Together, the two icons would play an unexpected role in bridging a massive cultural divide. [Very Special Episodes returns with all new episodes October 15th! Listen wherever you listen to podcasts.] * Very Special Thanks to our translator, Yixio Ren! Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Dylan Heuer Produced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Chris Childs Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier Story Editor is Aaron Edwards Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Research and Fact-Checking by Dylan Heuer, Aaron Edwards, and Austin Thompson Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Dante's Inferno, Dante meets two lovers, Paolo and Francesca. Francesca was married to Paolo's brother, but the two had a secret affair, until they were discovered and things took a deadly turn. But theirs is just one of the many murders and betrayals in the Malatesta family tree... Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Frederick II was celebrated as a "renaissance man" who championed education and the arts. But his conflicts with the Pope would lead to multiple excommunications. Actor and historian Peter Weller (RoboCop, author of Leon Battista Alberti in Exile) joins the show to discuss his complicated legacy. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Martha Ray was 18, she met the Earl of Sandwich. The married Earl took Martha as his mistress, and they spent years living together as husband and wife. But their arrangement wasn't without friction, and in the end, their story would be a tragedy neither could have imagined. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Baron von Steuben arrived at Valley Forge, he was met with a dismal sight. The soldiers were starving, undisciplined, and freezing. The Baron had a daunting task ahead of him: give them a fighting chance against the British. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Virginia Woolf compared her to a giant cucumber plant. Had she read that, Margaret Cavendish might have thought it a compliment. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For a few tense hours in October 2009, the entire world watched as a homemade aircraft purportedly carrying a 6-year-old boy drifted in mid-air on live television. When the balloon landed, there was no boy inside. Sources: Wife Swap Season 5, Episode 1: “Heene/Martell” Wife Swap Season 5, Episode 18: “Heene/Silver” The video that I showed Dana of the YourShakeDown invention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xAX2Y8-g4g Compilation of news coverage from the time of the story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAlwBcvb9RA Internet Historian video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWhUvm8SunY&t=1s Richard Heene’s response: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Axgyj7g5XZY The gawker essay: https://www.gawkerarchives.com/5383858/exclusive-i-helped-richard-heene-plan-a-balloon-hoax Transcripts from 911 and CNN: https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ng/date/2009-10-21/segment/01 The Denver magazine that cracked the case: https://www.5280.com/the-balloon-boy-hoax-solved/ More reporting: https://people.com/human-interest/10-years-later-balloon-boy-dad-insists-saga-no-hoax/ https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2345497/Four-years-Balloon-Boy-aged-10-finally-set-worlds-youngest-heavy-metal-band-brothers.html https://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/19/us/19balloon.html https://nypost.com/2025/02/22/us-news/infamous-balloon-boy-starts-tiny-home-building-business-in-florida/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eighty years ago this summer, a young John F. Kennedy took a job as a journalist for Hearst newspapers, filing dispatches in the final days of World War II. Even the most seasoned JFK scholars often overlook this chapter. Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Fred Logevall and legendary director Rob Reiner join Dana Schwartz to explore the forgotten summer that helped shape Kennedy's worldview. * If you liked this episode, check out the Very Special Episodes feed for more! * Check out Fred Logevall's excellent book: JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century. Listen to Who Killed JFK? from Rob Reiner and Soledad O'Brien wherever you get your podcasts. And go see Spinal Tap II: The End Continues in theaters this September! And thanks to our JFK voice actor, Tom Antonellis, for nailing another role. * Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English Written by Joe Pompeo Produced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher Additional Editing by Mary Dooe Mixing and Mastering by Josh Fisher Research and Fact-Checking by Joe Pompeo and Austin Thompson Original Music by Elise McCoy Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla Executive Producer is Jason English See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 'A Room of One's Own,' Virginia Woolf writes of Margaret Cavendish's reputation: "Evidentally the crazy Duchess became a bogey to frighten clever girls with." Dismisses as mad in her own time, and untalented later, Cavendish remains something of an enigma, a strange proto-feminist, proto-science fiction writer who remained entirely untamed. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Arthur is arguably the most famous monarch in British history, the subject of countless films and books of both non-fiction and fantasy. But there's one tiny, but important question worth asking: did he even exist? Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 1917, two young cousins returned from the creek behind their house with thrilling news: they had photographed fairies! Their parents were skeptical, but soon the photos of the "Cottingley Fairies" were circulated, eventually finding a champion in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sources: ‘Fairies Photographed: An Epoch-Making Event.’ Strand Magazine, 1920 'The Coming of the Fairies' by Arthur Conan Doyle (London: Hodder & Stoughton) ‘That Astonishing Affair of the Cottingley Fairies,' by G. Crawley. British Journal of Photography https://journal.sciencemuseum.ac.uk/article/power-at-play-in-paranormal-history/ https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/father-and-son-who-believed-faeries See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

King Juan Carlos I had an astonishingly eventful life and ruled as King of Spain for nearly four decades. But a tragic event when he was a teenager maybe have been the defining incident of his life. Support Noble Blood: — Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon — Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story' See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.