In Part Two of our series on Charlotte of Belgium (Empress Carlota of Mexico)… we wish we had better news.

When we last left our neglected princess, she and her husband, Archduke Maximilian of Austria, had been approached by Napoleon III and offered the crown of Mexico. Charlotte—starved for purpose and convinced this is her destiny—is all in. Max is less sure, but with the blessing of Pope Pius IX, the new Emperor and Empress set sail for Mexico.

Where the dream immediately implodes.

What follows is one of the most tragic and debated breakdowns in royal history—and the fall of the Second Mexican Empire.

We also draw parallels to one of our classic Queens Podcast episodes on Juana of Castile, another queen labeled “mad” and locked away. If this story leaves you thinking about power, politics, and madness, you can revisit Juana’s story here.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome + Content Warning (History Tea Time Crossover Intro)

00:51 Previously On: Maximilian’s Mess & The Crown of Mexico

06:47 Sailing to Empire: Papal Blessings, Big Dreams & Bigger Delusions

10:46 Veracruz Reality Check: a Lukewarm Welcome

13:59 Mexico City & the Illusion of Support

18:22 "Hey— Did we just kidnap these kids?" And other bad ideas.

27:19 Empress on a Mission: Charlotte Travels to Europe to Save the Mexican Empire

33:53 Vatican Rejection: The Pope Won’t Intervene—and Charlotte Snaps

44:14 Vienna & Victorian Psychiatry: Diagnosed ‘Madness’ by an ‘Alienist’

47:01 Meanwhile in Mexico: Maximilian Captured, Tried, and Executed

49:54 A Life After the Break: 60 Years in Belgium, Good Days and Ghosts

54:52 What Caused the Collapse? Theories, Bad Medicine, and a Tragic Farewell

Sources

• ⁠History Tea Time⁠

• ⁠Thought co

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!

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With a new Wuthering Heights movie on the way (directed by Emerald Fennell), I’m dropping Part One of my Patreon Katy Reads the Classics So You Don’t Have To series on the main feed.

This episode kicks off a six-part recap of Wuthering Heights.

If you’ve always meant to read Wuthering Heights but don’t have time before the movie comes out, I’ve got you. Normally this full six-part series is available for $10, but this week only, you can grab the entire series for $5.

👉 Get the full Wuthering Heights series here (sale runs until Feb 16th) : https://www.patreon.com/collection/1960670

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro

01:28 Katy's Corner: Literature Edition

03:19 Emily Bronte's Life and Inspirations

07:15 Diving into Wuthering Heights

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

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This week, we’re kicking off a two-part series on Charlotte of Belgium (sometimes known as Carlota of Mexico) while sipping on a Ranch Water. In Part One, we meet Charlotte as a beloved child turned purpose-driven young woman, then follow her whirlwind courtship with Archduke Maximilian of Austria and her arrival at the rigid Habsburg court.

If that court sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve been here before — this is the same world that made life miserable for Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi), married to Emperor Franz Joseph. Charlotte, however, seems to understand the assignment, quickly becoming everything a Habsburg princess is supposed to be… even as her marriage quietly begins to unravel.

From whispered affairs in Italy to a voyage that breaks her marriage beyond repair, Charlotte’s story takes a sharp, devastating turn. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get worse, a knock at the door offers an unexpected — and dangerous — new role: Empress of Mexico.

Cheers 🥂

Time stamps:

00:00 – Disclaimer from Vulgar History
01:26 – Meet Charlotte of Belgium
04:25 – A Very Well-Connected Childhood
14:17 – From Happy Kid to Purpose-Driven Princess
17:08 – Marriage Season Has Entered the Chat
18:50 – Enter: Archduke Maximilian
24:59 – Love at First Sight (For Charlotte, Anyway)
29:15 – Thrown Into the Austrian Court
34:28 – Italy: The Honeymoon That Wasn’t
41:27 – The Voyage That Broke the Marriage
45:53 – Separate Bedrooms Forever
47:46 – So… Want to Be Emperor of Mexico?

Sources

• Charlotte's Chart

• History Tea Time

• Thought co

• Queens Podcast Empress of Austria aka Sisi series

• Behind the Bastards: King Leopold II

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

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Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz was a 17th-century Mexican nun, poet, playwright, composer, and all-around intellectual menace to the patriarchy.

In this episode of Queens Podcast, we trace Sor Juana’s rise from hacienda library goblin to celebrated court intellectual and how she used wit, logic, and theology to argue that women deserved education because women are people. Radical stuff.

Paired with a twist on the Paloma cocktail, we explore her poems like You Foolish Men and essays such as Respuesta a Sor Filotea, works that helped shape modern feminist thought centuries before feminism had a name.

Sor Juana did not just challenge misogyny. She out-argued it, and history is still taking notes.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Content Warning

00:36 Meet the Hosts: Katy & Nathan

01:36 Introducing Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz

02:56 Patreon Shoutouts and Mocktail Recipe

05:31 Sor Juana's Early Life and Education

14:43 Juana's Move to Mexico City

16:45 Life with the viceroy's court

18:28 Juana's Intellectual Challenge

20:55 Becoming a nun

24:59 Juana's Writing Career Begins

26:08 A Close Relationship with Maria Louisa

30:23 You Foolish Men: A Poem of Hypocrisy

37:57 Juana's Feminist Manifesto

43:59 Juana's Downfall and Final Years

47:00 Legacy of a Feminist Icon

Sources:

• Dr. Peyton Cristina Del Toro's YouTube
• Stuff You Missed in History Class
• Biography.com
• Poets.org

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

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Today we’re diving into the wildly dramatic life of Mary Shelley, the mother of science fiction and the ultimate OG Goth Girl. From radical feminist and revolutionary parents, to graveyard hookups, to the stormy summer that gave us Frankenstein, Mary’s life was just as haunting as her work.

In this episode, we unpack how Mary Shelley’s grief, genius, and chaotic social circle shaped one of the most influential novels of all time and how she remained quietly radical long after the world tried to tame her.

In this episode, we cover:

• Mary Shelley’s radical upbringing and goth childhood

• Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and the messiest friend group imaginable

• The true origins of Frankenstein

• Grief, motherhood, and loss

• Mary Shelley’s underrated radical legacy

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and New Year Greetings

03:26 Mary Shelley's Early Life and Family

04:37 Mary Wollstonecraft & William Godwin: Radical Parents

16:53 Teenage Years in Scotland (Emotional Glow-Up)

19:43 Percy Shelley has entered the chat

24:09 The Graveyard Scene & Running Away

31:53 Return to England and Family Rejection

36:58 The Birth of Frankenstein

47:26 Loss, Grief & Moving to Italy

54:14 Mary Shelley's Later Life and 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, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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In this episode of History’s Mysteries, we’re diving into one of the bloodiest and most debated events in early modern Europe: the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.

Thousands of French Protestants were brutally murdered in August 1572, after what was supposed to be a royal wedding that symbolized peace. Historians have argued for centuries about who was responsible — and today, we’re asking the big question:

Did Catherine de Medici order it?

This episode blends historical analysis, feminist storytelling, and intuitive tarot reading to look at Catherine de Medici not as a caricature, but as a complex political operator navigating power, survival, and legacy in a brutal era.

If you'd like to find more Tandy you can find her on instagram
If you want to try Unicorn Wellness for 30 days head here: https://www.unicornwellnessstudio.com/30-day-guest-access

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Announcement

00:47 History's Mysteries Series Overview

01:36 Meet Tandy: The Wellness Witch

03:38 The Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre

10:40 Catherine de' Medici's Role in the Massacre

11:44 Tarot Reading: Did Catherine Call for the Murder?

15:35 Card 1: The Seven of Cups

17:33 Strategic Planning and Power Dynamics

23:38 Card 2: Four of Wands

24:47 The Gloves Are Off: A Violent Message

26:21 Catherine de Medici's Disconnect and Strategy

38:03 Card 3: The Hierophant Card

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, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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Welcome back to another Queens Kiki for December 20, 2025.

This week we’re talking tragic losses, Vanity Fair doing what it does best, horror films finally getting their flowers at the Golden Globes, and the pop culture chaos keeping us afloat.

We break down Rob Reiner’s legacy, dissect the now-infamous Vanity Fair Trump cabinet photo spread, argue (passionately) about whether Michael B. Jordan deserved two nominations, and spiral joyfully through what we’re watching, reading, and loving right now.

Pop culture, chaos, and coping — just another Kiki.

Timestamps:

00:00 Welcome to the Kiki Queens Podcast!

00:24 Reflecting on 2025: A Year to Forget

00:45 Tarot Reading: Setting the Tone

02:48 Heartbreaking News: The Reiner Family Tragedy

04:28 Celebrating Rob Reiner's Legacy

09:00 Vanity Fair's Trump Cabinet Spread

11:19 Analyzing the Photography: Intentional or Rushed?

21:22 What we're watching/reading

27:54 Golden Globes Horror Nominations

33:12 Bowen Yang please be my friend

34:24 Byeeee

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, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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We’re back with Part 2 of our deep dive into Helena Blavatsky—the controversial, chaotic, and endlessly woo woo founder of modern occultism. In this episode, we follow Madame Blavatsky’s journey to America, where she teams up with Henry Steele Olcott and steps fully into her era as a spiritualism celebrity.

From the founding of Theosophy to her many scandals, disputed “miracles,” and the wild amount of cultural appropriation baked into her work, we’re unpacking the messy, fascinating legacy that shaped New Age spirituality, occult history, and the modern mystic movement.

If you’ve ever wondered how one woman became the blueprint for so much 19th-century spiritualism—for better and worse—this episode has you covered.

Time stamps

00:00 Intro

01:26 Helena's Lost Decade and Move to America

02:37 The Rise of Spiritualism

06:23 Helena's Struggles and New Beginnings

10:14 Meeting the Eddie Brothers

14:02 Partnership with Henry Steele Olcott

17:26 Founding the Theosophical Society

22:47 The Success of 'Isis Unveiled'

26:03 Helena's Celebrity Era

26:27 Move to India and Cultural Appropriation

29:51 Blavatsky's Popularity and Controversy in India

32:51 Health Issues and Betrayal

40:50 The Secret Doctrine and Blavatsky's Theories

45:40 Final Years and 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, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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Surprise, y'all! It's a kiki on the main feed! Katy and Nathan are stuck at home for the holidays, so obviously we’re talking shit into microphones.

In this series you can expect tarot pulls, feminist history side quests, pop culture rants, internet drama (looking at you, rage bait), and whatever else is living rent-free in our brains this week. Grab a drink, grab your headphones, and come kiki with us while we gossip about the past, present, and extremely cursed timeline we’re living in.

00:00 Introduction and Holiday Plans

02:35 Thanksgiving Recap and Family Stories

03:47 One Card Tarot pull

06:14 Word of the year Rage Bait

12:11 Spotify Wrapped and Listener Stats

17:44 Wicked Fatigue and Movie Reviews

25:58 The Running Man and why are movies so long

28:39 Diddy Documentary Review

30:49 Sabrina Carpenter vs The White House

35:55 Stranger Things and Aging Cast

40:10 Frankenstein and Woke Criticism

43:18 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

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, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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In this episode, we dive into the chaotic, controversial, and extremely entertaining life of Helena Blavatsky — the 19th-century mystic, world traveler, occult celebrity, and eventual co-founder of the Theosophical Society.

But before she became the founder (grifter?) of a major spiritual movement, she was just a kooky little girl born into the Russian aristocracy with a flair for folklore, drama, and telling everyone she could talk to ghosts. Whether you know her as a spiritual icon, a fraud, or the original chaos witch of the Victorian era, this episode explores the myths, scandals, astral projections, and truly unhinged adventures that shaped the occult revival, Victorian spiritualism, esoteric philosophy, and the early New Age movement.

If you’re into messy historical women, occult weirdness, or “Ma’am, what are you doing?” energy… welcome home.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction & chat

02:51 Introducing Helena Blavatsky

03:52 Mocktail Recipe: Black Magic Mocktail

05:55 Helena's Early Life and Family Background

28:34 Formative Years in Tiflis

30:36 Discovering Esoteric Knowledge

35:10 Helena's Paranormal Experiences

38:24 The Runaway Bride

49:14 Helena's Lost Decade

55:42 Introduction to Spiritualism

Sources:

• Jules Evans, “Madame Blavatsky and the Perils of Mass Occultism” ⁠https://julesevans.medium.com/madame-blavatsky-and-the-perils-of-mass-occultism-333fcd765c43⁠

• JSTOR Daily — “Spiritualism, Science, and the Mysterious Madame Blavatsky” ⁠https://daily.jstor.org/spiritualism-science-and-the-mysterious-madame-blavatsky/⁠

• CBC Radio: Ideas — Madame Blavatsky episode ⁠https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/madame-blavatsky-a-seeker-of-truth-and-a-fraud-1.6478885⁠

• Pro Theosophy Documentary ⁠https://youtu.be/WWEpVd2AaBo?si=7wPZ6MmmYE9ooSee⁠

• Blavatsky & Theosophy Video Explainer ⁠https://youtu.be/WAVimQTTlgs?si=G1puAIJQwpDyApAu⁠

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, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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Welcome back, Queens. Today, we're heading to Brazil to get into the life of the iconic fashion designer turned political activist, Zuzu Angel. In the middle of Brazil’s 1960s–70s military dictatorship, Zuzu turned her runway into a rebellion. Her bright, tropical designs celebrated the culture her government was trying to silence, and when her son was “disappeared” for opposing the regime, she used fashion itself as protest.

If you love your fashion with a side of badass activism, then this story is for you.

Time stamps:

00:00 Introduction and Content Warning

00:59 Katy's Trip to Rio and Brazilian Women in History

02:29 Introducing Suzu Angel: From Fashion to Activism

03:33 Brazilian Cocktails and Listener shoutouts

06:58 Early Life of Zuzu Angel

12:26 Zuzu's Family and Early Career

16:07 Rise to Fame: Zuzu's Fashion Journey

24:36 Political Climate in Brazil

30:54 The Rise of Student Dissidence

37:47 Zuzu's Artistic Resistance

45:57 The Tragic Fate of Stuart

55:16 Zuzu's Legacy and Final Thoughts

Sources:

• Traditional Bahian dress: https://www.alamy.com/bahiana-woman-in-traditional-dress-salvador-bahia-brazil-image1929717.html

• Carea Embroidery: https://vettycreations.com.au/white-threads/2013/05/22/south-american-whitework/

• Letter from Alex

• https://americasouthandnorth.wordpress.com/2013/04/21/get-to-know-a-brazilian-zuzu-angel/

• https://thestylestorian.com/2016/08/16/zuzu-angel-the-rebel-of-brazilian-fashion/
  

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, check out our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ merch store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Never miss a Queens Podcast happening! Sign up for our newsletter: https://eepurl.com/gZ-nYf

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