Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of King Henry VIII.

Support Noble Blood:

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In 1981, 11-year-old Matt De Meritt got a phone call that would change his life. He wasn’t a child actor, or a performer of any kind. He was just a suburban kid enjoying his summer before he had to go back to school. But Matt had something no other kid had — something Steven Spielberg needed in order to embark on his most ambitious movie yet. 

On the Very Special Episodes podcast, Dana, Zaron, and Jason tell one incredible story each week. Stranger-than-fiction tales about normal people in extraordinary situations. Stories that make you say, “this should be a movie!” Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Note: This episode contains discussions of suicide. Please take care while listening.

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VERY SPECIAL CREDITS
Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason English
Written by Jake Rossen
Produced by Josh Fisher
Story Editor is Marisa Brown
Editing and Sound Design by Mary Dooe, Jonathan Washington and Josh Fisher
Mixing and Mastering by Baheed Frazier
Voice Actors are Jess Krainchich and Juliet English
Original Music by Elise McCoy
Research and Fact Checking by Jake Rossen and Austin Thompson
Show Logo by Lucy Quintanilla
Executive Producer is Jason English

Special thanks to Simon Brew. Check out the Film Stories podcast!

Thanks for listening! If you're enjoying Very Special Episodes, please leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. You can reach us at [email protected]. 

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The "fun fact" that Caligula tried to appoint his horse to the senate is a classic example of an emperor gone mad with power. The truth is, his appointment was likely a pointed political joke. But who was the horse at the center of it all?

Support Noble Blood:

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Winnifred Maxwell's husband was tried and sentenced to death after participating in the 1715 Jacobite uprising against King George I. She refused to let that stand.

Support Noble Blood:

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At the end of the 10th century, King Eadwig was locked in a bitter rivalry with Abbot Dunstan. Their feud would eventually lead to exile, a broken marriage, a split kingdom, and a rumor that has persisted to this day.

Support Noble Blood:

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Comedian, writer, and actor David Mitchell joins the podcast to discuss his newest book, Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens. The book is an overview of the monarchs from King Arthur to Elizabeth I, but it's also a cultural analysis of how the stories we tell ourselves about kings inform who we are. The book is available now in paperback.

Support Noble Blood:

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Lorenzino de Medici killed his cousin, the Duke of Florence, 11 years ago. Still, he's constantly looking over his shoulder, worried that justice might come at any moment. Turns out, he was right: Lorenzino was finally assassinated. But the culprit behind the revenge-killing would only be revealed almost 500 years later.

 Support Noble Blood:

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In the 13th century, Licoricia of Winchester rose to prominence as the wealthiest Jewish woman in England. Twice widowed, she ran a successful business and worked closely with King Henry III. But antisemitism was rising in England, and Licoricia would face multiple stays in the Tower of London before an ultimately bloody end.

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In 2023, a museum in England determined that they would refer to the Roman emperor Elegabalus using feminine pronouns. Elegabalus, who allegedly asked to be referred to as a lady, has become a node in queer history as a trans woman. Though it's impossible to fully know the truth of how she may have identified, we can try to unpack the ways in which sex and gender were seen in Roman society.

CW: sexual content

Support Noble Blood:

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Gilles de Rais was a powerful, wealthy French baron who fought alongside Joan of Arc. But a castle sale gone-wrong would lead to an investigation, revealing gruesome and salacious details of murder.

CW: murder, pedophilia

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On October 31, 1501, the notorious Italian family. the Borgias, threw a party in the Papal Palace. The salacious details of that event, known as the "Banquet of Chestnuts" has captivated gossips for centuries.

CW: sex

Support Noble Blood:

— Bonus episodes, stickers, and scripts on Patreon

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— Order Dana's book, 'Anatomy: A Love Story' and its sequel 'Immortality: A Love Story'

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