How Hot Was Henry VIII?

Sex, scandal and ... the Sacraments? Renaissance Rome wasn't for the faint hearted. And the Vatican? For some that was the source of the drama.In this episode, Kate is joined by Catherine Fletcher to meet one of the Vatican's randiest residents - Pope Alexander VI. From saucy parties to the scandals of the Borgia family, why might this be the naughtiest pope in history?Catherine is the author of a number of books including ‘The Beauty and the Terror: An Alternative History of the Italian Renaissance’.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

19 Sep 49min

Where does Emperor Nero fit in the pantheon of history's worst f*ckboys?Does he measure up against the likes of previous episodes on Charles II or Raphael? Is he the worst of the lot? And what strange sex games did he like to play?Helping Kate getting to know the awful Emperor Nero is returning guest, Rome-based historian and tour guide, Alex Meddings.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link, and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds. Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

16 Sep 44min

How did the Georgians discuss sexuality? And how, and why, did they regulate it? In this episode, Kate talks to Dr Anthony Delaney about his new book 'Queer Georgians: A hidden history of lovers, lawbreakers and homemakers'.Listen to find out the truth about the Chevalier D'Eon: soldier, spy ... and transgender trailblazer?Anthony hosts our sister podcast, After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds and the Paranormal, with Dr Maddy Pelling.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Sep 53min

The Renaissance is known for its heady combination of sex, art and exciting new ideas about the world.Was Raphael, one of the superstar painters of the period, a Renaissance top shagger? Were sex workers essential to the artistic process of painting nudes? Why did historians think he died from having too much sex?Joining Kate today is the wonderful professor and author, Jill Burke, to help us get to know this man better.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

9 Sep 34min

They say behind every great man is a great woman. In this episode, we meet the woman behind Alexander the Great's success. From securing his status, to influencing his succession, Olympias was a force to be reckoned with.Kate is joined for this episode by Tristan Hughes, host of our sister podcast, The Ancients.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Sep 1h 1min

Our mini-series exploring the worst f*ckboys in history is back!In today's episode, Kate is joined by Dr. David Taylor of Oxford University to get to know the so-called Merry Monarch and the many women in his life.Was it better to be married or be a mistress to Charles II? How many lovers did he really have? And was Restoration England as fun as it sounded?This episode was edited by Amy Haddow and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 Sep 44min

Which would be better for a fling, which would you not touch with a barge pole, and which is marriage material? There's only one way to find out.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

29 Aug 35min