{"podcast":{"title":"Queens, Kings, and Dastardly Things","slug":"queens-kings-and-dastardly-things-6677838","podcast_index_feed_id":6677838,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/6846a16db5ac093b0ca993ec","website_url":"https://dailymail.lnk.to/qkdt","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/6846a16db5ac093b0ca993ec/1759237102013-c5ec1829-6398-47a5-a0e7-6288742d5348.jpeg","author":"Daily Mail","episode_count":107,"summary":"Expert history with a wicked twist: Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things is the podcast that goes behind palace doors and beyond the balcony smiles, to uncover the stories that the history books have politely skipped. Queens, Kings & Dastardly Things reveals the schemers, lovers, plotters and even the pets who’ve made the British monarchy the world’s longest-running reality show. Hosts, Royal biographers Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams trace how power, passion and paranoia have shaped every crown. There are queens who ruled better than their husbands, and princes who partied harder than their people. We meet saints, sinners and those hovering somewhere in between – from the man formerly known as Prince Andrew to the less-vilified Richard III. Sometimes we get reflective: how monarchy survives scandal, how image-making began long before Instagram, and why royal women have always been the best crisis managers in the room. Other times we’re just here for the gossip: who wore what, who slept where, and who accidentally started a war over breakfast. Think of it as history with its crown slightly askew. If you like your royal stories with equal parts grandeur and chaos, step in…","last_synced_at":"2026-07-12T08:18:17.582091+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/queens-kings-and-dastardly-things-6677838"},"episode":{"title":"Queen Cleopatra: Her Rise to Power","slug":"queen-cleopatra-her-rise-to-power","published_at":"2026-06-01T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/queens-kings-and-dastardly-things-6677838/queen-cleopatra-her-rise-to-power","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/queens-kings-and-dastardly-things-6677838","url":"https://shows.acast.com/queens-kings-and-dastardly-things/episodes/queen-cleopatra-her-rise-to-power","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/6846a16db5ac093b0ca993ec/e/6a1ad3c9dd90858af96980c9/media.mp3","summary":"The Queen who captivated Rome and changed the course of ancient history: Cleopatra. In this episode, Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams begin a two-part exploration of Cleopatra, separating the woman from the myth, and tracing her rise in one of history’s most dangerous political worlds. Born into the turbulent Ptolemaic dynasty, Cleopatra inherited a kingdom rich in power but riddled with family betrayal, Roman interference, and brutal succession struggles. Forced into exile by her younger brother, she faced a stark choice: disappear from history or outmanoeuvre the most powerful men in the world. The episode follows her first encounters with Rome, and her pivotal alliance with Julius Caesar. Along the way, it revisits some of the most famous stories ever told about Cleopatra, including the legendary 'carpet' meeting and asks how much of her reputation was shaped by hostile Roman propaganda rather than fact. From palace intrigue and dynastic murder to Caesar’s assassination and the uncertain future of her son Caesarion, this is the opening chapter in the story of a ruler who has been mythologised for two thousand years but whose real political brilliance may be even more remarkable than the legend. Hosts: Robert Hardman and Kate Williams Series Producer: Ben Devlin Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini Executive Producer: Bella Soames Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams Series Producer: Ben Devlin Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini  Content Editor: Joseph Palmer Executive Producer: Bella Soames A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular. Sign up to Palace Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle.…","meta_description":"The Queen who captivated Rome and changed the course of ancient history: Cleopatra. In this episode, Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams begin a tw…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1442,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/queens-kings-and-dastardly-things-6677838/episodes/queen-cleopatra-her-rise-to-power/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/queens-kings-and-dastardly-things-6677838/queen-cleopatra-her-rise-to-power.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}