How, exactly, does a woman ‘slip’ out of history? episode artwork

EPISODE · Apr 21, 2026 · 38 MIN

How, exactly, does a woman ‘slip’ out of history?

from History’s Greatest Fails · host Sony Music Entertainment

What would you do if your life was omitted, reduced to an overlooked footnote, or filed away as an anomaly?  In this episode, Dan and Elizabeth turn a lens on the practice of history itself, interrogating the choices and power structures that have traditionally left women out of the history books.  They retrace the lives of three women who once stood firmly in their moment: Hatshepsut, a pharaoh who consolidated power in Ancient Egypt; Joanna Ferrour, a peasant whose voice briefly direct the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381; and Ada Lovelace, a Victorian thinker whose ideas arrived well before the world was ready for them. Each was successful in their time. And yet each of their world-changing contributions were quietly edited out, only to be rediscovered generations — or even millennia later.  So what does it mean when the practice of history fails to record the world as it was? And what happens when history’s failures reveal themselves, much later, as triumphs to a new generation?  – As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And don’t forget to listen to this season’s accompanying bonus episodes for this miniseries, where Dan and Producer Al are dissecting the biggest historical failures as submitted by the royal favourites. In this episode, they discuss Catherine Parr’s failed arrest, and what the Crusades reveal about success and failure.  – A Sony Music Entertainment production.  Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts  To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]  Learn more about your ad choices.  Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices  –– Presented by Dan Jones and Elizabeth Day  Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman Researcher - Phoebe Joyce  Executive Producer - Simon Poole  Executive Producer - Dan Jones Executive Producer for Daylight Productions - Elizabeth Day  Production Manager - Jen Mistri  Production coordinator - Eric Ryan  Head of content - Chris Skinner  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Apr 21, 2026

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How, exactly, does a woman ‘slip’ out of history?

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