PODCAST · history
Uneasy Lies the Crown
by Riley Bannon
Two sisters combine their expertise in history and neuroscience to examine famous royals from historical and biological perspectives. They hope to understand how mental and neurological illness shaped some of the world’s most important leaders, and the course of history in turn.
Episodes
-
Making a Murderer: Prince Albert Victor
The notorious Jack the Ripper murders in 19th century London have generated plenty of high-profile suspects, but none more salacious than Prince Albert Victor, the heir to the British throne. True crime meets ULTC in this episode exploring the theory that syphilis turned the prince into a killer....
-
Chief Among Us: Opechancanough
The only thing more amazing than Chief Opechancanough singlehandedly preventing Spanish colonization and staving off the British for over five decades? He did it while suffering from a fascinating neurological disease. Plus: What Disney got wrong about Pocahontas. Riley regales us with a song she...
-
Chemobrain: Duchess Catherine
Kate Middleton has had to navigate her cancer diagnosis as both head of a household and future head of a country. We discuss how the confusion and controversy surrounding her health may impact the royal family in the longterm, and how cancer treatment affects the mind and brain. Plus: Can MomTok...
-
Forget Me Not: Taisho
Japan's Emperor Taisho suffered from cerebral meningitis as an infant, and the longterm effects allegedly left him unable to rule. But was that the truth or a convenient way for his enemies to keep him out of power? Plus: Riley edited a podcast episode in labor. Stefanie can't spell Riley's name...
-
Scandalnavia: Christian of Denmark
Christian of Denmark's reign began with a lot of promise, but eventually crumbled in the wake of a scandalous love triangle. Christian's physician believed that his increasing signs of insanity were a result of his incessant urge to masturbate, but modern neuroscience suggests that was a side...
-
The Swede Life: Nobel Prize Week
For one week every year, the world's most influential scientists are whisked away to Sweden where they rub elbows with literal royalty. Get to know this year's winners and the Swedish royal family! Plus: Is Lily Pulitzer a nepo baby? Riley is scared of physics. Everything you've heard about…
more -
The Big Short: Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon Bonaparte is the most famous military figure in history, a man who started from nothing and gained an empire. On this episode, we break down Napoleon's reign and the science surrounding his eponymous "Napoleon Complex" to understand how a personality could be pathological but lead to...
-
Mercury in Retrograde: Ivan the Terrible
Kings have killed throughout history for the chance at an heir, but Ivan the Terrible took another route; he killed his own son, forever changing the trajectory of Russia. We explore whether his behavior can be traced back to a mysterious childhood illness and his favorite skincare products.…
more -
Livin' on a Prayer: Maria of Portugal
How do you solve a problem like Maria of Portugal (a series of losses, a mental decline, an escape to the New World)? With modern science of the neurobiology of religion and obsessive compulsive disorder. Plus: An exciting announcement (get ready to see a lot more of us)! Does Riley look like…
more -
Heir Jordan: Talal bin Abdullah
Hundreds of years of politics and family tension preceded Talal bin Abdullah’s ascent to the Jordanian throne in 1951. After only a year, he was forced to abdicate. Was it because he was sick or were there ulterior motives at play? Our search for answers takes us from post-Word War Britain to…
more -
Tangled: Prince Henrik of Denmark
This month, we chat about the strained marriage between Denmark's Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik and how the royal family tried to blame it on a dementia diagnosis. Then Riley teaches us about the neurobiology of Alzheimer's disease and gives us the scoop on the newest FDA-approved drug and…
more -
Charlotte's Web: Carlota of Mexico
How did a European aristocrat end up on the throne in Mexico and why did the reign end with the Pope spoon feeding her in the Vatican? And most importantly, why have you never heard the incredible story of Carlota of Mexico? Plus: Revisiting the soup discourse. Our thoughts on "Harry & Meghan"....
-
The X Files: Katherine and Nerissa Bowes-Lyon
As far as anyone knew, Queen Elizabeth's cousins Katherine and Nerissa Bowes-Lyon were dead. So when a tabloid reported that they were very much alive and institutionalized, it launched a mystery of what the royal family was hiding and why. This month, we try to dig up answers. Plus: It's soup...
-
God Save the Queen: Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth led the monarchy and the nation through 70 years of unprecedented change. Her reign was not without controversy, but she never neglected her role as sovereign up to the very day she died. In this emergency ULTC episode, we remember her life and legacy, especially how she…
more -
The King's Speech: George VI
We join forces with Vanessa Grass of Neuroscience Theater to talk about the science behind the Oscar-winning film "The King's Speech". We discuss King George's reign, Colin Firth's performance, what you probably don't know about the neurobiology of stuttering and why a king with a speech…
more -
Lover Boy: Henry VIII
How did Henry's lifelong quest for love alter the course of history and what did a brain injury have to do with it? Plus: Riley forgot she got married. You can put anything on Broadway. Carolyn Keene is not a real person. Stefanie finds out Riley broke her Christmas ornament.
-
Diagnosis of Independence: George III
The theory that King George III's madness led to the American Revolution is tempting, but unsupported by history. This month, we are cleaning up George's reputation with a little help from modern science and Lin Manuel Miranda. Plus: Encanto is a good movie. Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande…
more -
All in the Family: The Habsburgs
Strategic marriages between family members helped the Habsburgs build an empire, but eventually brought it down. On this episode, we explore the genetics of inbreeding and how it affected one of Europe's most powerful dynasty. Plus: The return of Mr. Lynch. An excess of Formula 1 Talk. Jen Shah's...
-
Livin' La Juana Loca: Juana of Castile
On the precipice of reigning over a united Spain, Juana of Castile was instead locked up by a series of men for her supposed "madness". Her tragic tale leads us through the history of research into depression, the neurobiological effects of social isolation, and the misconceptions about the…
more -
Holiday Special: Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar might be the world's first mentally ill king, and his madness sounds like something our of Greek mythology. What makes a person think they've turned into an animal and why is it still happening at a high rate in Babylon? Neuroscience might have the answers. Plus: We know Stefanie's...
-
Drama King: Ludwig II of Bavaria
A famous neuroscientist diagnosed Ludwig with schizophrenia. Days later, both of them were found dead. We dig into the autopsy reports to find the truth. Plus: A terrible Adele impersonation. Riley lost her phone in the worst place imaginable. Stefanie quite literally spills the tea. What if this...
-
When Life Gives You Lenins: Alexandra Romanov
Alexandra Romanov was a complicated woman with a complicated legacy. How did her relationship with pain contribute to the downfall of the Russian empire, and how can the brain-body connection give rise to a false pregnancy? Plus: We welcome our first guest: our brother, Casey Bannon, who does not...
-
Caligula: The Emperor's New Groove
The story of Roman Emperor Caligula is a complicated one. Was the "little boot" scarred from a traumatic childhood, suffering from mental illness, or was he just a bad dude. Our hypothesis? Yes to all three. Plus: Did our brother call someone a prostitute in his high school world history class?…
more -
Diana: Rebel With a Cause
You know Princess Diana's story, the clothes she wore, and her tragic fate. You might even know about her struggles with mental illness. But you've never heard about Diana like this: through the lens of neuroscience. This month, we get vulnerable and discuss how Princess Di changed the way the...
-
Charles VI: Dark Side of the Prune
Charles VI's devolution from the beloved to the mad almost tore France apart. Using modern neuroscience, we discuss how Charles' brain nearly led to a British king on the French throne and how things might have turned out differently if his doctors knew what we know now. Plus: Roman numerals are...
-
Trailer: Of Monarchs and Madness
Welcome to Uneasy Lies the Crown, where history meets neuroscience (meets pop culture). Stefanie and Riley are two sisters with degrees in history and neuroscience and shared love of royals. They use their expertise to investigate the brains of the world's most notorious rulers, from ancient Rome...
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Two sisters combine their expertise in history and neuroscience to examine famous royals from historical and biological perspectives. They hope to understand how mental and neurological illness shaped some of the world’s most important leaders, and the course of history in turn.
HOSTED BY
Riley Bannon
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Uneasy Lies the Crown have?
Uneasy Lies the Crown currently has 26 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Uneasy Lies the Crown about?
Two sisters combine their expertise in history and neuroscience to examine famous royals from historical and biological perspectives. They hope to understand how mental and neurological illness shaped some of the world’s most important leaders, and the course of history in turn.
How often does Uneasy Lies the Crown release new episodes?
Uneasy Lies the Crown has 26 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Uneasy Lies the Crown?
You can listen to Uneasy Lies the Crown on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Uneasy Lies the Crown?
Uneasy Lies the Crown is created and hosted by Riley Bannon.
URL copied to clipboard!