If you worried that royal houses had gotten a little too genteel by the 19th century, the story of Ranavalona I of Madagascar will disabuse you of that pretty quickly. Seizing the throne in 1828 after the death of her husband, King Radama - despite not being the rightful heir to it - she immediately launched a campaign of murder against her political rivals and potential successors, and summarily ended friendly relations with European nations, including expelling missionaries who had established schools. She didn't merely promote the local customs and faith traditions of the Malagasy people; she eventually banned the practice of Christianity entirely and executed those who practiced it. In fact, she executed a lot of people, in a variety of creative ways, and historians believe that in her 33-year reign of terror, she depopulated Madagascar by about half. It's no wonder that she's considered Madagascar's Bloody Mary, and Madagascar's Caligula.
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62. Meet The Bonapartes | Napoleon and Josephine
61. Leopold II of Belgium, the Congo Free State, and Villa Leopolda
60. King Umberto II and Queen Marie-Jose of Italy and the Fall of the House of Savoy
58. Elizabeth and Leicester, Part Two
57. Elizabeth and Leicester, Part One
56. The William Shakespeare Mystery (Trashy Divorces Crossover)
55. The Tortured Tudor Poet: The Love Letters of Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn
54. Elisabeth of Wied, First Queen of Romania, and Literature's Carmen Sylva
53. King Pedro I of Portugal and Inês de Castro
52. Caroline of Brunswick, featuring Sam from I'm Horrified!
51. Two King Frederiks of Denmark (Frederik VII and Frederik X)
50. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Dickie Solo
49. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Comrades in Arms
48. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Careless People
47. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Unconventional Marriage
46. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Let the Affairs Begin!
45. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | The Wedding and The Honeymoon... Is Over
44. Louis and Edwina Mountbatten | Origin Stories and Engagement
43. The Mountbattens | George and Nada Mountbatten
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