Medieval Royal Bastards

2026-06-23

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What really made a royal bastard, and could illegitimacy be a path to power as much as a barrier?Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Lauren Johnson, author of Margaret Beaufort; Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker to dive into the scandalous world of medieval illegitimacy. They trace how the label of “bastard” developed, why it could upend inheritance, how an explosive accusations could turn the tables of power and how royal children born outside marriage still rose to command armies, influence kings, and reshape dynasties.This is a story of sex, power and succession, all the goo...

What really made a royal bastard, and could illegitimacy be a path to power as much as a barrier?

Dr Eleanor Janega is joined by Lauren Johnson, author of Margaret Beaufort; Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker to dive into the scandalous world of medieval illegitimacy. They trace how the label of “bastard” developed, why it could upend inheritance, how an explosive accusations could turn the tables of power and how royal children born outside marriage still rose to command armies, influence kings, and reshape dynasties.

This is a story of sex, power and succession, all the good stuff!

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Gone Medieval is presented by Dr. Eleanor Jangea. Audio editor is Amy Haddow, the producer is Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

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