What happens when women are born too close to the throne?

In this episode of Heroine City, Lynsey Shaw is joined by historian and bestselling author Leanda de Lisle to uncover the lives of the Grey women - Lady Jane Grey, Katherine Grey, Mary Grey, and their mother, Frances Brandon.

Often reduced to a single tragic headline, Jane’s story is only the beginning. Together, the Grey sisters’ lives reveal a far more complex and deeply human story of ambition, love, constraint, and survival in the high-stakes world of the Tudor court.

From Jane’s short and reluctant reign to Katherine’s secret marriage and imprisonment, and Mary’s often overlooked resilience, this episode explores what it meant to be a woman with royal blood in a world that offered power, but at a devastating cost.

Drawing on Leanda’s groundbreaking research, we move beyond myth to meet the real women behind the history - and ask why their stories still matter today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Heroine City, host Lynsey Shaw is joined by Ace Armande to uncover the extraordinary life of Julie d’Aubigny, better known as Mademoiselle Maupin.

A dazzling opera singer and fearless duellist, Julie defied every rule of her time, living openly as a bisexual woman, scandalising Paris with her romances, and wielding a sword as skilfully as she held an audience in song.

Together, they explore how myth and history collide, and why Julie's legend still captivates today.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Lynsey Shaw is joined by Lizzie Broadbent, creator of Women Who Meant Business, and fellow women's history advocate and researcher, to explore the extraordinary life of Lucy Duff Gordon.

A trailblazing fashion designer, savvy self-promoter, and Titanic survivor, Lucy revolutionised style in the early 20th century and helped shape the modern fashion industry with her label, Lucile Ltd. Together, Heroine City unpacks the glamour, grit, and controversy surrounding the woman who brought catwalks, supermodels, and storytelling to Edwardian dress and became one of history’s first fashion celebrities.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.