Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Britain's Most Scandalous Queen

July 24, 2026

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5 min read

Britain's Most Scandalous Queen

On July 19, 1821, Queen Caroline of Brunswick arrived at Westminster Abbey for her husband's coronation and was turned away at the door. She tried another entrance, then another, running between doors in her carriage as hired boxers blocked her path. Eventually she went home in shame. Three weeks later she was dead at 53. The public, who had adored her for decades, rioted at her funeral. Two people died. Then she was almost entirely erased from history.

Historian Anne Foster, author of Rebel and the Regency: The Scandalous Saga of Caroline of Brunswick, Britain's Queen Without a Crown, argues that Caroline was not merely a tragic figure married to a terrible man—she was a relentlessly fun-loving, opinionated woman who weaponized public opinion against a monarchy that had not yet learned it needed PR.

The Worst Royal First Meeting Since Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves

Caroline was raised in Brunswick (now part of Germany) by a controlling mother who kept her sequestered from society. She was not allowed to attend balls; when she was permitted to go, she had to sit in a corner playing cards with her governess. At 26—very late for a princess of the era—she received a letter from her cousin, the Prince of Wales (later George IV), asking her to come to England and marry him. She was desperate to escape and accepted immediately.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 Main Outline
  • 2 (00:00) **Episode Intro & Housekeeping** - Kate Lister asks UK/Spotify listeners to re-vote for the British Podcast Awards due to voting rule changes, then introduces today's topic: Queen Caroline of Brunswick
  • 3 (04:06) **Introducing Anne Foster & Queen Caroline** - Guest Anne Foster (author of *Rebel and the Regency*) explains who Caroline of Brunswick was: the wife of George IV, a "Princess Diana of her time" whom the public adored and the royal family hated
  • 4 (13:57) **The Man She Was Marrying: "Prinny" George IV** - Anne explains why George was a nightmare: a spoiled, debt-ridden prince who spent millions on houses, clothes, and mistresses while the public starved post-French Revolution
  • 5 (20:51) **The "Smelly" Myth Debunked** - Anne addresses the persistent rumor that Caroline didn't bathe, explaining its origin and setting the record straight
  • 6 (27:40) **The Worst First Meeting Since Henry VIII** - Anne describes the catastrophic first encounter between Caroline and George, calling it "the worst first meeting between British royals since Henry VIII met Anne of Cleves"
  • 7 (30:38) **The Disastrous Wedding & Immediate Separation** - The marriage went forward despite mutual loathing, with George so drunk he had to be carried down the aisle, weeping while staring at his mistress

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

‘Who wants a girl with a personality?’ Historically, not the royals.


Queen Caroline of Brunswick became Queen Consort of the United Kingdom in 1820, when her husband became King George IV. She was incredibly popular with the public, but unfortunately not so much with her husband, who had hated her from the start (the feeling was mutual).


Today, Kate is joined by Ann Foster to tease apart all of the wild parties, pranks, adultery, accusations of adultery and actual mob violence involved in the life of this amazing woman.


Ann is the author of 'Rebel of the Regency: The Scandalous Saga of Caroline of Brunswick, Britain’s Queen Without a Crown' and host of the podcast 'Vulgar History'.


Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards. Click here to place your vote! Thank you! https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa


This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.


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All music from Epidemic Sounds.


Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Voting is now open for the Listener's Choice Award at this year's Podcast Awards! UK & Ireland listeners please place your vote on the Spotify mobile app here: https://open.spotify.com/s/xhg6PJa

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Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

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