1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Mankie Listener Discretion advised in Custrein 3 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: a fortified castle in the German countryside, a woman paced 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,239 Speaker 1: nervously pregnant with her fifth child. She was waiting on 5 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:25,680 Speaker 1: news about her husband. Things were bad. Back in Prague, 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: the city they'd lived in for just over a year. 7 00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: It was under siege, with Catholic armies closing in on 8 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: all sides. She hadn't wanted to leave her husband, but 9 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: rising tensions, paired with her growing physical vulnerability, made staying impossible, 10 00:00:45,320 --> 00:00:50,879 Speaker 1: and so she fled to this castle, fifty miles outside Berlin. 11 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: When word finally came, it was exactly what she had feared. 12 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,960 Speaker 1: Things had not gone their way her Her husband was 13 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: no longer the King of Bohemia, which meant that she 14 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 1: was no longer the queen. She had been Queen of 15 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: Bohemia for just one year, a year of ruling a 16 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:17,880 Speaker 1: kingdom that had never quite accepted her and her husband 17 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:24,119 Speaker 1: watching as he navigated political waters so treacherous that they'd 18 00:01:24,319 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: ultimately pulled them both under. One calendar year and it 19 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 1: was already over. How had it come to this. How 20 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: had a princess born into one of Europe's most powerful 21 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:43,039 Speaker 1: families ended up in exile waiting for news of a 22 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 1: kingdom lost. I'm Dana Schwartz and this is Noble Blood. 23 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: In previous episodes, we've discussed King James the First of England, 24 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: James the sixth of Scotland, the son of Mary, Queen 25 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,040 Speaker 1: of scott and he is a fascinating man with a 26 00:02:03,080 --> 00:02:08,239 Speaker 1: whole host of adult eccentricities and superstitions. But today we're 27 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: looking at the life of his daughter, Elizabeth. She was 28 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:16,400 Speaker 1: born into royalty, the subject of a botched kidnapping plot 29 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: in her childhood. Elizabeth's life was dramatic from the beginning, 30 00:02:20,680 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 1: but perhaps no period of her life was more chaotic 31 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: than the twelve months she and her husband spent as 32 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: King and Queen of Bohemia. They would forever be known 33 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: as the Winter King and Queen because their reign lasted 34 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: for only one calendar year, but it's hardly fair to 35 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: blame them. They were set up to fail and let 36 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: down by on all sides, including by the royal bloodline 37 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:56,959 Speaker 1: that was Elizabeth's birthright. Elizabeth Stewart, aka the Winter Queen 38 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: was born in fifteen ninety six to the King and 39 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: Queen of Scotland, her father then known as James the sixth, 40 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,959 Speaker 1: her mother and of Denmark. In sixteen o three, when 41 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,080 Speaker 1: Elizabeth was still a child, her father became King James 42 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: the First of England, uniting the Scottish and English crowns. 43 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:19,440 Speaker 1: Seven year old Elizabeth was moved from Scotland down to 44 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:23,839 Speaker 1: England and placed in the care of family friends. By 45 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: this point, religious tensions in England had reached a fever pitch. 46 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: Catholics and Protestants were locked in deadly conflict, and plots 47 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: to remove James from power seemed endless, the most famous 48 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: being sixteen o five's Gunpowder plot, in which conspirators planned 49 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: to assassinate King James and the Protestant aristocracy, kidnap nine 50 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: year old Elizabeth, and install her as a puppet Catholic queen. 51 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 1: Luckily for the young princess, the plot fell through. That 52 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: brief terrorde, Elizabeth's childhood was relatively normal. At the end 53 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: of sixteen o eight, when she was twelve years old, 54 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: she took up residence at Court. There she deepened her 55 00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: bond with her brilliant older brother, Henry, whom she worshiped. 56 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: She was an excellent student and letter writer, fluent in 57 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: multiple languages, though notably not Latin, as her father James 58 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: believed it made women cunning. By her teenage years, Elizabeth 59 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: had become one of the most eligible brides in Europe. Kings, 60 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 1: princes and heirs across the continent threw their hats in 61 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:42,039 Speaker 1: the proverbial ring, but her father would make the final call. 62 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:45,799 Speaker 1: A royal marriage was far too valuable a political tool 63 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:51,159 Speaker 1: to leave to chance or teenage sentiment. Eventually, a front 64 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: runner emerged, Frederick, the fifth Count Palatine of the Rhine. 65 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: The match offered significant advantages, cement an alliance between England 66 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:06,760 Speaker 1: and the Protestant Union, a coalition of German princes and 67 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: free cities led by the Palatinate. James envisioned himself as 68 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: Europe's peacemaker, and this marriage fit perfectly into his broader 69 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:22,320 Speaker 1: diplomatic vision. A Count Palatine isn't exactly a king, but 70 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,680 Speaker 1: he still had a court and a swatch of land 71 00:05:25,800 --> 00:05:28,920 Speaker 1: under his control, which made it a pretty good match. 72 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 1: And Elizabeth actually fell in love with Frederick, which wasn't 73 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: required of her, but was definitely a nice change of pace. 74 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: More importantly, her beloved brother Henry approved of the match 75 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: and grew close with Frederick himself. But before Elizabeth and 76 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 1: Frederick could wed, tragedy struck. In late sixteen twelve, Prince 77 00:05:54,160 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: Henry died suddenly, most likely of typhoid fever. Elizabeth was devastated. 78 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: Her brother had been her hero and her closest confidant, 79 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: and now he was gone. Queen Anne saw an opportunity 80 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: to push for a different husband for her daughter. She 81 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: thought Frederick was a sub par choice, but Elizabeth stood firm. 82 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 1: The two were married on Valentine's Day sixteen thirteen, in 83 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: a ceremony so extravagant it nearly bankrupted King James. Elizabeth 84 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: joined Frederick's electoral court in Heidelberg, where she received a 85 00:06:34,120 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: warm welcome. They had three children there and amassed a 86 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 1: menagerie of animals, and by all accounts, they were genuinely 87 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: happy together. But conflict was brewing across the continent, and 88 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: the young family would soon find itself collateral damage. Europe 89 00:06:53,520 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 1: was being torn apart by religious wars, and the Bohemian 90 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: Palatinate sat at the center of the storm. Bohemia was 91 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,239 Speaker 1: part of the Holy Roman Empire, but it was also 92 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 1: its own kingdom. It was essentially an aristocratic republic where 93 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: nobles elected their monarch. In March sixteen nineteen, Holy Roman 94 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: Emperor Matthias died. Holy Roman emperors were also elected by 95 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: the rulers of its constituent kingdoms. They voted that his 96 00:07:26,200 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: heir should be Archduke Ferdinand a Habsburg, like Matthias had been. 97 00:07:31,480 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: Ferdinand had been crowned King of Bohemia two years earlier, 98 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: but he was a fervent Catholic who had ruthlessly targeted 99 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: Protestants in his home territory. The Bohemian Protestant nobles faced 100 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:51,720 Speaker 1: an impossible choice except Ferdinand both as King of Bohemia 101 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: and as Holy Roman Emperor, or take extreme measures and 102 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: depose him of the former deposition. They also chose to 103 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: throw a few of his regents out a council room 104 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 1: window in what's now known as the defenestration of Prague. 105 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 1: It was more symbolic than anything, but it got the 106 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 1: message across. The people were ready for change, and when 107 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:23,520 Speaker 1: the Bohemian throne needed a new occupant, they turned to 108 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:29,800 Speaker 1: the handsome young noble married to an English and Protestant princess. 109 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 1: In sixteen nineteen, Frederick was offered the throne of Bohemia. 110 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: He hesitated, excepting the throne would change everything, but would 111 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: it be for better or for worse. What the couple 112 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 1: couldn't have known at the time was that it was 113 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:52,280 Speaker 1: far more than just an offer of a throne. It 114 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: was a trap disguised as an opportunity. When Frederick received 115 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: a word that the Bohemian nobles wanted him as their king, 116 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: he panicked away from home. He sent an urgent letter 117 00:09:05,800 --> 00:09:10,200 Speaker 1: to his wife, Elizabeth, asking for her advice. Her response 118 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:15,400 Speaker 1: was characteristically supportive. This must be God's will, and whatever 119 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:20,199 Speaker 1: he decided, she'd stand by her husband. But standing by 120 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:25,320 Speaker 1: Frederick proved challenging because he genuinely couldn't make up his mind. 121 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 1: It was a very risky offer. Accepting the Bohemian throne 122 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: could cost Frederick his existing position as Count Palatine, possibly 123 00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:41,800 Speaker 1: even cost him his life. The Catholic Habsburgs wouldn't take 124 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: kindly to being deposed and replaced by this young outsider, 125 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: and Frederick would be surrounded by hostile forces with uncertain 126 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 1: support from his Protestant allies. Yet refusing the crown meant 127 00:09:57,280 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: abandoning Bohemian Protestants to priss secution and ignoring what some 128 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:08,720 Speaker 1: saw as a divine calling to defend his faith. Frederick spiraled, 129 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: imagining all the ways the situation could go sideways. A 130 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: Protestant monarch dropped into hostile Catholic territory. How could that 131 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:23,040 Speaker 1: even work? What would happen to his family if everything collapsed? 132 00:10:23,640 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: But Frederick also felt the weight of religious obligation. God 133 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: chose kings, and kings had responsibilities to their faith and 134 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:38,240 Speaker 1: their people, no matter the cost. Elizabeth continued to assure 135 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 1: her husband that she would support his choice. The trouble 136 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: was he still couldn't decide. He fired off letters to 137 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: everyone he knew, asking for opinions. His mother's advice was unequivocal, 138 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:57,000 Speaker 1: don't risk your own inheritance for some foreign adventure. His 139 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 1: father in law, King James, stayed silent for weeks, though 140 00:11:01,440 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: word filtered back that he thought the whole thing was reckless. 141 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: The Archbishop of Canterbury saw it as a righteous duty. 142 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: Most of Frederick's advisors urged caution, but a few close 143 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 1: friends pushed him to accept. Frederick consulted the Protestant Union. 144 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:24,480 Speaker 1: They all said yes, so did the Dutch, so did 145 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: his uncle. He ordered special prayers in every church in 146 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 1: his territories, hoping for divine clarity. When the Bohemian representatives 147 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: finally showed up expecting their answer, Frederick explained that he 148 00:11:38,880 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 1: was still waiting to hear from his father in law, 149 00:11:41,400 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: the King of England. The representatives told him bluntly that 150 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: if he couldn't decide immediately, they would elect someone else. 151 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: His hand now forced, Frederick accepted the throne immediately. He 152 00:11:56,400 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: started second guessing himself, especially with regards to where Elizabeth 153 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:03,560 Speaker 1: should go. Maybe she should go back to England for 154 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: her safety, or stay in Heidelberg, in the home they'd 155 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: loved so dearly. Elizabeth shut down both ideas instantly. She 156 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 1: was going with her husband, of course, and of discussion, 157 00:12:16,559 --> 00:12:20,839 Speaker 1: the two youngest children would stay behind with Frederick's mother, 158 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: since they were too small for such a long journey, 159 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: but their eldest son, Frederick Henry, would come with his parents. Finally, 160 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: as the couple was preparing to leave, King James finally 161 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:38,040 Speaker 1: weighed in. In James's mind, Frederick had acted hastily and 162 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: without permission, he was willing to chalk it up to 163 00:12:41,559 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 1: youthful exuberance, but the king wouldn't commit to any support 164 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,280 Speaker 1: until he was convinced the election was lawful. He certainly 165 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: wasn't dragging England into a potentially unjust and even more 166 00:12:55,000 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: importantly fruitless war, even for a son in law. People 167 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: left for Prague without James's express blessing, but hopeful for 168 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: the chance to do some good. Frederick was crowned King 169 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 1: of Bohemia on November fourth, sixteen nineteen. Elizabeth was crowned 170 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:19,200 Speaker 1: queen three days later. In December, she gave birth to 171 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: their fourth child, a boy named Rupert. Initially the couple 172 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: was met with goodwill and mostly open arms, but the 173 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:34,640 Speaker 1: honeymoon period was incredibly brief, followed immediately by a culture clash. 174 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: Frederick was a strict Calvinist, which alienated both Catholics and 175 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:44,320 Speaker 1: many non Catholics who had hoped for a more moderate 176 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: Protestant ruler. His chaplain ordered the removal of Catholic statues 177 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:55,440 Speaker 1: and icons from churches. When a particularly revered crucifix was 178 00:13:55,520 --> 00:14:00,000 Speaker 1: removed from a bridge, overnight, citizens marched on the castle 179 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: demanding its return. The new king had no choice but 180 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:09,199 Speaker 1: to back down. Elizabeth was Presented with her own set 181 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: of problems, she and the Bohemian court ladies around her 182 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: could barely communicate. She spoke very little German, while the 183 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:22,400 Speaker 1: Bohemian court ladies knew almost no French or English. Elizabeth 184 00:14:22,480 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: was unfamiliar with local customs, inadvertently offending various nobility right 185 00:14:28,360 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 1: and left, and in general. People were scandalized by her 186 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: low cut dresses, and by the irregular hours she kept, 187 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: and by her roving menagerie of pets, including dogs and monkeys, 188 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: that followed her everywhere. She made genuine attempts to connect 189 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,600 Speaker 1: with her subjects, but it seemed like everything she did 190 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: rubbed people the wrong way. Meanwhile, the political situation deteriorated 191 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: by the day. The Catholic Habsburgs had no no intention 192 00:15:00,800 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 1: of accepting their removal from power. The Emperor demanded Frederick 193 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:10,480 Speaker 1: abdicate within thirty days. Frederick made things worse, replying that 194 00:15:10,640 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: as elector Palatine, he outranked the Emperor, not the other 195 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:21,400 Speaker 1: way around. Then Frederick took Elizabeth hunting, apparently unconcerned about 196 00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: the armies currently massing against them, But he should have 197 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: been concerned. Frederick had left the Palatinate relatively undefended, and 198 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: European powers were choosing sides. An assortment of different Catholic 199 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: armies began to target the Bohemian king, setting the stage 200 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:47,400 Speaker 1: for the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, one of 201 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 1: the deadliest conflicts in European history. In August sixteen twenty, 202 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:58,400 Speaker 1: Elizabeth's new English secretary arrived in Prague and within two 203 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:02,360 Speaker 1: weeks was sending a large reports back to London about 204 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: the dangerous, almost desperate situation. Half of Frederick's court didn't 205 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:12,160 Speaker 1: seem to grasp the danger. The other half understood perfectly 206 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: well and had already given hope of resisting the Habsburg 207 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 1: Holy Roman Emperor. In September, Spanish forces had entered the 208 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: Palatinate with twenty five thousand troops. Frederick's mother fled with 209 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:32,240 Speaker 1: the grandchildren that she had been watching. Elizabeth wrote desperately 210 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: to her brother Charles, begging him to convince their father 211 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:39,160 Speaker 1: to make good on his promise not to let the 212 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:43,480 Speaker 1: Palatinate be taken, but as ever, King James was slow 213 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: to respond. Catholic armies were closing in on Prague. Despite 214 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: her advanced pregnancy, Elizabeth refused to leave her husband's side 215 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: until growing concern for hers and the baby's safety for 216 00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: her to take baby Rupert and flee. And so Elizabeth 217 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:10,360 Speaker 1: found herself pacing in that cold castle outside Berlin, heavily 218 00:17:10,480 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 1: pregnant with a baby in tow, waiting for news from Frederick, 219 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:20,760 Speaker 1: news about whether they'd lost everything already. When that news arrived, 220 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:26,160 Speaker 1: her worst fears were confirmed. On November eighth, sixteen twenty, 221 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:31,120 Speaker 1: Frederick's forces made their stand on White Mountain, a low 222 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:36,200 Speaker 1: plateau just outside Prague, Believing that their enemy wouldn't risk 223 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: a winter attack. They were wrong. In a couple hours time, 224 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: the Catholic armies crushed Frederick's forces and the capital surrendered immediately. 225 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: The defeat was complete. Frederick's reign had lasted exactly one 226 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:59,439 Speaker 1: year and four days. A Platinate was occupied, Prague was gone. 227 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,919 Speaker 1: All Elizabeth and Frederick had left was each other and 228 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:08,160 Speaker 1: whatever future they could salvage from the ruins. They had 229 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,639 Speaker 1: gone from royal family to refugees in the blink of 230 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:19,920 Speaker 1: an eye. On January sixth, sixteen twenty one, at Custrin 231 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:24,800 Speaker 1: Castle outside Berlin, Elizabeth gave birth to a son named Maurice. 232 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:30,040 Speaker 1: The delivery was surprisingly quick and uncomplicated. A small mercy 233 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 1: after everything she'd endured. But there would be no returning 234 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:38,800 Speaker 1: to Prague. The military defeat had made that impossible, and 235 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:43,919 Speaker 1: the Palatinate was now occupied by Catholic forces. They had 236 00:18:44,080 --> 00:18:48,360 Speaker 1: nowhere to go, no home to return to. They were 237 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:55,040 Speaker 1: royals humiliated in exile. Then the Prince of Orange extended 238 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:59,520 Speaker 1: an invitation, and in spring sixteen twenty one, Elizabeth arrived 239 00:18:59,600 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 1: at the Hay with barely any attendants. The Dutch city 240 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:07,920 Speaker 1: would be her home for the next forty years. Exile 241 00:19:08,080 --> 00:19:11,639 Speaker 1: didn't really slow her down. Over the following years, she 242 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:16,480 Speaker 1: had eight more children, four sons and four daughters, bringing 243 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,720 Speaker 1: her total to thirteen, and motherhood didn't stop her from 244 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: trying to extract Frederick from the political disaster that they 245 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:29,520 Speaker 1: had stumbled into. The dynamic of their marriage had now shifted. 246 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: Where she had once deferred to him, she now became 247 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 1: something closer to an equal partner, maybe even a stronger partner. 248 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:43,960 Speaker 1: Frederick spiraled easily into despair, but Elizabeth had a talent 249 00:19:44,200 --> 00:19:48,400 Speaker 1: for winning people over. Her supporters in Germany and England 250 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: responded to her energy and determination in ways they didn't 251 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: respond to her husband's gloom. She was striking charming and 252 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: seemed utterly unwilling to accept defeat. People grew to see 253 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: her as the embodiment of Protestant resistance. Elizabeth launched a 254 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: correspondence campaign that never let up. She wrote letters constantly 255 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:17,919 Speaker 1: advocating for her family's rights, pressing anyone with influence to 256 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: support their cause, arguing their case to anyone who would 257 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 1: listen at all. Her charms and persistence made her far 258 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: more effective than Frederick at maintaining their network of allies, 259 00:20:29,720 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: and despite everything, she refused to abandon her royal lifestyle. 260 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: She may not have been a queen, but she was 261 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 1: still the daughter of a king. Before financial constraints forced 262 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:47,320 Speaker 1: serious cutbacks, their household continued to go all out with 263 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 1: lavish hunting parties, theatrical performances, and elaborate dinners. But by 264 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: sixteen twenty three, Frederick had been stripped of even his 265 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: electoral title, which the Emperor transferred to Maximilian of Bavaria. 266 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:09,679 Speaker 1: The couple lost their territories, their titles, and their income everything, 267 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: but Elizabeth kept writing letters, kept making connections, kept insisting 268 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:21,200 Speaker 1: their rights would eventually be restored. Then, in sixteen thirty two, 269 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: Frederick fell sick while traveling. An infection had been weakening 270 00:21:26,040 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: him for weeks, and he died November twenty ninth. Before 271 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: he returned home, he was only thirty six. When Elizabeth 272 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,840 Speaker 1: got the news, she collapsed with grief and took to 273 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 1: her bed. She was thirty seven years old, with ten 274 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: living children, and suddenly entirely on her own. Charles, her 275 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: younger brother, who was now King Charles the First of England, 276 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: begged her to come home, but she wouldn't hear of it. 277 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,000 Speaker 1: Returning to England would mean abandoning all claims to the 278 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:01,959 Speaker 1: Palatinate for her head, her self, and her children. She 279 00:22:02,040 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: had come too far and sacrificed too much to give 280 00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: up now, so she stayed in the Netherlands. She and 281 00:22:09,880 --> 00:22:13,200 Speaker 1: Frederick had built a country house a few years earlier, 282 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:16,840 Speaker 1: and she spent increasing amounts of time there. She also 283 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:21,280 Speaker 1: became a patron of the arts and commissioned portraits honoring 284 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:25,560 Speaker 1: Frederick's memory. She doubled down on her letter writing, advocating 285 00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: for her family's rightful claims, arranging marriages for her children, 286 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:35,040 Speaker 1: lobbying for more support. Between Frederick's death and her own 287 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: death three decades later, she buried four more of her children. 288 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:45,399 Speaker 1: Her son Charles Louis, did eventually regain the electorship in 289 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: sixteen forty eight, but even that victory didn't entice Elizabeth 290 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,720 Speaker 1: to leave the Hague. In sixteen forty nine, her brother 291 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: Charles was executed by English revolutionaries. The news pushed Elizabeth 292 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 1: for into isolation. Her relationships with most of her children 293 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:09,360 Speaker 1: were tense. Later accounts would criticize her as emotionally distant, 294 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:13,439 Speaker 1: though by the standards of seventeenth century royalty, she was 295 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 1: probably typical. Even today, British royalty isn't known for being 296 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: warm and fuzzy with their offspring. Elizabeth prioritized letter writing 297 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: and political maneuvering, although in later years she was apparently 298 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: quite fond of spending time with her grandchildren. By her 299 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:36,480 Speaker 1: final decade, the world had changed around her. The Thirty 300 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:42,240 Speaker 1: Years War had ended, reshaping Europe entirely. The militant Protestant 301 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: ideals she had championed in her youth had no place 302 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:50,399 Speaker 1: in this new order. She had become a relic, someone 303 00:23:50,440 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: who belonged to an earlier era, with no country that 304 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: truly felt like home. And then, in sixteen sixty this 305 00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:03,359 Speaker 1: stuart were restored to the throne in the form of 306 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 1: Elizabeth's nephew, who became King Charles the Second. As soon 307 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,120 Speaker 1: as he became King of England, he began pressing Elizabeth 308 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: to come home after more than forty years away. Elizabeth 309 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: finally agreed. She arrived in England in May sixteen sixty one, 310 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:27,719 Speaker 1: no longer a fresh faced newlywed, but now a widow 311 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,719 Speaker 1: in her sixties with a hell of a lot of 312 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: life behind her. She found London well suited to her 313 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 1: new life and decided not to return to the Netherlands. 314 00:24:39,560 --> 00:24:43,760 Speaker 1: Her second chance at English life would be brief. In 315 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: January sixteen sixty two, she came down with pneumonia. Elizabeth 316 00:24:48,800 --> 00:24:54,120 Speaker 1: died just after midnight on February thirteenth, sixteen sixty two, 317 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:59,040 Speaker 1: the day before her wedding anniversary. Her death didn't make 318 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 1: much of a splash. She was estranged from many of 319 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: her children, and most Londoners knew her only as the 320 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:12,040 Speaker 1: mother of Rupert, the famous military commander. On February seventeenth, 321 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,639 Speaker 1: when her coffin left Somerset House for burial, Rupert was 322 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:19,560 Speaker 1: the only one of her sons present for the funeral 323 00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:23,960 Speaker 1: procession to Westminster Abbey. She was laid to rest near 324 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:29,080 Speaker 1: her beloved brother Henry in the family vault, where her grandmother, Mary, 325 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:34,760 Speaker 1: Queen of Scot's, was also buried. Elizabeth Stuart is mostly forgotten, 326 00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:38,919 Speaker 1: now remembered, if she's remembered at all. For her comically 327 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:44,200 Speaker 1: short reign, She's often portrayed as a romantic tragic figure, 328 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:48,800 Speaker 1: the Winter Queen who lost everything, but that story misses 329 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 1: important details. Frederick and Elizabeth's decision to accept the Bohemian 330 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: crown helped ignite the Thirty Years War, which devastated Central 331 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: Europe and left eight million dead. Elizabeth has often been 332 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: scapegoaded for her husband's bad decision, making accused of pushing 333 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: him to accept the crown out of her own personal 334 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:17,400 Speaker 1: ambition or sense of entitlement. But consider her life's trajectory. 335 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 1: At age nine, conspirators had plotted to kidnap her and 336 00:26:22,160 --> 00:26:26,760 Speaker 1: install her as a puppet queen. Instead, she helped to 337 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:30,920 Speaker 1: choose her own crown as an adult, and then watched 338 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: it vanish in twelve months. She was a woman who 339 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:41,240 Speaker 1: refused to accept defeat, who fought for decades against impossible odds, 340 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: who maintained her dignity even as everything crumbled around her. 341 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: The sheer force of will she demonstrated in defending her 342 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:55,880 Speaker 1: ideals and her family's interests with almost no resources, relying 343 00:26:55,920 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 1: more on charm and reputation rather than actual power, remain 344 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:06,439 Speaker 1: remarkable In a turbulent period full of religious wars and bold, 345 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 1: violent land grabs. The Winter Queen is both a cautionary 346 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 1: tale and a symbol of strength. That's the story of 347 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:23,040 Speaker 1: the Winter Queen. But keep listening after a brief sponsor 348 00:27:23,119 --> 00:27:27,360 Speaker 1: break to hear a little bit more about Elizabeth Stuart's legacy. 349 00:27:39,720 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Stewart may not have been a particularly warm mother. 350 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: It said that she was more interested in writing letters 351 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:52,400 Speaker 1: than raising children, but she accomplished something that outlasted everything 352 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,119 Speaker 1: else she ever did. She became the ancestor of every 353 00:27:56,359 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: British monarch who followed. Her youngest daughter, Sophia, married into 354 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: the Hanoverian family. At the time, Elizabeth didn't think highly 355 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: of the match, chalking it up to her daughter's rebellion. 356 00:28:09,800 --> 00:28:14,719 Speaker 1: But nearly forty years after Elizabeth died, English Parliament faced 357 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: a succession crisis. They needed to ensure the crown stayed Protestant, 358 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:23,159 Speaker 1: and in seventeen oh one they passed the Act of 359 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: settlement which named Sophia's line as heirs to the crown. 360 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: All those years Elizabeth had spent fighting for her children's claims, 361 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:36,479 Speaker 1: all those endless letters arguing for their rights, all of 362 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: her stubborn refusal to give up. None of it had 363 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,200 Speaker 1: restored Bohemia or the Palatinate the way she had hoped, 364 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 1: but it had kept her bloodline. In the conversation. In 365 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:53,479 Speaker 1: seventeen fourteen, Sophia's son became King George the First of 366 00:28:53,520 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: Great Britain, Elizabeth's grandson. Every single British monarch since descended 367 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: from him, which means they all descended from her. The 368 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:09,800 Speaker 1: entire line. The Georgia's Victoria, Elizabeth the Second, and now 369 00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: Charles the Third, his son William. William's children George, Charlotte 370 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:19,680 Speaker 1: and Louis, all of them carry Elizabeth Stewart's noble blood. 371 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: The winter Queen, who ruled Bohemia for a single chaotic year, 372 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: founded a royal line that has endured for centuries. Noble 373 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: Blood is a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild 374 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: from Aaron Mankey. Noble Blood is hosted by me Dana Schwartz, 375 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:54,200 Speaker 1: with additional writing and research by Hannah Johnston, hannah's Wick, 376 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: Courtney Sender, Amy Hit and Julia Milaney. The show is 377 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:03,640 Speaker 1: edited and produced by Jesse Funk, with supervising producer rima 378 00:30:03,800 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 1: Il Kaali and executive producers Aaron Manke, Trevor Young, and 379 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 1: Matt Frederick. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 380 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.