1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 2: Guess what, mango, what's that? 4 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 1: Well? 5 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 2: All right, so we're going to go back to two 6 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 2: thousand and seven and there's a Maryland auto repair man 7 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 2: and he declared himself King of the Isle of Man. 8 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 2: And the crazy thing is he may have actually had 9 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:25,160 Speaker 2: a real claim to that title. 10 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: So this is a lot to unpack from the start here. 11 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: But first of all, the Isle of Man, that's the 12 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: island between England and Ireland, right. 13 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:38,520 Speaker 2: That's right. And technically it's a self governing Crown dependency, 14 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:41,559 Speaker 2: meaning it's got its own government to handle domestic issues, 15 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 2: but Great Britain represents it in international settings and also 16 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 2: oversees its military. 17 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: Got it. So how does a guy from Maryland enter 18 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: the picture here? 19 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:54,720 Speaker 2: Ancestry dot Com, Mango. So David Howe did what so 20 00:00:54,960 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 2: many Americans do. He logged on to the genealogy site 21 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: to research his family tree and along the way he 22 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,520 Speaker 2: discovered that he was the descendant of Thomas Stanley, who 23 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: was an early Lord of Man and that's what they 24 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: call the island's head of state. But ever since seventeen 25 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 2: sixty five, the reigning British monarch has held the title, 26 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 2: which is why it's such a big deal. When How 27 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 2: publishes his claim in the London Gazette, which is the 28 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 2: official government record of the UK. 29 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 1: And so what's you say, like, surprise, I'm the king now. 30 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 2: I mean, that's basically what he says. So when the 31 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 2: British press caught wind of this, some articles made fun 32 00:01:30,400 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: of him, others questioned his legitimacy. Meanwhile, the residents of 33 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 2: the Isle of Man declared themselves loyal to the British crown. 34 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 2: And this was during Queen Elizabeth the Second's reign, and 35 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 2: some folks even started petitioning, calling for How to be 36 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 2: banned from visiting the island. 37 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: Altogether, not a warm welcome, no. 38 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 2: No, And that's probably why in twenty seventeen, How issued 39 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: a statement saying, quote, after careful consideration, I've decided to 40 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 2: abdicate any rights, responsibilities, and or privileges that my claim 41 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: to his store kingship of the Isle of Man affords me. 42 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 2: It's been an interesting ten years. 43 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: I love it. So what sort of impact does this 44 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: have on the Isle of Man? 45 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: Absolutely nothing. But it's a great story. And you know, 46 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 2: usually when Kings Advocate. It's at least a minor deal. 47 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 2: This time. It was just an amusing footnote in the 48 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 2: local papers. But you know, if there's one thing about us, 49 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 2: it's that we love amusing footnotes and unusual stories, which 50 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,639 Speaker 2: is what today's episode is full of. We're talking about 51 00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 2: people who, for one reason or another, declared themselves royalty. 52 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 2: So grab a crown if you happen to have one, 53 00:02:34,720 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: and let's dive in. 54 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: Hey, our podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 55 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:02,519 Speaker 1: mungish always, I'm doined by my good friend Will Pearson, 56 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: and over there in the booth wearing a purple suit 57 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:10,919 Speaker 1: with a shockingly risk neckline is our pal and producer 58 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:11,960 Speaker 1: Dylan Fagan. 59 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 2: It is actually hard to convey the full impact of 60 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: this outfit, especially in an audio medium, But you know 61 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 2: what's going on here, right. 62 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: And I go, yeah, he's declared himself prince, right. 63 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,640 Speaker 2: That is exactly right. I expected no less from you, Dylan. 64 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 2: I'm proud. 65 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: Well, I can't promise that any of the people we 66 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: talked to in this episode will be as stylish as 67 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: Prince or Dylan pretending to be Prince. But this is 68 00:03:35,080 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: a topic I've been waiting to cover for a very 69 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: long time, so I'm really excited we're doing this. 70 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,000 Speaker 2: I'm curious, though, is there any particular reason why you're 71 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 2: so excited. I mean, yes, it's fascinating, but actually you 72 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 2: never told me where you got the idea of this episode. 73 00:03:48,560 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: I mean since our Metal Flast days, I've been obsessed 74 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: with people who suddenly realize they're royals, right Like, there 75 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,400 Speaker 1: was that woman in DC who's working as a secretary. 76 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:00,120 Speaker 1: Her name is like King Peggy, and she got a 77 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: phone call. Suddenly she realized she was supposed to be 78 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: king in this Ghanaian village, which is just an amazing story. 79 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: There's this middle class guy in India who always like 80 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: claimed his French roots because his house set house of 81 00:04:13,320 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 1: bourbon over it or something, and then suddenly he did 82 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: kind of an ancestry thing and realized he's next in 83 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: line for the French monarchy if they bring it back, 84 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,599 Speaker 1: which I don't know anyone's trying to. And of course 85 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: I'm also obsessed with historical people who have tried to 86 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: con their way into being kings. And you know, one 87 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: night I was going down this rabbit hole on Wikipedia 88 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: and I learned about this guy known as the Pickle 89 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: King of Sheldrake. 90 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: The Pickle King. It sort of sounds like an infomerci salesman, 91 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 2: like like the Beeper King of New York or whatever. 92 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, but this is a story about a 93 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: gentleman named Khalid Sheldrake who was actually born Bertram Sheldrake. 94 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: And this was back in England in eighteen eighty eight. Now, 95 00:04:56,240 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: Khaled's family ran a company that manufactured pickles, ketchup and 96 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: other condiments, and the shelters were actually Catholic. In nineteen 97 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,320 Speaker 1: oh four, when he was just sixteen years old, Bertram 98 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 1: converted to Islam. Now, as you can imagine, this was 99 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,480 Speaker 1: pretty unusual for an English kid at the time, and 100 00:05:14,600 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: his family was pretty unhappy about it. But Bertram took 101 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 1: on the name Khalid. He actually learned Arabic and he 102 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: even founded an Islamic youth society. And as a young man, 103 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: he worked in the family pickle business for a while, 104 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: but then he left to pursue a career in journalism, 105 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: and he was really prolific. He wrote extensively about the 106 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:38,800 Speaker 1: Islamic faith and political issues in the Muslim world. He 107 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:43,039 Speaker 1: also launched news publications aimed at Muslim readers. And to 108 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,680 Speaker 1: put this in perspective, this was back when Great Britain 109 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 1: controlled the Indian subcontinent, right, So by the nineteen twenties 110 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:54,040 Speaker 1: the British Empire included more than half the world's Muslim population. 111 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: So there were thousands of Muslims in England who come 112 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,799 Speaker 1: over from Asia, and people in the UK were actually 113 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: are familiar with Islam. Is just that they saw it 114 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,039 Speaker 1: through this very limited colonial lens at the time. 115 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 2: And I'm curious when Bertram became Khaleid, did he face 116 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:11,680 Speaker 2: any kind of consequences for converting. 117 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 1: It depends on how you define consequences. When World War 118 00:06:15,320 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: One broke out, Khalid enlisted, but the British military regarded 119 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: converts to Islam with a lot of suspicions, so actually 120 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,800 Speaker 1: he only got assigned to domestic duties. He wasn't allowed 121 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,599 Speaker 1: to join any units that went overseas to fight, which 122 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: you know is kind of a mixed blessing if you're patriotic, 123 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 1: but it's obviously a safer position. Anyway, Khalid got married 124 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:38,039 Speaker 1: in his late twenties and his wife converted as well. 125 00:06:39,000 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: He helped establish a couple of mosques in London to 126 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: serve the city's growing Muslim community, and he kept writing 127 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 1: and speaking out about this faith, even helping other Britons 128 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 1: who decided to convert. 129 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 2: I mean, it's a good story, but I don't know 130 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:54,680 Speaker 2: if you remember at the top here you mentioned something 131 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 2: about him being the pickle King. Are we ready to 132 00:06:57,600 --> 00:06:58,400 Speaker 2: get to that part yet? 133 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 1: Yeah? Soon. The first I have to give you some 134 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:07,280 Speaker 1: very condensed backgrounds. So, Shinjiang is a region in China 135 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: that's home to the Weiger people, most of whom are Muslim. 136 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: And you've probably heard about this population in recent years 137 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,440 Speaker 1: because of human rights abuse going on against the Weiger 138 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: minority there. Anyway, this conflict goes back centuries. In the 139 00:07:21,400 --> 00:07:25,040 Speaker 1: early nineteen thirties, Muslim groups rebelled against the Chinese governor 140 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 1: in Shinjiang, and one such uprising in the western part 141 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: of the region led to the formation of the East 142 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: Turkistan Republic, which declared itself an independent Islamic state. Now, 143 00:07:37,720 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: word of Khaled's work promoting Islam in England had reached 144 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:44,000 Speaker 1: the leaders of this rebellion, so they actually asked him 145 00:07:44,080 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: if you wanted to be king of this new state. 146 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: Apparently there was some thought that appointing an outsider might 147 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:52,480 Speaker 1: prevent some of the infighting among the various tribes and 148 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: warlords in the area, and it would unify the groups. Anyway, 149 00:07:56,520 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: Khalid accepted the invitation and declared himself King of Islamistan, 150 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: which is what he decided to rename this province. He 151 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: and his wife set out for China so they could 152 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: visit their kingdom for the first time, and along the 153 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,000 Speaker 1: way he gave lectures about the situation there. And by 154 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:15,600 Speaker 1: the time the couple reach Beijing, which was called pe 155 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,000 Speaker 1: King at the time, King Sheldrake was on the Chinese 156 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,760 Speaker 1: government's radar. So it's probably not a coincidence that rumors 157 00:08:22,760 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: started to spread about the Sheldrakes. There were allegations that 158 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: they were spies, or that they were like propped up 159 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: by Great Britain, or that they were just going to 160 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: annex Shinjong for the UK. 161 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:36,559 Speaker 2: And so what happened when they finally made it to Islamistan. 162 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: Unfortunately, they actually never made it there. 163 00:08:40,120 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 2: They never got there at all. 164 00:08:41,760 --> 00:08:45,880 Speaker 1: No, so, Soviet forces aligned with the Chinese government had 165 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: been schwarming Shinjong to crush these uprisings, and right around 166 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,040 Speaker 1: the time the Sheldrakes got to China, they succeeded. So 167 00:08:53,440 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: the Muslims who had led that rebellion and established the 168 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: new state, all of them actually had to run for 169 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: the lives, and that meant the Sheldrakes had to flee 170 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: as well. 171 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 2: All right, So the Pickle King of Islamistan lost his 172 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:07,520 Speaker 2: kingdom without ever setting foot in it, right. 173 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 1: Yeah. And as a side note, the moniker the Pickle 174 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 1: King came from the British press. Obviously they had this 175 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,280 Speaker 1: huge field day with the story because you know, it's wild. 176 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 1: But what's interesting is if you look back at some 177 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: of the articles that ran in nineteen thirty four, they 178 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 1: don't really get into any of the history of Shinjong. 179 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 1: They really just played the whole thing up as a farce. 180 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, we see this like it's one of 181 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 2: those things that's funny, but there's definitely some serious stuff 182 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 2: below the surface as. 183 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,320 Speaker 1: Well, exactly, and it says a lot about the times 184 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: and how people in the UK perceived the East. I mean, 185 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: some of the news articles about Khalid didn't even use 186 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: Sheldrake's photo. They used stock images of a man in 187 00:09:45,040 --> 00:09:50,400 Speaker 1: a fez. Anyway, after the Sheldrakes returned home, they kind 188 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: of sank into obscurity. Khalid continued working with Muslim organizations. 189 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:57,600 Speaker 1: He raised money for MOSS, and he continued giving talks 190 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: about Islam until his death in nineteen forty seven, but 191 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:02,920 Speaker 1: he led kind of a quiet life after that. 192 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, all right, Well, the next time I need to 193 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 2: pickle at least, I think I'll dedicate it to King 194 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 2: Khalid Sheldrake. 195 00:10:09,840 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 1: I think that he would appreciate that. 196 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 2: All right, Well, we're gonna take a quick break, but 197 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 2: when we come back, I'm going to introduce you to 198 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 2: one of the most colorful characters in San Francisco history, 199 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 2: which is really saying something, So don't go anywhere. 200 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,120 Speaker 1: Welcome back to Part Time Genius, where we're talking about royals. Well, 201 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: before the break, you said you're taking us to San 202 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:43,800 Speaker 1: Francisco for this next story. That is one of my 203 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: favorite cities, so let's get to it. 204 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:47,480 Speaker 2: I like the city as well. All right. Well, do 205 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:51,120 Speaker 2: you remember the electronica band Lady tronh. 206 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:53,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, kind of they're like popular in the mid adds. 207 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 2: That's right, and along with many other artists, they were 208 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 2: on a label called Emperor Norton Records. When we started 209 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,200 Speaker 2: researching this episode, it was the first thing I thought of, 210 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 2: because Emperor Norton was actually a real person. The Emperor 211 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 2: was born Joshua Abraham Norton in London. This was back 212 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 2: in eighteen eighteen, and as a young man he immigrated 213 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 2: to the United States. He landed in Boston and eventually 214 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,200 Speaker 2: made his way to San Francisco. So in eighteen fifty 215 00:11:18,360 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 2: soon after he arrived there, he established a real estate 216 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,720 Speaker 2: and an importing business, and it took off. Norton became 217 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 2: super wealthy and well connected, an active member of the 218 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 2: city's social circles. But in eighteen fifty two he got 219 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:34,760 Speaker 2: some bad investment advice and he lost a ton of money. 220 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,880 Speaker 2: Norton tried to get the problem fixed. He went to court, 221 00:11:37,920 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 2: he claiming he'd been duped and misled, but after years 222 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 2: and years of appeals, the California Supreme Court actually ruled 223 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 2: against him. By that point, he was broke, like he'd 224 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 2: spent the rest of his money just trying to fight 225 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 2: this case. So in eighteen fifty six he declares bankruptcy, 226 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 2: and by eighteen fifty eight he was living in a 227 00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 2: cheap boarding house. 228 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:01,760 Speaker 1: So in just eight years he'd started a business. He'd 229 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:04,360 Speaker 1: made a fortune, He'd lost a fortune, took a case 230 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 1: of the Supreme Court, went bankrupt, and lost his home. Yeah. 231 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:11,240 Speaker 2: I mean, it was definitely a roller coaster for him. 232 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:15,080 Speaker 2: But despite his misfortunes, or perhaps because of them, Norton 233 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 2: never lost interest in civic affairs. In eighteen fifty eight, 234 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 2: he placed an ad in a local paper, This was 235 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 2: the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin, and he announced that 236 00:12:24,120 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: he was running for US Congress as an independent. He 237 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:30,600 Speaker 2: pledged to represent all constituents regardless of party, and promised 238 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 2: to support immigration and construction of the Pacific Railroad. 239 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: That's interesting, but I'm guessing you didn't get elected because 240 00:12:37,640 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: you don't refer to him as Senator Emperor Norton. 241 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:43,240 Speaker 2: Quite the title. Now, he didn't even make it on 242 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 2: to the ballot, but apparently he kept thinking about national 243 00:12:46,520 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 2: politics because he ran another ad in July of eighteen 244 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 2: fifty nine, just a few months before the election. The 245 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 2: headline on this one read Manifesto from Joshua Norton, and 246 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:00,120 Speaker 2: it was addressed to the citizens of the Union. He 247 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 2: lamented the growing tension between northern and southern states. Remember 248 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 2: this is just before the Civil War, and he wrote 249 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,679 Speaker 2: about how other countries were losing faith in the American government, 250 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:13,200 Speaker 2: and he concluded by asking, quote, will you inaugurate a 251 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 2: new state of things? Which is a decent campaign slogan? 252 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,760 Speaker 1: I think, yeah, I mean for the whole time, Yeah, 253 00:13:20,320 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 1: phrasing of it, but yeah, I can see people sticking 254 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:23,880 Speaker 1: it on their horse and buggies. 255 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 256 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. 257 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:28,000 Speaker 2: But Norton was just getting started. So a few months later, 258 00:13:28,320 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 2: September seventeenth, eighteen fifty nine, yet another ad appeared in 259 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 2: the Daily Evening Chronicle. I don't know where he's getting 260 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 2: the money to put these ads in there, And this 261 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:39,199 Speaker 2: one is a doozy. It read quote at the preemptory 262 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 2: request and desire of a large majority of the citizens 263 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:45,360 Speaker 2: of these United States, I Joshua Norton declare and proclaim 264 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,199 Speaker 2: myself Emperor of these United States. And so he went 265 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,880 Speaker 2: on to order representatives from every state to meet in 266 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 2: San Francisco and quote, make such alterations in the existing 267 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 2: laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under 268 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 2: which the country is labor ring. And you know, if 269 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:03,400 Speaker 2: they'd done it, Mango, maybe we could have avoided the 270 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:03,880 Speaker 2: Civil War. 271 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: I love this so much. I love the idea of 272 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: just like taking an ad out and declaring yourself emperor 273 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: because a lot of people have asked for it. 274 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 2: Yes, everybody was asking. 275 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:17,120 Speaker 1: I'm so curious about his big ideas though, tell me 276 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:17,600 Speaker 1: about him. 277 00:14:17,920 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 2: Well, he had a lot of them, So we're going 278 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:21,960 Speaker 2: to have to sort of pick and choose here, and 279 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 2: they weren't half bad for these times. So in the 280 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,360 Speaker 2: years that followed, Norton placed a flurry of ads. He 281 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 2: wasn't done with all of his ads or proclamations in 282 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 2: the local paper, and he used it like an early 283 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:35,479 Speaker 2: form of social media. And so here's some of his policies. 284 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 2: He supported the separation of church and state. He supported 285 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,080 Speaker 2: the women's right to vote. He called for improvements to 286 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 2: roads in public transportation. He believed that black children should 287 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 2: be allowed to attend public schools, that Chinese people should 288 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:50,800 Speaker 2: be treated fairly by the judicial system, and that federal 289 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 2: agents who committed fraud against Native American tribes should be punished. 290 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 2: So that's kind of amazing. Yeah, I was going to say, 291 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,000 Speaker 2: like the guy was a little lonely, but the ideas themselves, 292 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:02,560 Speaker 2: you know, this wouldn't have been half bad obviously, And 293 00:15:02,600 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 2: so like any emperor, not all of his ideas were great. 294 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 2: He also ran an ad in which he abolished Congress, 295 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 2: and when that didn't happen, he ran another ad ordering 296 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:13,960 Speaker 2: the US Army to quote proceed with suitable force and 297 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 2: clear the halls of Congress. 298 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: Well, I was voting for Emperor Norton until that point. 299 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, anyway. It would be easy to write Emperor 300 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 2: Norton off as a random eccentric, but he actually became 301 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:29,800 Speaker 2: a beloved local character. In eighteen sixty one, two years 302 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 2: after he first declared his title, he was listed in 303 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 2: the city directory as Emperor Joshua Norton. That same year, 304 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:38,880 Speaker 2: a local theater put on a historic bur lesque titled 305 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 2: Norton the First or an Emperor for a Day, and 306 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 2: Norton settled into a pleasant routine, even if it was 307 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 2: different from his life as a businessman. He spent his 308 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 2: days in the library reading newspapers, drafting more proclamations. He 309 00:15:52,160 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 2: attended lectures and debates. He even traveled the Sacramento to 310 00:15:55,520 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 2: observe the state legislature. But perhaps my favorite part of 311 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 2: this story is that after declaring himself emperor, he began 312 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,800 Speaker 2: dressing in secondhand officer's uniforms that he got from a 313 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:10,560 Speaker 2: nearby military base, so on special occasions he added gold applets, 314 00:16:10,600 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 2: a sword, and a hat with an ostrich plume. Of course, 315 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 2: that is amazing. You know. 316 00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:18,560 Speaker 1: One of the things that I love most about that 317 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: is that, like he's listed in the city directory as 318 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: Emperor Joshua Norton because my father in law had himself 319 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: listed in the phone book as mister Wonderful the years 320 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: before a shark tanker or whatever, as he had on 321 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: his briefcase the initials MRW for mister. 322 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:41,920 Speaker 2: Wonderful, but that it is fantastic. 323 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: Lizzie would get calls like from you know, marketers saying 324 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: like it is mister Wonderful there. 325 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 2: I love that. 326 00:16:49,360 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: But I'm very curious about Norton himself, Like, obviously he's 327 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: putting all these ads up, he's buying secondhand costumes. How 328 00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: is he supporting himself during this period? 329 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, you know, as I mentioned before, he became 330 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 2: this sort of beloved local character, and his friends and 331 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,439 Speaker 2: former associates chipped in to cover his living expenses, but 332 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 2: he refused to say he was accepting charity. He called 333 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 2: their gifts taxes, and because he was so well known, 334 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:16,160 Speaker 2: local businesses started supporting him too. Even the police recognized 335 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 2: the Emperor. After one unfortunate incident in which he was 336 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 2: arrested for the crime of lunacy, which apparently was a 337 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:24,760 Speaker 2: crime back then, Norton received a personal apology from the 338 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:26,919 Speaker 2: chief of police, and it said that from then on, 339 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 2: officers in the street would salute when he walked up. 340 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,000 Speaker 1: I love that, And it sounds like he still remembered 341 00:17:34,040 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: in California, at least by this record. 342 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,439 Speaker 2: Label, right, Yeah, yeah, for sure. I mean, especially in 343 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,400 Speaker 2: San Francisco. There's actually a nonprofit organization called the Emperor 344 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 2: Norton Trust, and it's dedicated honoring his life, and their 345 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 2: website was an invaluable research when we were putting together 346 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 2: this episode. So they've built the world's most comprehensive archive 347 00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,120 Speaker 2: of Emperor Norton related material, and they've launched a campaign 348 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:01,479 Speaker 2: to name San Francisco's famous ferry building the Emperor Norton Tower. 349 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 2: Now I don't live in San Francisco. Maybe my vote 350 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:06,600 Speaker 2: doesn't count, but I actually think they should consider it. 351 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: Yeah, maybe we should start a petition. Well, our next 352 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: self declared monarch wasn't quite as politically savvy as Emperor Norton. 353 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: But he did have plenty of other skills, including lion 354 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 1: taming and sword swallowing. And this is a story about 355 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:26,479 Speaker 1: a man named Auto vite Otto was born in eighteen 356 00:18:26,480 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 1: seventy two. He was a German circus performer who left 357 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,400 Speaker 1: home and began traveling around Europe. But I should mention 358 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: here that it's hard to separate fact from fiction when 359 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: it comes to Auto's life. He told a lot of stories. 360 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:43,240 Speaker 1: Some might be true, some really seem far fetched. But 361 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: I found this one newspaper article that described him as 362 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: a globetrotter, which he definitely was. And it goes on 363 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:54,320 Speaker 1: to say, quote he was an artist, magician, deep sea diver, 364 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 1: fortune teller, circus strongman, animal hunter, butcher, and a major 365 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 1: in the Turk Armies. 366 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 2: So you're I thought, you're gonna just keep going there. 367 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 2: That's pretty good resume. 368 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:08,800 Speaker 1: But the reason we're talking about Auto today has little 369 00:19:08,800 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: to do, you know, with any of that. In nineteen twelve, 370 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 1: Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire, and as is 371 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: so often the case in situations like this, things get 372 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,760 Speaker 1: a little chaotic. So the Albanians were trying to set 373 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 1: up a new system of government and gain recognition from 374 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:28,879 Speaker 1: the rest of Europe. Meanwhile, these pro Ottoman forces wanted 375 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: one of their people to take the throne of the 376 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 1: new principality. So somehow Auto Vta enters the picture. I 377 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: say somehow because there are different reports of what he 378 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:40,840 Speaker 1: was actually doing. And according to one story, this was 379 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:43,720 Speaker 1: around the time he was serving in the Turkish army. 380 00:19:44,080 --> 00:19:46,399 Speaker 1: According to another story, he was just traveling through the 381 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:48,520 Speaker 1: Balkans with a circus troop at the. 382 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:52,040 Speaker 2: Time, So slightly different accounts here, I guess, yeah, And 383 00:19:52,119 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 2: the point is Auto was in the area. 384 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:57,000 Speaker 1: And here again we have a few versions of what 385 00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: happened next. Either someone noticed that he bore a striking 386 00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 1: resemblance to a minor Turkish prince who happened to be 387 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,640 Speaker 1: vying for Albania's throne. Or he decided that his Liontamer's 388 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:11,360 Speaker 1: uniform looked sufficiently regal that he could just declare himself 389 00:20:11,440 --> 00:20:14,399 Speaker 1: King of Albania. So one of those two things, buddy 390 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:16,720 Speaker 1: definitely was headed towards monarchy. 391 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:19,199 Speaker 2: Here this takes us back to our sort of our 392 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 2: choose your own adventure days. But I am curious and 393 00:20:22,359 --> 00:20:24,840 Speaker 2: we were talking about Auto like he's a real person, 394 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 2: and we are certain that he was a real person, right. 395 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: He was definitely real Anyway, In nineteen thirteen, Auto decides 396 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: to make his way to Albania to begin his reign. 397 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 1: He sends official looking telegrams announcing his arrival, He puts 398 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: on his fancies costume, and he heads into the country. Now, 399 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,040 Speaker 1: depending on which story you believe, he either manages to 400 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: impersonate this other Turkish prince or he shows up and 401 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 1: just convinces Albanian's that he's their new king. Auto the first. Now, 402 00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: according to a British news report, quote, he knew that 403 00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:00,320 Speaker 1: man's better judgment is often blinded by pomp and display. 404 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,000 Speaker 1: He set out by train with no other credentials than 405 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: his gorgeous uniform, and he was given a royal welcome. 406 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 1: Albania cheered lustily this picturesque commanding figure of their king 407 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: end quote. 408 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 2: So how did they figure out he wasn't really royalty? 409 00:21:16,760 --> 00:21:19,640 Speaker 1: Yeah? So there are a few different accounts about that too. 410 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 1: Either he slipped out of town quietly to avoid getting caught, 411 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,640 Speaker 1: or there was an investigation that led to him leaving 412 00:21:25,680 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: the country, But either way, he ends up back in Germany, 413 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,320 Speaker 1: where he walks the street of Berlin selling pictures of 414 00:21:32,400 --> 00:21:35,520 Speaker 1: himself that he claims were taken during his brief reign, 415 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:37,960 Speaker 1: and for the rest of his life. He insists that 416 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: people refer to him as Auto Vite ex King of Albania. 417 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: He even has the title added to his official ID card. 418 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 1: But there is one catch here. A lot of historians 419 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 1: believe none of this ever happened, despite all the newspaper 420 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:56,680 Speaker 1: reports and everything else. The details they don't quite add up, 421 00:21:57,880 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: and it's believed that Auto died in nineteen fifty eight, 422 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 1: having spent his life pretending to have pretended to be 423 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: the King of Albedia. 424 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 2: That is a pretty amazing sentence, Mango, and you kind 425 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 2: of have to admire the commitment to the whole bit. 426 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: Yeah you do. 427 00:22:13,160 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 2: All right, we have to take a quick break. But 428 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:16,960 Speaker 2: when we come back, here's what's going to happen, Mango. 429 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:19,320 Speaker 2: We're going to talk about a man named Boris and 430 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 2: he's going to go to Andorra. You ready for that. 431 00:22:21,680 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: I am welcome. 432 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 2: Back to Part time Genius. All right, Mango, for our 433 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:42,840 Speaker 2: final faux monarch, I want to tell you about a 434 00:22:42,880 --> 00:22:45,760 Speaker 2: guy named Boris Scasi ref So. He was born in 435 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:48,800 Speaker 2: eighteen ninety six in Lithuania, which back then was part 436 00:22:48,840 --> 00:22:51,600 Speaker 2: of the Russian Empire ruled by Zar Nicholas the second, 437 00:22:52,200 --> 00:22:54,960 Speaker 2: and Boris was from an aristocratic family, so he fled 438 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 2: his homeland during the Russian Revolution. He ended up working 439 00:22:58,080 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 2: as a liaison to the British Army. He was likely 440 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 2: involved in some kind of spy work as well. Bars 441 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 2: reportedly spoke dozens of languages and was good at adopting 442 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 2: various personas, although he wasn't always on the up and up. 443 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:13,359 Speaker 2: At one point he actually got busted for Czech fraud 444 00:23:13,359 --> 00:23:13,880 Speaker 2: in London. 445 00:23:14,840 --> 00:23:17,800 Speaker 1: Czech fraud. I feel like that's not particularly James Bond 446 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: of him. 447 00:23:18,440 --> 00:23:20,959 Speaker 2: Not at all. And by the nineteen thirties he'd settled 448 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 2: down on the Spanish island of Majorca with a wealthy 449 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:28,199 Speaker 2: American divorcee who acted as his secretary. Now he claimed 450 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,679 Speaker 2: to have worked for the Dutch royal family, and he 451 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,600 Speaker 2: told people he'd held the title of the Count of Orange, 452 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 2: all of which he totally made up. Meanwhile, back on Majorca, 453 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 2: he became interested in Andorra, a tiny country sandwich between 454 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 2: France and Spain. Now it had this unusual political model 455 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,560 Speaker 2: instead of a single monarch. They are actually two co princes. 456 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 2: One is the President of France, the other is the 457 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 2: Bishop of Urgel, head of the Catholic diocese in Catalonia. 458 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:56,359 Speaker 2: Are you with me so far? 459 00:23:56,440 --> 00:23:56,640 Speaker 1: Mango? 460 00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 2: I know, this is a lot of information. 461 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,480 Speaker 1: That's fascinating, So so I think so. I mean, like 462 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: he's kind of a con man, kind of a spy, 463 00:24:04,560 --> 00:24:06,520 Speaker 1: and he is intrigued by Andorra. 464 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:10,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly right. So Boris decides to visit and 465 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:14,120 Speaker 2: while he's there, he starts talking to locals about political 466 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 2: issues in the country. And the population at the time 467 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 2: was under six thousand people, so he probably got to 468 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 2: know people pretty quickly, and he decides what Andorra needs. 469 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 2: It's more Boris of course. Now in an interview with 470 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 2: the London Daily Herald, he revealed his plans, saying, quote, 471 00:24:30,200 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 2: I shall deliver the endurance from oppression. The Bishop of 472 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:36,920 Speaker 2: Orgel in Spain is keeping them in ignorance and backwardness 473 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:40,200 Speaker 2: while they are exploited by the French Republic. We shall 474 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,520 Speaker 2: hold elections and I shall be chosen king. 475 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: That is incredible and it also doesn't sound that democratic. 476 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:50,480 Speaker 2: Well compared to some of the alternatives. It almost was so. 477 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 2: Around the same time as Chicago businessman was trying to 478 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:56,680 Speaker 2: bribe the Bishop of Orgel, he reportedly offered to pay 479 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 2: him one hundred thousand dollars to be named King of Endora. 480 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 1: I didn't realize that Doorra was up for sale, but 481 00:25:03,040 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: that definitely sounds worse than an election. 482 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure. And Boris actually put a lot of 483 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,920 Speaker 2: effort into planning reforms for Andorra. He wanted to increase 484 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 2: foreign investment to bolster the economy, even printed up thousands 485 00:25:15,400 --> 00:25:17,919 Speaker 2: of copies of a new constitution, had them sent to 486 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 2: celebrities in Spain and France to really to kind of 487 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 2: build support for his cause. And finally, after consulting Andorra's 488 00:25:24,640 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 2: General Council, he issued a statement saying he'd taken control 489 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,160 Speaker 2: of the country as King Boris the first. He even 490 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 2: claimed to have the backing of five hundred soldiers who'd 491 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,160 Speaker 2: help him hold the title. Just a few days later, 492 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 2: he was arrested by Spanish authorities, who hold him away 493 00:25:40,280 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 2: to Barcelona. He was briefly in prison, then kicked out 494 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:45,359 Speaker 2: of the country, and he spent the rest of his 495 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 2: life bouncing around Europe, in and out of prisons, I guess. 496 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 2: And you know, during World War Two he worked as 497 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:53,240 Speaker 2: an interpreter for the German Army in Russia. At the 498 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:56,080 Speaker 2: end of the war, he was arrested by the Allied forces. 499 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,880 Speaker 2: So this is just a crazy life. A few years later, 500 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 2: he gets arrested by this Soviets in West Germany under 501 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 2: the suspicion of being a spy and sentenced to hard 502 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,960 Speaker 2: labor in Siberia. He was finally released after six years 503 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,960 Speaker 2: and died in Germany in nineteen eighty nine. 504 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: Eighty nine. Wow, and that's definitely a checkered life. So 505 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 1: did he leave behind any sort of legacy in Andorra? 506 00:26:19,200 --> 00:26:21,080 Speaker 1: Or is he just you know, one of those footnotes 507 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: we talked about at the top of the episode. 508 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,040 Speaker 2: You know, his story actually lives on. In nineteen eighty four, 509 00:26:26,119 --> 00:26:29,560 Speaker 2: the Andoran writer and diplomat Anthony Morel Mora wrote a 510 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:33,199 Speaker 2: novel was called Boris, the First King of Andorra, and 511 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 2: it's loosely based on his escapades. And more recently, an 512 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 2: Andoran filmmaker made a documentary called Boris Gassirov The con 513 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 2: Man who was King. 514 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,159 Speaker 1: Oh that's interesting. I'm actually gonna put that on my 515 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 1: netflix Kew, speaking of which I know we've got to 516 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:50,359 Speaker 1: finish off here, but before we do, why don't we 517 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 1: do the fact off. In nineteen thirty one, the Lieutenant 518 00:26:57,119 --> 00:27:00,920 Speaker 1: Governor of Nebraska decided to give some prominent local citizens 519 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:05,119 Speaker 1: the title of Nebraska Admiral. Of course, admiral is a 520 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: high ranking naval title, and Nebraska is completely landlocked. Nevertheless, 521 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:12,440 Speaker 1: the idea caught on, and to this day the state 522 00:27:12,520 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: gives out honorary admiral ships. I love this so much. 523 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 1: The citation reads quote, I do strictly charge and require 524 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,480 Speaker 1: all officers, cmen, tadpoles, and goldfish under your command to 525 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 1: be obedient to your orders as Admiral, and you are 526 00:27:26,320 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: to observe and follow from time to time such directions 527 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:32,199 Speaker 1: you shall receive according to the rules and discipline of 528 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:36,159 Speaker 1: the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska. Now to 529 00:27:36,200 --> 00:27:38,880 Speaker 1: be clear that Nebraska Navy is not a thing that exists. 530 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 1: It's believed, though, that thousands of admiral ships have been 531 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:46,480 Speaker 1: given out over the years. Some notable recipients Bill Murray, 532 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:51,399 Speaker 1: John Glenn, and Queen Elizabeth II. There's even a Nebraska 533 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 1: Admirals Association, which is dedicated to promoting the state end 534 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:58,439 Speaker 1: quote to enjoy fun activities such as walking the plank. 535 00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:03,320 Speaker 2: Stuff. All right, So while I was researching this episode, 536 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:05,879 Speaker 2: I went down this very deep rabbit hole about British 537 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:09,040 Speaker 2: succession laws, and while I was there, I learned about 538 00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:12,600 Speaker 2: the twenty thirteen Succession to the Crown Act. This was 539 00:28:12,600 --> 00:28:16,000 Speaker 2: a major reform that changed a lot of long standing rules. So, 540 00:28:16,080 --> 00:28:19,359 Speaker 2: for example, you're no longer disqualified from inheriting the throne 541 00:28:19,400 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 2: if you marry a Roman Catholic, so keep that in mind. 542 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 2: But perhaps the biggest change it made was ending what's 543 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,159 Speaker 2: called the male preference primogenitor. Now that's the rule that 544 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:33,320 Speaker 2: said male heirs took precedence over female heirs regardless of age. 545 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,280 Speaker 2: Today it's gender neutral. So for example, if you look 546 00:28:36,280 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 2: at Prince William's kids, George was born first, then Charlotte, 547 00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:42,320 Speaker 2: then Lewis. Now, under the old laws, the succession order 548 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:45,240 Speaker 2: would have been George than Lewis than Charlotte. Thanks to 549 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:48,479 Speaker 2: the twenty thirteen Act, Prince Charlotte is ahead of her 550 00:28:48,520 --> 00:28:52,280 Speaker 2: little brother, making her currently third in line to the throne. 551 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:56,320 Speaker 1: I like that. So Summroyles makes such an impression on 552 00:28:56,440 --> 00:28:59,520 Speaker 1: history that they earned themselves in epithet, and so you 553 00:28:59,520 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 1: can think of Catherine the Great or Flat the Impaler. 554 00:29:03,160 --> 00:29:04,920 Speaker 1: We actually ran a list of these at Mental Loss 555 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,280 Speaker 1: so many years ago, and it is really wonderful. But 556 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: my favorite of all of these is Evillo the Cabbage. Now, 557 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:17,520 Speaker 1: Evillo was a farmer from Bulgaria who'd led a peasant 558 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:22,240 Speaker 1: uprising against the Emperor Constantino Tique in twelve seventy seven. 559 00:29:22,720 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 1: After killing the emperor and marrying his widow, Ivelo declared 560 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,120 Speaker 1: himself Emperor of Bulgaria, and he spent the next year 561 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:34,720 Speaker 1: fighting the Mongol and Byzantine invaders. Eventually he was overthrown, 562 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: forced into exile, and murdered, but his nickname lives on. 563 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:41,800 Speaker 1: It was likely given by nobles who mocked his poor upbringing, 564 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:44,200 Speaker 1: but in a way, it just makes him even more 565 00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 1: of a folk hero, and I love it. 566 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:50,120 Speaker 2: All right, all right, Well, I know, this whole time 567 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 2: we've been talking about monarchs as in royalty, but I 568 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:55,200 Speaker 2: can't help it here. I just have to share this 569 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 2: fact about monarchs as in the butterfly. Now, it turns 570 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,440 Speaker 2: out there's a butterfly call the Viceroy that's known for 571 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:05,240 Speaker 2: its uncanny resemblance to the monarch, even though they're totally 572 00:30:05,240 --> 00:30:08,920 Speaker 2: different genus and species. Now the Viceroy shares the monarchs 573 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 2: orange wings and black stripes and white dots, but it 574 00:30:11,720 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 2: tends to be slightly smaller than the true monarch and 575 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,680 Speaker 2: has an extra black line across its hind wing. Now, 576 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 2: monarch butterflies are notoriously bad tasting to predators, so for 577 00:30:21,560 --> 00:30:25,000 Speaker 2: a while, scientists thought the Viceroy practice bitsy and mimicry. 578 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:27,480 Speaker 2: That's what it's called when a tasty species evolved to 579 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 2: resemble a not tasty species in order to avoid getting eaten. 580 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 2: But newer research has actually suggested that at some point 581 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 2: the Viceroy begin eating plants that made it taste bad too. 582 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:40,600 Speaker 2: In other words, it didn't just learn how to look 583 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 2: like a monarch, it learned how to be a monarch. 584 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: You know, I'd actually heard that monarchs aren't tasty, and 585 00:30:47,320 --> 00:30:48,840 Speaker 1: that's part of why they admit it. But I had 586 00:30:48,840 --> 00:30:51,760 Speaker 1: no idea that the Viceroy tasted bad as well and 587 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:56,400 Speaker 1: evolved to do that. That's pretty amazing. Well, I know 588 00:30:56,560 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 1: this episode was my idea, but I love that Emperor 589 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,959 Speaker 1: no Stories so much and the fact that he placed 590 00:31:03,000 --> 00:31:05,440 Speaker 1: ads and uses social media, so I'm going to give 591 00:31:05,440 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: you today's trophy. There is no crown, unfortunately, just a trophy. 592 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:14,240 Speaker 1: I'm very sorry, but that is it for today's episode. 593 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,640 Speaker 1: D shore to follow us on Instagram at part Time Genius, 594 00:31:17,640 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: but from Gabe, Dylan, Mary, Will and myself, thank you 595 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: so much for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 596 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. This show is hosted by Will 597 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,920 Speaker 1: Pearson and me Mongais Chatikler and research by our good 598 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:43,280 Speaker 1: pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode was engineered and produced 599 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:46,600 Speaker 1: by the wonderful Dylan Fagan with support from Tyler Klang. 600 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 1: The show is executive produced for iHeart by Katrina Norvell 601 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,640 Speaker 1: and Ali Perry, with social media support from Sasha Gay, 602 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:58,280 Speaker 1: trustee Dara Potts and Viney Shorey. For more podcasts from 603 00:31:58,320 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 1: Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 604 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.