There are many privileges that come with being a royal, but where do mistresses lay amongst these? If you'll excuse the pun.

Charles II was notorious for the women in his life, from his wife Catherine to infamous mistresses like the formidable Nell Gwynn.

What was in it for them? And how did they all get along? Joining Kate today is Linda Porter, author of Mistresses: Sex and Scandal at the Court of Charles II.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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What does it mean to be a geisha? How does someone become one? And how do they differ from sex workers?

The geisha world is famously very secretive and private, and taking us into it today is Lesley Downer, who spent years befriending geishas in research for her book Geisha: The Secret History of a Vanishing World.

This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

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Glass of meat wine, anyone? That's right, the Victorians loved a glass of meaty wine.

They loved drinking so much that it became a moral panic, with whole movements of temperance cropping up around Britain.

What was drinking culture really like in the Victorian and Edwardian Britain? Were women able to drink as much as men? And what exactly went into that meat wine?

Helping Kate get to the bottom of this is Thora Hands, author of Drinking in Victorian and Edwardian Britain: Beyond the Spectre of the Drunkard.

This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.