Forget wilting wallflowers and doting daughters – these royal women rocked the world with their skills and smarts, saying a firm NO to social conventions.

Think the past was only full of dull, uptight royals? Then strap right in for stories of wilful women who defied expectations, changed the course of history, and sometimes were just downright badass! From fearless fighters who rallied spectacular armies to no-nonsense negotiators who fought for independence, each woman in this audiobook turned norms on their head and smashed gender stereotypes.

Get ready for tracks and tracks of monarchial mayhem as you meet the rebels, revolutionaries, and all-round righteous gals who weren’t afraid to break the rules and make their mark.

Dr Fern Riddell is a cultural historian, specialising in sex & gender. Presenter of Sky History’s Truthseekers, and host of their podcast series #NotWhatYouThoughtYouKnew, she is the author of multiple books including Death In Ten Minutes: The forgotten life of radical suffragette Kitty Marion and the forthcoming Victoria’s Secret: The Private Passion of a Queen. Historical Consultant for the BAFTA award-winning BBC and Amazon Prime drama, Ripper Street, she has advised on multiple shows for both the BBC and ITV2.

As an on screen expert and series consultant, Fern has appeared on documentaries for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky Arts, Sky History, Smithsonian and Discovery+, and is an internationally recognised expert historian for both radio and television. Writing widely for press, her work can be found in The Guardian, Huffington Post, Times Higher Education, the i, The Telegraph, Prospect Magazine, New Statesman, History Today and BBC History Magazine.

© 2025 Fern Riddell (P) 2025 DK Audio