#65 The Mythical Mirror: Historian Kate Williams on the kookiness of the British royal family

We Can Be Weirdos

The rituals of the royals are quite magical, but how eccentric are our royals, past and present?

Royal historian, author and broadcaster Prof Kate Williams is here to tell us just how kooky are favourite royals are. From the power of John Dee, an occultist and adviser to Elizabeth I, who used a mythical mirror to speak to ghosts to Charles II who apparently touched nearly 100,000 people believing he could cure disease. And we can’t forget Prince Philip’s obsession with UFOs.

Kate is the host of Queens, Kings and Dastardly Things, hosted alongside fellow royal enthusiast and acclaimed writer, Robert Hartman. She studied at Somerville College, Oxford, and is now the Director of Life Writing at Royal Holloway, University of London. She’s the author of many historical biographies including England’s Mistress, Becoming Queen and Young Elizabeth.