Battle Royale: French Monarchs

65 - Napoleon II

Sun, 03 May 2026 12:41:00 -0000

You know Napoleon I. You've heard of Napoleon III... But what about the other one?

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

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64 - Napoleon I, Part 3

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:29:00 -0000

Will Napoleon be enshrined with the greats at the Grand Tournament, or will we send this outlaw to the guillotine?

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Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

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64 - Napoleon I, Part 2

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:05:00 -0000

Starting with his grand coronation in Paris and stunning victory at Austerlitz, we follow Napoleon from his zenith to his ultimate decline as all of Europe conspires against him.

Next episode, we will at last rate Napoleon and get into further detail about one of history's most epic and groundbreaking lives.

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This episode's outro music was the finale of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture", performed by Claudio Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded 1999.

Our intro music is ⁠⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. ⚜️

Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

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64 - Napoleon I, Part 1

Sun, 05 Apr 2026 13:50:00 -0000

From obscure Corsican officer to Emperor of the French, this episode we chart the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte in the first of his 3 episodes. There is so much about this man to cover, and we have still only scratched the surface.

Fitting that this episode is coming out on Easter, since Napoleon not only resurrected the French church, but his episode is also filled with Easter eggs for long-time listeners as we get the return of Italian Wars, another bout of Black Death and Pope Slap 2: Napoleon Edition!

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This episode's outro music is "le chant du départ", a popular military anthem from Napoleon's reign, performed by Roger Roger et son Orchestre, 1957.

Battle Royale's intro music is ⁠⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. ⚜️

Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

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63.5 - Maximilien Robespierre, Part 2

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:37:00 -0000

We have reached the dramatic apex of Robespierre's career, as the French Revolution spirals into its most violent phase: the Reign of Terror.

But how long will this reign last? And how will Robespierre's legacy compare to those of the monarchs he destroyed?

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Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

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63.5 - Maximilien Robespierre, Part 1

Sun, 15 Mar 2026 19:27:00 -0000

This episode we get deeper into the French Revolution, from the eyes of the radical politician Maximilien Robespierre. Society is about to change rapidly and shockingly in the leadup to the Reign of Terror, including a new calendar which will leave Eliza outraged.

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Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

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Battle Royale's intro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

Our outro is "Ça ira", a French Revolutionary song, performed by the late great Edith Piaf.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

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Madame de Pompadour (Patreon Exclusive)

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 15:42:00 -0000

Go to patreon.com/battleroyalepodcast to listen to Part 2, and our entire spinoff series on the French royal mistresses.

Jeanne Antoinette "Reinette" Poisson was born into a disgraced middle-class Parisian family and thanks to her own beauty, charm and wit managed to climb the greasy pole to become Louis XV's most famous and powerful mistress. This episode we recount her life's story from birth to death. In Part 2 we get deeper into how she wielded power and what we ultimately scored her.

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Thank you to Rob from Totalus Rankium for creating the funky theme for our Mistress series!

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Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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63 - Louis XVII (the Lost Dauphin)

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 14:01:00 -0000

We unravel the mystery that haunted Europe for over a century: What happened to the son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinettte after they met their tragic end? It's a real True Crime mystery that will take us from the worst days of the Reign of Terror to the deepest depths of the American West. Only now, over 200 years later, do we finally have the answer.

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Music used in this episode included a piano rendition of Mozart's "Lacrimosa", perfromed by Soviet pianist Maria Yudina in 1954.

Battle Royale's intro/outro music is ⁠⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. ⚜️

Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

62.5 - Marie Antoinette, Part 2

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 23:22:00 -0000

It's now time to rate one of history's most notorious queens!

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Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

62.5 - Marie Antoinette, Part 1

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 18:20:00 -0000

By popular demand, we have an in-betweeny episode on the most famous woman in all of French history. How much was she really to blame for the disasters leading up to the Revolution?

This episode we go through the main events of Marie Antoinette’s life. Next time we will rate her and leave behind the Ancien Regime for good!

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Music used in this episode:

Intro music: ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

Music under Maria Theresa’s letter: “Don Juan, Wq. 52: III. Andante” performed by English Baroque Soloists, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, ℗ 1982 Warner Classics International. Composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, a favourite composer of the Austrian court at the time.

Outro music: “Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. posth., No. 2: Adagio” performed by Zhou Qian and the Toronto Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Kevin Mallon, ℗ 2004 Naxos. Composed by Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a mixed-race composer popular at Marie Antoinette’s court.

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

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Visit our website ⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found ⁠on our website⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

62 - Louis XVI, Part 2

Wed, 19 Nov 2025 13:56:00 -0000

This episode, we will rate and review Louis XVI, the last king of France before the Revolution blows everything apart. Will he get through to the Tournement, or will he be guillotined a second time?

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Visit our website for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

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Details of our 5 categories used to rate the French Monarchs can be found on our website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

62 - Louis XVI, Part 1

Sun, 26 Oct 2025 11:41:00 -0000

This episode, we finally get to the beginnings of the French Revolution and how it affected one Louis XVI, a King of France who was in way over his head, to put it mildly. Why did the revolution start in his reign? What weird hobbies did he indulge in the meantime? And next episode, will we be guillotining him AGAIN?

⚜️ RECOMMENDATIONS

Go learn more about the French Revolution with these handy recommendations!

- ⁠Revolutions ⁠podcast by Mike Duncan

- ⁠Grey History⁠ podcast by Will Clark

- ⁠A New World Begins: The History of the French Revolution⁠ by Jeremy D. Popkin (audiobook read by Pete Cross)

⚜️MUSIC

This week's outro music is a 1791 revolutionary song "⁠Poursuite et retour de la Famille Ci-devant Royale⁠", celebrating the failure of the Flight to Varennes. This version was recorded by Michel Godard and released by Alpha Records in 2011 on the album "France 1789: Révolte en musique d'un sans-culotte & d'un royaliste".

Also used in this episode was "⁠La Marseillaise⁠", performed by Rouget de Lisle and the London Symphony Orchestra, produced by Kurt List and digitally remastered in 2002 by EMI Records Ltd.

Battle Royale's intro/outro music as usual is ⁠⁠⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠⁠⁠. Go check out more of their stuff ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

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Visit our ⁠⁠Wordpress ⁠⁠for episode images, score summaries and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ or wherever you listen.

You can also support the show on ⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠! Join the official Angry Mob and get access to our bonus content: movie reviews, deep dives, bonus biographies and our exclusive spinoff series rating the Royal Mistresses.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

61 - Louis XV, Part 2

Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:07:00 -0000

It's time to get down to brass tax and rate Louis XV. Was he the do-nothing king later historians have tarred him as? And are good intentions and pretty art enough to save him from the guillotine?

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Visit our Wordpress for episode images, score summaries, contact details and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

You can also support the show on Patreon! Join the official Angry Mob and get access to our bonus content: movie reviews, deep dives, bonus biographies and our exclusive spinoff series rating the Royal Mistresses.

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is "Dansez" by Fasion. Thank you to them for making this track free to use and listen! Go check out more of their stuff here.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

61 - Louis XV, Part 1

Sat, 23 Aug 2025 13:59:00 -0000

Not quite the Sun King, not quite the Revolution guy, Louis XV sits between two way more famous kings of France and is often a forgotten footnote of history, despite ruling for a very long time during France's great Enlightenment period. Will he stand toe-to-toe with other kings, or will he get lost in the mix?

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Visit our Wordpress for episode images, score summaries, contact details and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is "Dansez" by Fasion. Thank you to them for making this track free to use and listen! Go check out more of their stuff here.

Our outro music was "Rameau's 'Les Sauvages'", a famous harpsichord piece from Louis XV's reign. It is played by Jean Rondeau and is available on his album "Vertigo" ((c) Warner Classics) or on YouTube.

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60.5 - Philippe II of Orléans (the Regent)

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 23:41:00 -0000

Louis XIV is dead, and his heir is a 5-year-old child. With so many deaths occurring in the royal family, it falls to an unlikely royal nephew, Philippe, duke of Orléans, to govern France until Louis XV comes of age. Completely unlike the callous old Sun King, Philippe is a man of the people who spurned Versailles and lived as a boisterous libertine. What kind of regent will this man be?

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Visit our Wordpress for episode images, score summaries, contact details and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

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Battle Royale's intro/outro music is "Dansez" by Fasion.

Other music used for this episode:

"Sonata for cello and Continuo in B flat, RV.47 - 1. Largo" by Antonio Vivaldi, performed by Christophe Coin, Ageet Zweistra and Christopher Hogwood. ℗ 1987 Decca Music Group Limited

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60 - Louis XIV, Part 3

Fri, 09 May 2025 14:16:00 -0000

Now that we've finished Louis XIV's life, we're going back to fill in some details and decide what score the Sun King should get. Will he escape the guillotine?

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Visit our ⁠Wordpress ⁠for episode images, score summaries, contact details and more!

Make sure you leave us a review on ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠ or wherever you listen.

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BattleRoyale's intro/outro music is ⁠"Dansez" by Fasion⁠. Thank you to them for making this track free to use and listen! Go check out more of their stuff ⁠here⁠.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

60 - Louis XIV, Part 2

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 10:35:00 -0000

This episode we talk about the zenith and slow decline of the sun king.

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Visit our Wordpress for episode images, score summaries, contact details and more!

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BattleRoyale's intro music is "Dansez" by Fasion. Thank you to them for making this track free to use and listen! Go check out more of their stuff here.

Our outro music this episode is the "Sarabande for the King's Bedtime" by Jean-Baptiste Lully, performed by Ernst Stolz and the Violes de Gambe.

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60 - Louis XIV, Part 1

Sun, 20 Apr 2025 15:00:00 -0000

The Sun King is risen. This episode, we chronicle the first half of Louis XIV's life, from his earliest years of civil war and turbulence to the apex of his power.

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Visit our Wordpress for episode images, score summaries, contact details and

more!

Make sure you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you

listen.

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Battle Royale's intro music is "Dansez" by Fasion. Thank you to them for making this track free to use and listen! Go check out more of their stuff here.

Our outro music for this episode is a fanfare composed by Jean-Baptiste Lully, the premier composer of Louis XIV's court. Listen to the full recording on YouTube.

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59.5 - Anne of Austria

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 14:00:00 -0000

You've heard of the Sun King, but what about his mother? From Infanta of Spain to Regent of France, Anne of Austria's 50-year career is a rollercoaster of intrigue, family drama and civil war.

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Make sure you leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

Battle Royale: French Monarchs

65 - Napoleon II

64 - Napoleon I, Part 3

64 - Napoleon I, Part 2

64 - Napoleon I, Part 1

63.5 - Maximilien Robespierre, Part 2

63.5 - Maximilien Robespierre, Part 1

Madame de Pompadour (Patreon Exclusive)

63 - Louis XVII (the Lost Dauphin)

62.5 - Marie Antoinette, Part 2

62.5 - Marie Antoinette, Part 1

62 - Louis XVI, Part 2

62 - Louis XVI, Part 1

61 - Louis XV, Part 2

61 - Louis XV, Part 1

60.5 - Philippe II of Orléans (the Regent)

60 - Louis XIV, Part 3

60 - Louis XIV, Part 2

60 - Louis XIV, Part 1

59.5 - Anne of Austria

59 - Louis XIII

58.5 - Marie de' Medici

58 - Henry IV, Part 2

58 - Henry IV, Part 1

57.5 - Marguerite de Valois (Queen Margot), Part 2

57.5 - Marguerite de Valois (Queen Margot), Part 1

Ranking Roundup #3 - The House of Valois

57 - Henry III

56.5 - Catherine de' Medici, Part 2

56.5 - Catherine de' Medici, Part 1

56 - Charles IX

55 - Francis II (ft. Mary, Queen of Scots)

54 - Henry II

53 - Francis I (Part 2)

53 - Francis I (Part 1)

52.5 - Louise of Savoy

52 - Louis XII (Part 2)

52 - Louis XII (Part 1)

51.5 - Anne of Brittany (Part 2)

51.5 - Anne of Brittany (Part 1)

51 - Charles VIII (Part 2)

51 - Charles VIII (Part 1)

Regency of Madness - Results & Quiz!

50.5 - Anne of France

50 - Louis XI (Part 2)

50 - Louis XI (Part 1)

Introducing Battle Royale: French Mistresses

49 - Charles VII

48.5 - Joan of Arc (Part 2)

48.5 - Joan of Arc (Part 1)

48 - Charles VI

Regency of Madness 5/5 - Charles of Orléans VS John of Bedford - ft. Passed

Regency of Madness 4/5 - Isabeau of Bavaria VS Yolande of Aragon - ft. Queens

Regency of Madness 3/5 - John the Fearless VS Bernard of Armagnac - ft. Grand Dukes of the West

Regency of Madness 2/5 - Louis of Bourbon VS John of Berry - ft. Passed

Regency of Madness 1/5 - Philip the Bold (of Burgundy) VS Louis of Orléans - ft. Grand Dukes of the West

Special Announcement! - Intelligent Speech Conference 2023

Bastille Day D&D Special - The Beast of Saint Ulphia

47 - Charles V (Part 2)

47 - Charles V (Part 1)

46 - John II

45 - Philip VI

Capetian Retrospective with Dr Gary Girod (The French History Podcast)

Ranking Roundup #2

44.5 - Joan II of Navarre (ft. The Black Death!)

44 - Charles IV (ft. Isabella the She-Wolf)

43 - Philip V

42 - John I

41 - Louis X

40 - Philip IV

39.5 - Joan I of Navarre

Vercingetorix (Patreon Teaser)

39 - Philip III

38 - Saint Louis IX

37.5 - Blanche of Castile

37 - Louis VIII

Halloween Fairy Tales with Elspeth Olson

36 - Philip II Augustus (Part 2)

36 - Philip II Augustus (Part 1)

35 - Louis VII