The Fake Princess Who Fooled Georgian England
From Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society by History Hit
May 5, 2026 · 50 min · Episode 422
About this episode
The episode explores the story of Princess Caraboo, a figure who became a celebrity in Georgian England, questioning the truth behind her tale.
What you'll hear in today's episode is a story that strikes to the dark heart of the British Empire. Despite being set in the time of Jane Austen's early 19th century polite society, Princess Caraboo's strange tale makes her an instant celebrity. But how much of it, if any, is true? Where does it lead? And what happens when the truth is a lot darker than the lie? Joining Kate today is the wonderful Dr. Maddy Pelling, co-host of After Dark and author of Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment , to reveal the truth behind Princess Caraboo. This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe . You can take part in our listener survey here . All music from Epidemic Sounds. Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Kate
Guest: Dr. Maddy Pelling
Topics covered
- Princess Caraboo
- Georgian England
- celebrity
- truth and lies
- British Empire
- history of scandal
Keywords
- Princess Caraboo
- Georgian England
- celebrity
- truth
- scandal
- British Empire
- Jane Austen
- hoax
- history
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: History Hit, Acast
Books & works: Hoax: Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment
Places: British Empire, Georgian England
More episodes of Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
- Supersluts of History: Royal Mistress Madam du Barry · June 12, 2026 · 46 min
- The Truth about Adam & Eve · June 9, 2026 · 44 min
- Supersluts of History: Roman Empress Theodora · June 5, 2026 · 40 min
- Sex & Pleasure in the Ancient World · June 2, 2026 · 45 min
- How to Get Cancelled in Hollywood's Golden Age · May 29, 2026 · 41 min
- The Most Feared Sex Act In History · May 26, 2026 · 31 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society podcast page.