Royals Were the Original Reality Television Stars
From Under the Influence with Jo Piazza by Jo Piazza
June 4, 2026 · 45 min
About this episode
The episode explores the historical fascination with royals as the original reality television stars and discusses the parallels between past and present female figures in the monarchy.
Before there were influencers, there were royals. For centuries, the British royal family has provided the world with fashion trends, family feuds, public scandals, doomed romances, and enough gossip to fuel generations of headlines. Long before social media, people were obsessing over what royals wore, who they married, and what happened behind palace walls. Bestselling author Melanie Benjamin joins us to talk about her new novel, The Windsor Affair, which revisits one of the most consequential scandals in modern history: King Edward VIII's decision to give up the throne for Wallis Simpson. Together we unpack why we're still fascinated by the royals, how the monarchy became the blueprint for celebrity culture, and what really happened between Wallis Simpson and the future Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. They also dig into the parallels between Wallis and Meghan Markle, the media's obsession with pitting women against one another, and why history keeps recycling the same female archetypes. Get The Windsor Affair here. Join our newsletter community here. ORDER The Parisian Heist here. Visit our lovely sponsors here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
People in this episode
Host: Jo Piazza
Guest: Melanie Benjamin
Topics covered
- royalty
- celebrity culture
- historical scandals
- media obsession
- female archetypes
Keywords
- British royal family
- fashion trends
- family feuds
- public scandals
- celebrity culture
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Windsor Affair
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