Noble Blood – "How Lola Montez Took Down a King"

Host: Dana Schwartz
Date: December 16, 2025
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Episode Overview

This episode of Noble Blood, hosted by Dana Schwartz, chronicles the tumultuous and extraordinary life of Lola Montez—a fiery, scandalous 19th-century woman who captured the heart (and ultimately ruined the reign) of King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Blending biography, court intrigue, and cultural analysis, Dana traces how Lola’s ambition, charisma, and disregard for convention toppled a monarch and left an indelible mark on European society. The episode probes gender roles, scandal, and the power (and peril) of reinvention.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Bavaria in Crisis (04:21)

• Bavaria in the 1840s was destabilized—King Ludwig I, once beloved, found his rule threatened amid mounting scandals and public unrest.
• "It reached the point where Ludwig knew he couldn't continue to rule, at least not without undermining the institution of the monarchy itself." (05:03, Dana Schwartz)
• At the heart of this turmoil: Lola Montez, the king’s notorious mistress.

2. The Making of Lola Montez: From Eliza Gilbert to ‘Spanish’ Sensation (06:38)

• Born Eliza Rosanna Gilbert in Ireland, 1821. Daughter of a British officer and a socially ambitious mother.
• Early life marked by instability, scandal, and rebellion; sent to boarding schools, built a reputation as a troublemaker.
• Forced marriage at 16 to escape her mother's matchmaking—a pattern of seeking freedom from oppressive circumstances.
• Quote: "I wished for nothing more intensely than to be abducted once more, but this time not by a potential husband, but by anything or anyone who could rescue me from the deadly monotony of this eternally repetitive life." (13:28, Dana quoting Lola)
• Reinvents herself as Lola Montez, a Spanish dancer, exploiting the era's fascination with "fiery" Spanish femininity.
• Her lack of singing and dancing talent compensated by remarkable beauty and magnetic presence.

3. Rise to Notoriety: Scandal, Performance, and Powerful Lovers (18:55)

• Lola’s career is a series of reinventions and relationships with influential men; frequently reliant on charm and self-mythology.
• Outed as not truly Spanish, Lola moves to the continent, causing further scandal and intrigue.
• Memorable Moment: Nearly thrown in prison in Germany for whipping an officer while trying to sneak into a state event.
• In Paris, her relationship with drama critic Alexandre Dujarrier boosts her career—until he’s killed in a duel.

4. Enchantment and Chaos in Bavaria: How Lola Montez Toppled a King (24:35)

• Arrives in Munich in 1846 and ensnares King Ludwig I, who rewards her lavishly (house, allowance, and inclusion in his will).
• Lola’s audacity: interrupting court protocol, influencing political opinions, and accumulating immense power.
• She’s gifted nobility—Countess of Landsfeld—despite public outrage and political opposition.
• Quote: "Gentlemen, you have the honor to meet my new best friend... Please oblige me by treating her at all times with the same respect you have always shown me." (29:44, Dana quoting Ludwig)
• Lola sees herself as a liberator; the public sees her as an arrogant, disruptive outsider.
• Escalates to full-blown political crisis as ministers resign, protests erupt, and chaos ensues. Ludwig ultimately abdicates the throne on March 20, 1848.

5. Exile, Reinvention, and the Final Act (33:50)

• Lola flees Bavaria, briefly waits in Switzerland for Ludwig—he never comes.
• Continues her pattern: impulsive marriage in London, escape to France and Spain, then heads to America for a fresh start.
• Reinvents herself yet again as an actress and lecturer, stunning American audiences by exceeding their scandal-driven expectations.
• Ventures to Australia with the infamous “Spider Dance”—her reputation for scandal remains central to her fame, sometimes leading to literal fights (whip-duels with newspaper editors).
• In later years, tours the US giving morality lectures; whether sincere or just another reinvention is debated.
• Dies in 1861 at just 39, from complications likely due to syphilis.

6. Reflections on Lola’s Legacy and Gender (36:29)

• Lola’s life exemplifies both the danger and allure of female self-determination in a restrictive society.
• Repeatedly labeled a liar, manipulator, and menace, yet also an emblem of rebellious modern womanhood.
• Quote: “There was too much of her to be held within the prescribed and safe limits allotted to women, but there was not enough to enable her to stand securely beyond the shelter of conventional rules.” (36:00, Dana quoting Amanda Darling)
• Dana questions whether Lola is a hero—"wildly self-aggrandizing," but undoubtedly captivating.
• Quote: “Even my many enemies must admit, I always had a flair for living.” (37:09, quoting Lola Montez)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On her constant reinvention: “Lola Montez blazed a trail throughout the Western world, rubbing elbows and more with some of the greatest minds and most powerful men of the era...a master of reinvention, an opportunist whose motto was: ‘Courage and shuffle the cards.’” (06:00, Dana)
• On her relationship with King Ludwig I: “Within a month, she had a yearly allowance of 10,000 florins...a couple of weeks after that, Ludwig had Lola written into his will.” (29:09, Dana)
• On her power and downfall: “She was arrogant and often abusive to anyone who caught her at the wrong moment...in less than two years, Lola Montez had brought a country to its knees and permanently changed the geopolitical landscape—not bad for a random girl from Ireland.” (32:50, Dana)
• On her legacy: “How much truth does a woman owe to a world that is set up against her?” (35:15, Dana quoting Amanda Darling)
• Final musings: “A diagnosed sociopath, a politician, a reality TV star, an influencer—always on the verge of getting herself cancelled. One thing is certain: we wouldn’t be able to look away.” (36:20, Dana)

Key Timestamps

• 05:03 – Setting the scene: Ludwig’s crisis and abdication
• 06:38 – Early life and birth of Lola Montez
• 13:28 – Lola’s first marriage and longing for escape
• 18:55 – The rise of her career, first scandals, lovers
• 24:35 – Enters Ludwig’s life, the Munich connection
• 29:44 – Ludwig’s infatuation and Lola’s rise to power in Bavaria
• 32:50 – Public backlash, revolutionary fervor, Ludwig’s abdication
• 33:50 – Exile, American reinventions, Australia scandals
• 36:00 – Reflections on gender, notoriety, and legacy
• 36:20 – Is Lola a hero or villain?
• 37:09 – “Always had a flair for living.”
• 40:06 – Bonus anecdote: death of Alexandre Dujarrier and Lola’s rare moment not at the center (Dana)

Final Anecdote: The Duel That Didn’t Need Lola (40:06)

In a departure from usual drama, a tragedy not directly caused by Lola:

• Newspaper owner and drama critic Alexandre Dujarrier, Lola’s lover, is shot and killed in a duel with a rival.
• Dana notes with irony: “This might be the only time in her life where Lola Montes’ presence could have actually caused less drama.” (40:50)

Tone & Style

Dana Schwartz’s narration is witty, irreverent, and informed, blending sharp character insights with trenchant social commentary. She celebrates Lola Montez’s audacity while maintaining a critical perspective, refusing to romanticize her chaos, but marveling at her larger-than-life personality.

Summary

Lola Montez, born Eliza Gilbert, reinvented herself across continents, using beauty, cunning, and nerve to challenge societal limits, seduce kings, and scandalize all of Europe. Her relationship with King Ludwig I upended Bavarian politics and became a case study in the disruptive power—and peril—of female defiance and self-invention. In death, as in life, Lola defied easy categorization: liar, libertine, opportunist, and perhaps the world’s most infamous “cancelled” celebrity long before the term existed.