Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | Una real historia macabra: El rey chaquetero y una cabeza dando tumbos"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina (SER Podcast)
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Episode Date: October 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of "Acontece que no es poco" delves into a particularly macabre episode in European royal history with the signature sharp wit and irreverence of Nieves Concostrina. Using a blend of historical narrative and present-day connections, the story focuses on the eventful life of King Enrique III of Navarra—later Enrique IV of France—his “chaquetero” (flip-flopping) religious allegiances, and the bizarre journey of his decapitated head through the centuries. The narrative also links these events humorously to current pretenders to the French throne, particularly Luis Alfonso de Borbón, heir of both the Borbón and Franco families.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Surreal Aftermath of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre

• Opening Reflection

  • The host and co-host revisit the brutalities of the prior episode (the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre) and frame today’s topic as equally macabre but with a humorous twist.

  “Vamos con una historia macabra, real, pero real en los dos sentidos. Real porque es cierta y real porque implica a un rey.” (Nieves, 00:46)

• Enrique III of Navarra

  • Escaped the massacre thanks to his wife, Margarita de Valois, despite her clear disdain for him.
  • The marriage of “convenience” is a recurring comedic theme.

  “En realidad no estaba nada por él… Le daba un asco, la verdad. Enrique de Borbón era lo más alejado del refinamiento que se puede imaginar.” (Nieves, 02:25-02:54)

  • Was forced to abjure his Calvinism and convert to Catholicism to avoid being executed when caught between warring religious factions in France.

2. The "Chaquetero" King and Religious Flip-Flopping

• Return to Navarra – and Recidivism

  • After returning to Navarra, Enrique immediately reverts to Protestantism; religious conversion is treated humorously as a casual flip.

  “Lo primero que hizo abjurar del catolicismo y abrazar de nuevo el calvinismo. Si esto de cambiar de Dios sin cambiar de Dios es un cachondeo.” (Nieves, 06:44)

• Political Intrigue and the French Throne

  • The host traces the political context—religious wars, power struggles with the Guise family, and succession crises—leading to Enrique being lured to Paris as a pawn.
  • The desperate need for a successor leads Catalina de Médici to offer him the French crown, conditional upon reconverting to Catholicism.

  “Que abjure del protestantismo y abrace el catolicismo. Y ya van tres cambios de dioses sin cambiar de dioses. Eso hizo Enrique, hacerse católico y dejar para la historia esa famosa frase…” (Nieves, 08:59)

  • Notable Quote:

    “París bien vale una misa.” (Nieves, 09:50)

3. The Macabre Fate of Enrique IV's Head

• Enrique IV's Assassination

  • After a turbulent reign, Enrique IV is murdered by a Catholic zealot suspicious of his conversions.
  • His body is interred at Saint Denis, but the French Revolution disrupts royal tombs, and royal remains—including Enrique IV’s—are dumped into a mass grave.

• A Head with a Long Journey

  • Decades later, after the monarchy is restored, bones are supposedly returned to royal tombs—except several heads are missing, including Enrique IV’s.

  “Lo que sí comprobaron es que faltaban tres cabezas y una de ellas, la de Enrique IV. Sí se cree que era esa porque con ese nombre se la vendieron a un anticuario en 1919 por 3 francos.” (Nieves, 11:39)

• Modern-Day Repercussions & Royal Claims

  • The head resurfaces in the 21st century, the supposed subject of DNA testing and grandiose claims, all funded by Luis Alfonso de Borbón (descendant of both Franco and Borbón).

  “¿Quién pagó esos estudios…? Luis Alfonso, el bisnieto de los golpistas Borbón Franco.” (Nieves, 12:13)

• Rival Claimants & Royal Dramas

  • Nieves lampoons contemporary rivalries between the Borbones, Orleanists, and Carlists—each trying to rally support for their own “performances” involving the head and royal legacy.

  “Pero no contaron con la otra dinastía que reclama el trono de Francia... También se levantó en armas la rama carlista de los Borbones que dieron la contrarréplica... ¿Y esa cabeza no es de Enrique IV?” (Nieves, 13:12)

4. Satirical Reflections on Monarchy and Historical Farce

• Comic Absurdity of Royal Pretensions
  • The host highlights the frivolity of monarchy, royal rituals, and “legitimist” claims in republican France.

  “Las monarquías y los cortesanos viven de payasadas de este tipo... para dar contenidos vistosos al papel couché.” (Nieves, 14:18)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the flips of royal religion

  “Si esto de cambiar de Dios sin cambiar de Dios es un cachondeo.” (Nieves, 06:44)

• On Enrique’s pragmatic conversion

  “París bien vale una misa.” (Nieves, 09:50)

• On Borbón luck

  “La verdad es que los Borbones nacen con una flor en el culo.” (Nieves, 04:43)

• On royal tomb confusion

  “Lo que sí comprobaron es que faltaban tres cabezas... una de ellas, la de Enrique IV.” (Nieves, 11:37)

• On the farcical modern pursuit of royal bones

  “Es como cuando la mujer de Aznar contrató a un equipo de forenses para que le dijeran que habían identificado los huesos de Cervantes sin haber encontrado ni un metatarso.” (Nieves, 12:35)

• On the spectacle of monarchy

  “Las monarquías y los cortesanos viven de payasadas de este tipo. Protocolos, parip, reclamos por derecho divino...” (Nieves, 14:18)

Highlights and Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Marriage irony and Margarita’s frustrations (02:25-03:48)
• Light-hearted song interlude (“Corre, caballito”) (05:54-06:38)
• The head's bizarre odyssey and modern pseudoscientific claims (11:37-12:50)
• Satirical treatment of modern monarchist struggles (13:12-14:46)

Structure in Dialogue

• The episode is a blend of vivid historical retelling, sidelong contemporary satire, and engaging asides, always maintaining a critical and humorous tone.
• Concostrina connects seemingly distant events (the French wars of religion and modern-day monarchist opportunism) with a style that is both mocking and deeply informative.

For Further Listening

• The story of Enrique IV’s head is “to be continued”—Nieves promises to return to the topic of its ultimate fate and the final debunking of its identity in a future episode.

Summary for the Uninitiated

Listeners are taken on a wild ride through French—and European—history, showcasing the cynicism, absurdity, and persistence of monarchical rituals and claims to power. The narrative seamlessly links the bloody chaos of early modern France with the frivolity and spectacle of monarchy in contemporary media.
The episode is as much a subtle lampooning of modern “royal” pretensions as it is an entertaining crash course in history, delivered with Nieves Concostrina’s trademark irony and irreverence.