Shelley Puhak delves into the lives of queens Fredegund and Brunhild, famed for their bitter and bloody rivalry which wracked the Frankish empire in the latter sixth century. Speaking with Emily Briffett, she reveals how their stories were suppressed, overlooked and used as political propaganda by subsequent rulers, and considers how they should be seen today.

Shelley Puhak is the author of The Dark Queens: A Gripping Tale of Power, Ambition and Murderous Rivalry in Early Medieval France (Apollo, 2022)

Authors

Emily BriffettPodcast editorial assistant

Emily is HistoryExtra’s podcast editorial assistant. Before joining the BBC History team in 2021, Emily graduated with an MA in Public History from Royal Holloway, University of London