233. Marianne Faithfull’s “Lady of Shalott” and Other Doomed Noblewomen

The Lady of Shalott by John William Waterhouse

One of the last projects recorded by singer/actress Marianne Faithfull (who passed away in January) was a 2021 spoken word album of English Romantic poetry, including a hauntingly beautiful 12-minute recitation of Tennyson’s “Lady of Shalott.” After exploring Faithfull’s passion for (and family connections to) classic literature, Amy finds new meaning in this poem about an exiled woman fated to forever view life through a mirror’s reflection. This episode includes accounts of several other doomed and exiled noblewomen in history — Lucrezia de Medici and Marguerite de la Rocque — and the books their lives inspired. This bonus episode is available to paid subscribers or for individual purchase.