#39 A Queen Who never Ruled & The Landlord Who Saved Properties For The Nation (Queen Genepil & Octavia Hill) Artwork

Mostly Unsung

The weekly comedy history podcast that brings you bitesize biographies of the extraordinary, eccentric, outrageous and occasionally ordinary lives that until now have gone mostly unsung... mostly. Join your hosts Annie and Andrea as they bring you stories that your history teacher never taught you!

If you like stuffy lectures then you're not going to be a fan, sorry! But if you are looking to hang out with two old friends who love story telling, a good laugh and forgotten figures from history then welcome!

Covering everything from scientists to Grandmothers, survivors of wars to eccentric millionaires, all via ghost stories, anecdotes and terrible impressions of Hollywood legend Tim Curry. Come and hang out, have a giggle and join us every Friday.

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Mostly Unsung

#39 A Queen Who never Ruled & The Landlord Who Saved Properties For The Nation (Queen Genepil & Octavia Hill)

January 14, 2026 • Mostly Unsung • Season 1 • Episode 39

Welcome back to the Wednesday edition of Mostly Unsung, the comedy history podcast uncovering the forgotten people and overlooked stories your history teacher definitely didn’t have time for. Every week, we bring you unsung heroes, surprising biographies, and funny history stories from around the world.

This episode features two remarkable women from very different worlds whose stories almost disappeared from history.

First, Andrea heads to Mongolia with the tragic and little known story of Queen Genepil of Mongolia, an ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances. When a Mongolian ruler’s wife dies, his advisers insist he must remarry-immediately. What follows is a nationwide search for a new bride, royal experience optional. Already married? Inconvenient, but not a dealbreaker. Genepil’s story is a haunting example of power, politics, and fate, and what happens when you’re simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time… with the wrong name.

Then Annie brings us back to Victorian England and the inspiring life of Octavia Hill, social reformer and co-founder of the National Trust. Outraged by the slum conditions of London’s working class, Hill takes out a loan and becomes a landlord herself- determined to prove housing can be clean, fair, and humane. Her vision expands beyond housing to green spaces, fresh air, and eventually the preservation of Britain’s most beautiful historic buildings. The result? A revolutionary idea that helped create the National Trust, protecting history for generations to come.

If you love women’s history, forgotten historical figures, British history, world history, and history with humour, this episode of Mostly Unsung is for you.

For this episode, Andrea used these sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genepil

https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/one-minute-story/last-queen-of-mongolia

https://jetsettimes.com/inspiration/women-empowerment/how-queen-genepil-of-mongolia-became-an-inspiration-for-queen-amidala-in-star-wars/

For this episode, Annie used these sources:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/history/people/octavia-hill-her-life-and-legacy

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Octavia-Hill

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