From royal executions to jewel heists, high society is far from immune to true crime.
From Marie Antionette to Meghan Markle, the Rockefellers to the Kardashians, we are fascinated with the lifestyles of the rich and famous. Theirs is a world of high class and culture that you probably feel you can only experience a small taste of, but never truly understand. Perhaps you wonder what it’s like to travel on private jets, relax on luxury yachts, and sip champagne whilst enjoying your private collection of Renaissance art draping the walls of your multi-million dollar mansion.
But if there is one thing high society shares with common folk, it’s true crime. Often wherever there’s wealth, there’s someone who is willing to do just about anything to take that good fortune away. And when it comes to history’s most elusive objects such as the Mona Lisa and the Hope diamond, a salacious true crime story is never far away.
So put your boxed wine on a shelf and grab your favorite champagne. These podcasts invite you to explore the exclusive world of history’s aristocrats and artists through a true crime lens. From murder to larceny, abductions to jewel heists, we’re covering our top picks for true crime podcasts that are the perfect pairing for caviar and chardonnay.
These true crime podcasts marry culture and high society, telling the stories of heists and high society you never knew.
From the same podcast creators behind Haunted Places and Cults, Gone covers some of the most fascinating artifacts that have vanished throughout history. From stolen Stradivarius violins worth millions to Hemingway’s missing manuscripts, the stories of their disappearances are told in narrative form, truly drawing you into the mystery. And while these fascinating objects (and sometimes even people) will probably never be found, the speculation on whodunit is almost as interesting as the objects themselves.
In 1990, something unusual happened at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum–something that could have come right out of a blockbuster movie script. It was a night that began like any other–but by the time morning came, 13 pieces of fine art had vanished from their frames. We’re talking the likes of Vermeer, Degas, and Rembrandt. The thieves had simply cut the canvases out of with a blade (something that will make art aficionados cringe, no doubt).
Experts value the stolen fine art at approximately $500 million, and the museum has offered a $10 million reward for any information leading to their recovery. The fascinating mystery of who conducted the heist is truly a mind-bender. The Empty Frames Podcast tells the story of one history’s most fascinating heists–one that still haunts the FBI to this day.
From the execution of Marie Antionette to the bloody reign of Madagascar’s Queen Ranavalona, royalty has frequently been at the center of history’s most gruesome events. The Noble Blood podcast uncovers the greatest legends of monarchy murder and mayhem. The stories unfold almost as if they came right out of a mythology book, not only giving context on the history of the time, but an insider view into how the events connect to modern-day. Did you know, for example, that the inception of Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum finds its beginning on the bloody executioner grounds of the French Revolution? Noble Blood tells you this incredible story and more.
From Bonnie and Clyde to Ocean’s 11, audiences love stories of a well-thought-out robbery. As much as we might hate to admit it, there’s something incredibly fascinating about a clever thief. If that thief is clever enough to outsmart even the most advanced technologies and security systems to get away with the ultimate heist, even better.
From the robbery of an art museum’s toilet made out of pure gold to the theft of billions of dollars worth of diamonds in the so-called Green Vault heist, the Heist true crime podcast covers the best stickups and robberies you’ve never heard of. Laser beams and sealed vaults were no match for the criminal masterminds at the center of these stories.
The Best True Crime Podcasts About High Society and Culture
The old saying insists that art is life. Well, with these true crime podcasts, art is murder, mayhem, and brilliant heists worthy of a Hollywood screenplay.
Craving more true crime cult podcasts that delve into the most fascinating stories of history? Dive into true crime stories from centuries past with these history true crime podcasts. They are like a true crime time machine.