In this episode of Love Letters to History, we’re talking weddings: the romantic, the royal, the extravagant, and the wonderfully complicated.

We begin with a very special tribute to Dolly Parton, who recently passed away at the age of 80. Dolly spent nearly six decades married to the famously private Carl Dean, and their love story was refreshingly simple compared with the larger-than-life career she built. We look back at their quiet 1966 wedding, their enduring marriage, and the relationship behind one of the most beloved women in entertainment.

From there, we head back to the White House for a recap of some of the weddings that took place at America’s most famous address, including presidential families, political pageantry, and a little history you may not have heard before.

Then it’s across the pond for royal weddings, where love comes with crowns, centuries of tradition, enormous crowds, and plenty of drama.

And finally… we could hardly do an episode about famous weddings without talking about Elizabeth Taylor. Eight marriages, seven husbands, two trips down the aisle with Richard Burton, and enough romance and scandal to keep the tabloids busy for decades.

From a tiny Georgia ceremony to palace balconies and Hollywood headlines, this episode is a love letter to the many ways people have said “I do.”

Grab your drink, pull up a chair, and join Liz and Emily for another trip through the stories behind the history.

💌 Love Letters to History
The past is our present to you!

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From Betty Ford’s groundbreaking honesty to Melania Trump’s very different approach to the role, we’re wrapping up our First Ladies series with the women who helped shape the modern White House.

In this episode of Love Letters to History, we travel from the aftermath of Watergate through the late 20th century and into the modern political era, exploring Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, Michelle Obama, Jill Biden, and Melania Trump.

We look beyond the official portraits to talk about the women themselves: their causes, their personalities, their marriages, their influence, the controversies they faced, and the ways each one redefined what it meant to be First Lady.

From Betty Ford speaking openly about breast cancer and addiction, to Nancy Reagan’s Hollywood glamour, Barbara Bush’s trademark pearls, Hillary Clinton’s unprecedented political role, Laura Bush’s love of literacy, Michelle Obama’s cultural impact, Jill Biden continuing her career as an educator, and Melania Trump’s more private and unconventional tenure, there is plenty to unpack.

Grab your favorite drink and join Liz and Emily as we send a few final love letters to the First Ladies who witnessed some of the biggest political, cultural, and social changes in modern American history.

💌 Love Letters to History
Where history is the past...and the past is our present to you!

In this 3rd episode of Love Letters to History, we continue our journey through America's First Ladies, beginning in the era when women finally gained the right to vote and carrying their stories all the way through Watergate. These women witnessed enormous changes in American life, politics, culture, and the role of women themselves. Some transformed the position of First Lady, some became political forces in their own right, and others quietly shaped history behind the scenes. We're talking about fascinating women of the 20th century, including Florence Harding, Grace Coolidge, Lou Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, and Pat Nixon. Along the way, we explore their marriages, personalities, causes, friendships, controversies, triumphs, and the stories that often get left out of the history books. From Eleanor Roosevelt redefining what a First Lady could be, to Jackie Kennedy bringing history and culture into the White House, to Lady Bird Johnson's lasting influence on America's landscape and Pat Nixon standing beside a presidency consumed by Watergate, these women had a front-row seat to some of the most dramatic moments of the American century.

About Love Letters to History: History isn't just dates and battles. It's people, relationships, triumphs, heartbreaks, and the stories that continue to shape our world today.Each episode explores historical figures and events through engaging conversation, careful research, and a genuine love of the past. If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment letting us know which historical figure you'd love to hear about next! History is the past...and the past is our present to you!