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The Butterfly King

When King Boris III of Bulgaria dies amid mysterious circumstances during World War II, there's no shortage of suspects. But eighty years later, his death remains unsolved. Award-winning journalist Becky Milligan follows a trail of dissidents, poisoners, soldiers and spies to unravel eighty years of lies and cover-ups. This tragic family saga of a doomed royal dynasty is a story of treachery, deceit and a quest for the truth. Who killed the Butterfly King?

The Butterfly King is a podcast from Exactly Right, produced by Blanchard House.

4: A Snake is Still a Snake

The Butterfly King

  • 61 views
  • 24 days ago
  • 45:48

We’re back at the Vrana Palace in Sofia, Bulgaria, where King Simeon II and Princess Maria Luisa tell host Becky Milligan about their narrow escape from targeted Allied bombings after their father’s death. As more secrets emerge from the pages of a British diplomat’s private diary, Becky is forced to consider an ugly possibility. But as she follows the trail of poison, a brand new suspect slithers into the frame. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3: Snake in the Grass

The Butterfly King

  • 66 views
  • about 1 month ago
  • 51:27

Can you trust anyone in wartime? Host Becky Milligan meets a man in Sofia, Bulgaria, who shows her a side of King Boris III that makes her question whether he’s really the hero of this story. As Becky picks her way through the viper’s nest of conflicted history, she must confront the royal children with some uncomfortable truths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2: Lies, Lies, Lies

The Butterfly King

  • 100 views
  • about 1 month ago
  • 56:01

Host Becky Milligan meets King Boris III’s children at Vrana Palace, a royal residence on the outskirts of Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital city. The children share the details of their father’s strange and painful death. Officially he dies of a heart attack, but the symptoms don’t add up. What—or who—is responsible? Becky speaks to witnesses who explain how Boris duped Hitler. But the discovery of a dusty document, thousands of miles from Bulgaria, makes Becky wonder if she’s way off course. 

1: The Mender of Broken Dishes

The Butterfly King

  • 120 views
  • about 1 month ago
  • 47:55

It’s 1943 during a crucial turning point in the Second World War. Caught in the crossfire, King Boris III of Bulgaria has a make-or-break meeting with a key ally. Boris is a reluctant politician and a family man, sucked into the bloodiest conflict in history. Someone resents his influence and wants him out of the way for good. Could Boris’s fate be linked to the company he keeps?  The Butterfly King is a production of Blanchard House and Exactly Right Media. From Blanchard House Host: Becky Milligan Writer and Producer: Emma Jane Kirby Original Music: Daniel Lloyd Evans, Louis Nanke-Mannell and Toby Matimong Sound Design and Engineering: Toby Matimong and Daniel Lloyd-Evans Managing Producer: Amica Sciortino Nowlan Creative Director: Rosie Pye Executive Producer and Head of Content: Laurence Grissell From Exactly Right Consulting Producer: Kyle Ryan Artwork: Vanessa Lilak Executive Producers: Karen Kilgariff, Georgia Hardstark and Danielle Kramer

Introducing: The Butterfly King

The Butterfly King

  • 150 views
  • about 2 months ago
  • 02:27

Introducing The Butterfly King, a World War II murder mystery from Blanchard House and Exactly Right Media, home of My Favorite Murder, premiering Thursday, March 21. Award-winning journalist Becky Milligan follows a trail of dissidents, poisoners, soldiers and spies to unravel eighty years of lies and cover-ups around the mysterious death of King Boris III of Bulgaria. The Second World War is raging when the king suddenly dies amid mysterious circumstances. There’s no shortage of suspects. This tragic family saga of a doomed royal dynasty is a story of treachery, deceit and a quest for the truth. Who killed the Butterfly King? Follow the show today and don’t miss the premiere of The Butterfly King on Thursday, March 21, 2024.