Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors

Breakfast feels ancient. It isn't. In Tudor England, breakfast was optional, lightly eaten, and sometimes frowned upon. No bacon, no eggs, no fixed hour. Just bread, ale, leftovers, and a lot of flexibility depending on class and work.This video explores when breakfast actually became “breakfast,” and why the Tudors didn't believe in it the way we do. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speak at Tudorcon 2026: https://tudorcon.englandcast.com/speak-at-tudorcon/The Tudors did not see history as distant or neutral. They believed they were living after a great age, measuring themselves constantly against Rome, ancient kings, and earlier empires that had already risen and fallen. History, for them, was a warning.In this episode, we explore how the Tudors studied the past, the classical historians they read, and why history shaped their understanding of power, legitimacy, and decline. From Roman emperors to English chronicles, this is a look at how the Tudors read history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In early 1540, Thomas Cromwell was still powerful, but he knew something had shifted.Today we look at the final year before Cromwell's fall, not as a sudden collapse, but as a slow recognition that his influence was draining away. As the court reoriented itself, allies fell silent, old enemies returned, and the systems Cromwell built no longer protected him. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if Catherine of Aragon had agreed to an annulment in 1527?Today we explore a Tudor what-if with enormous consequences. If Catherine had stepped aside quietly, Henry VIII might never have broken with Rome, Anne Boleyn might have had time to secure her position, Mary Tudor's future could have been settled early, and England might have remained a far quieter place.A meditation on how one refusal, rooted in conscience, reshaped a kingdom.Check out the Vday collection: https://tudorfair.com/collections/valentines-day-2026 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this minicast, we spend twenty-four hours with a yeoman farmer and his family, the solid middle of Tudor society. From waking before dawn to fieldwork, food, spinning, neighborly chatter, and falling asleep by firelight, this is an ordinary working day in rural England. No court, no kings, just the daily rhythm that fed the country and kept Tudor England running. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This talk was recorded live at Tudorcon 2025.In this lecture, Mallory Jackson explores the work of Hans Holbein the Younger, the artist whose portraits defined how we visualize the Tudor court. Focusing on key paintings from Holbein's years in England, she looks at how symbolism, material culture, and political change shaped portraits of figures such as Henry VIII, Thomas More, and Thomas Cromwell.This is a detailed, art-driven discussion of Holbein's most famous works, including The Ambassadors, and what they reveal about power, belief, and uncertainty in Tudor England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Juana of Castile is remembered by history as “Juana the Mad,” but that label explains far less than it hides. In this episode, we step away from biography and diagnosis to look instead at power: who held it, who wanted it, and who benefited when Juana was declared unfit to rule. Drawing on recent scholarship and the comparison with her sister Catherine of Aragon, this is a closer look at how a reigning queen was sidelined, confined, and ultimately erased without ever being formally deposed. Juana's story isn't just tragic. It's a case study in how authority can be neutralized not by force, but by containment.Read the book Sister Queens - available on Amazon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry Beaufort is rarely the most famous Beaufort, but he may have been the most influential.A son of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, Beaufort took a different path from his more rebellious relatives. As Bishop of Winchester and later a cardinal, he became the wealthiest churchman in England and a crucial financial backer of the Lancastrian crown.This minicast explores how Henry Beaufort shaped English politics through money and influence rather than titles or armies. From underwriting royal government to clashing with Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester during Henry VI's minority, Beaufort's power came from being indispensable, even when he was unpopular. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the Tudor court, Twelfth Night was more than the end of Christmas. Using specific recorded celebrations from across the sixteenth century, this minicast explores how plays, masques, tournaments, dancing, and banquets were used to perform power at court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry VIII is famous for executions, but he did issue pardons; rarely, strategically, and always on his own terms. Starting with the pardon of Geoffrey Pole in 1539, this minicast explores who Henry spared, who he didn't, and what mercy really meant under the Tudors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you step into the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace, the walls tell a story. In this minicast, we explore Henry VIII's Abraham tapestries: vast, expensive works of art that doubled as political messaging.Woven in the 1540s, these biblical scenes weren't just decoration. They reinforced Henry's claims to religious authority, dynastic legitimacy, and the future of the Tudor line, all at a moment when succession anxiety and church reform loomed large. Five hundred years later, the tapestries are still hanging—and still saying exactly what Henry wanted them to say.Read more here: https://www.amazon.com/Henry-VIII-Art-Majesty-Tapestries/dp/0300122349 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This tour of Tudor York was originally a Members Only video from two years ago. I'm making it public today so everyone can explore it. Patrons and channel members still get the good stuff first, including extra episodes, and content that never appears on the public channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because it's Christmas Eve, I'm taking the day to be with family. In place of something new, this episode brings together several Christmas and wintertime Tudor stories from past years in one long, easy listen. These episodes explore how Christmas was celebrated in Tudor England - the traditions, food, faith, music, and rhythms of the season. Perfect for listening while you cook, travel, or enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve. I'll be back with new episodes soon. Until then, happy Christmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features a live Tudorcon talk by Terry Jones, longtime docent at Agecroft Hall, exploring how jewelry functioned in Tudor and early Stuart England.From pearls and signet rings to portrait jewels and the Order of the Garter, this talk looks at how men and women used jewelry to signal power, identity, loyalty, and belief. Recorded live, the episode includes audience questions and the informal rhythm of an in-person lecture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1602, Elizabeth I wrote a formal letter to the Emperor of China, hoping to open peaceful trade between their two realms. The letter was sent with an English explorer attempting to reach China via the Northwest Passage. He never made it. The minicast stayed in England for centuries, was once used to line a farm's bran bin, and was not finally delivered to China until 1984. This episode tells the story of that extraordinary diplomatic misfire, and what it reveals about Elizabethan ambition, global trade, and how history sometimes survives by accident. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yesterday we chatted about how crimes were solved. Today, we look at convictions. What happened after conviction in Tudor England? This minicast looks at how punishment worked through shame, visibility, and public order, from the stocks and church penance to execution and royal mercy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Tudor England solve crimes without police or forensic science? This episode explores how murder and suspicion were investigated through community testimony, coroners' inquests, confession, and local justice, and why the world of Matthew Shardlake feels surprisingly accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Christmas Character quiz is here: https://www.englandcast.com/christmas-character-quiz/ - I'd love to see what you got!And the ecard site is here: https://www.englandcast.com/tudor-tidings/How did the Tudors understand the human body, and why does their approach feel so strange to us today? In this episode, I explore how people in Tudor England thought about health, illness, emotion, and balance, and how the body was believed to be shaped by air, weather, and even feelings themselves. We'll also look at where Tudor medicine overlaps with our own, and why their way of living in the body wasn't as unscientific as it's often assumed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For more than three centuries, a restrained Tudor portrait was confidently labeled as Lady Jane Grey. But the woman in the painting is almost certainly not Jane at all.In this episode, we explore the evidence that the famous Wrest Park portrait actually depicts Mary Neville, Lady Dacre, a young widow navigating disgrace, poverty, and political survival after her husband's execution. Through costume, symbolism, provenance, and later portraits, a very different story emerges.Grab your 2026 Tudor Planner here: https://tudorfair.com/products/2026-tudor-planner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Poison was the rumor that never died in Tudor England. In this episode, we look at the deaths that Tudor contemporaries believed were “too convenient” to be natural: the Scottish commissioners who fell ill during Mary, Queen of Scots' marriage negotiations in France, the sudden collapse of Ferdinando Stanley, and the suspicions surrounding Darnley and Amy Robsart. Whether these cases were illness, accident, or something darker, the fear of poison shaped Tudor politics in surprising ways.Get your 2026 Tudor Planner here: https://tudorfair.com/products/2026-tudor-planner?_pos=1&_sid=f3a155f11&_ss=r Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Margaret Douglas, niece of Henry VIII, spent her entire life at the center of Tudor politics. In this episode I look at her childhood in the royal nursery, the scandal that sent her to the Tower, her influential marriage into the Lennox family, and the choices that helped place her grandson James VI on the English throne. A detailed look at the woman who linked the Tudor and Stuart dynasties.Related episodes:Margaret Douglas' secret marriage: https://youtu.be/wIFZYwqhc90Arbella Stuart: https://youtu.be/YJKkrYLRgy8Tracy Borman on the other contenders: https://youtu.be/Uod4VosDhno Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tudor England loved true crime just as much as we do today. In this episode, we look at a few cases that gripped 16th-century audiences: the 1551 murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham, and the 1592 killing of John Brewen, preserved in a sensational printed pamphlet. These stories reveal how early printers, ballad sellers, and public executions shaped a uniquely Tudor form of crime storytelling. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Intermittent fasting might feel like a modern idea, but Tudor England practiced a full winter fast during Advent. People cut out meat and dairy, relied on fish and simple grains, and often waited until evening prayers for their main meal. In this episode we look at what the Advent fast involved, how it shaped daily life in December, and why it ends up sounding a lot like the fasting routines people follow today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're looking at the Privy Council and the work it handled behind the scenes in Tudor England. This small group managed intelligence, arrests, foreign diplomacy, religious enforcement, and the constant flow of problems from every corner of the kingdom. It's a closer look at how the Tudors actually governed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we trace the Vaux family from their Lancastrian beginnings in the fifteenth century to their role in the Catholic underground during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.We follow the line from Katherine Peniston and her loyalty to Margaret of Anjou, through Nicholas Vaux's rise under Henry VII and Henry VIII, and into the recusant world shaped by William Vaux. The story leads to Anne Vaux; her safe houses, her connection to Father Henry Garnet, and her brush with the Gunpowder Plot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1591, Mabel Bagenal defied her powerful English family and secretly married Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Their relationship became one of the most controversial matches in Tudor Ireland, fueling tensions that were already pushing the country toward war. In this minicast, we explore who Mabel was, why she chose O'Neill, and how her decision shaped the politics around her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're looking at the Tudor-era women who stepped into roles normally reserved for knights, from Grace O'Malley leading a fleet on the Irish coast to Bess of Hardwick managing the Shrewsbury power base during rebellion, Mary of Guise governing a kingdom at war, Elizabeth I claiming her authority at Tilbury, and more. They were never formally knighted, but their actions came remarkably close. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're looking at the closest thing Tudor England had to newspapers: the crime pamphlets that reported real murders, scandals, and witchcraft cases in the sixteenth century. We'll dig into the 1573 killing of George Saunders, the 1592 murder of John Brewen, and a witchcraft case printed that same year, and explore how these pamphlets shaped public ideas about justice long before regular news existed.Yuletide with the Tudors is starting on Monday! Don't forget to add some festive history to your season!https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this session from Tudorcon 2025 Sarah Pixley Papandrea from Agecroft Hall breaks down the real twelve-day Christmas season of Tudor England, from mumming and wassailing to role-reversal games, feast days, and the Lord of Misrule. It's a lively look at the traditions that shaped winter celebrations across the Tudor world.Yuletide with the Tudors begins Monday, December 1. It's my digital advent experience running through Twelfth Night, with daily stories and activities exploring these same festive customs. Join at the link in the show notes.https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we explore the life of Jane Lumley, a Tudor noblewoman whose translations made her one of the earliest female scholars in English literature. Through her, we trace the intertwined stories of the FitzAlan and Lumley families, the politics that shaped their world, and the remarkable library that preserved her work. From Nonsuch to the Lumley Chapel at Cheam, her life offers a rare window into the quieter, book-filled side of Tudor England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Edward the Black Prince was Europe's most celebrated warrior. Joan of Kent was already notorious for one secret marriage and an accidental second one that sparked a papal court battle. When the two married in secret in 1361, it created a royal crisis that threatened the legitimacy of England's future heir. In this minicast, we follow Joan from her turbulent childhood and bigamy scandal to her marriage with the Black Prince, their years in Aquitaine, the deaths of their children, Edward's decline, and her final role guiding young Richard II. A story of ambition, impulse, and a marriage that reshaped the Plantagenet line.Sign up for Yuletide with the Tudors here! https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1586, William Stafford proposed one of the strangest assassination ideas of Elizabeth I's reign: blowing up the queen's bed while she slept, even though his own mother served in that room. This minicast unpacks the Stafford Plot, the French connection, and Walsingham's likely role in turning the whole thing into an intelligence trap. A bizarre slice of Elizabethan espionage with very real political consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Baddesley Clinton looks calm today, but the families who lived there left behind a long trail of drama. This episode follows the Clintons, the fiery Bromes, and the Catholic Ferrers through murder, duels, hidden priest holes, and the Jesuit network that operated out of the house during Elizabeth I's reign. It's a full narrative journey through 500 years of secrets inside one Warwickshire manor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did Elizabeth I actually name James VI of Scotland as her heir? Historian Dr. Tracy Borman joins me to talk about her new book, The Stolen Crown, and the newly uncovered evidence showing that the deathbed scene we've all heard was rewritten after the fact. We talk about the real contenders for the throne, the political panic around Elizabeth's refusal to name an heir, Robert Cecil's king-making, James's shaky reputation in England, and why the 1603 succession was anything but inevitable.Tracy Borman is Chief Historian for Historic Royal Palaces and the author of numerous Tudor histories. The Stolen Crown is out now. Order it on Amazon or your favorite bookstore! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1596, a young man crossed England with a passport so convincing that constables let him pass from county to county without a second glance. The problem? The document was entirely fake. When Justice Edward Hext finally examined it, he realized it had fooled officials from one end of the kingdom to the other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're looking at what Tudor people actually did to stay clean. From linen “dry baths” and herbal wash water to tooth powders made from salt, sage, and charcoal, this episode walks through the real routines behind Tudor bathing and daily mouth care. It's a closer look at how people washed, groomed, and kept themselves presentable in a world without modern plumbing or toothpaste. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're looking at what a “passport” meant in Tudor England. There were no little booklets, but anyone leaving the kingdom needed royal permission in the form of licences and safe-conducts. Let's do a quick dive into how these documents worked and why the Privy Council watched foreign travel so closely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The other day we looked at the nobility and what they did - today, a look at the gentry, the thousands of families who handled the everyday work of running the kingdom. From managing estates to serving as Justices of the Peace, they kept local government functioning while pursuing their own ambitions. It's a quick tour of the people who made Tudor England operate behind the scenes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Blounts of Mountjoy were everywhere in Tudor England, from Bessie Blount, Henry VIII's mistress and mother of his only acknowledged son, to Charles Blount, Elizabeth I's trusted commander and scandalous lover of Penelope Rich. This episode looks at how one family quietly threaded through a century of royal power, war, and intrigue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1592, Queen Elizabeth's favorite, Sir Walter Raleigh, and her maid of honour, Bess Throckmorton, were sent to the Tower - not for treason, but for love. Their secret marriage scandalized the court and cost them everything. This is the story of their forbidden romance, their fall from favor, and the loyalty that lasted long after the Queen's anger cooled. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wonder what a Tudor duke actually did all day? In this minicast, we dig into the real jobs of England's nobles, landlords, courtiers, commanders, and sometimes survivors of royal politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1533, a woman named Alice Tankerville pulled off one of the boldest acts in Tudor history, escaping from the Tower of London. Accused of piracy and murder, Alice used her wit, charm, and the affection of a lovestruck guard to slip out of her chains and nearly make it to freedom.This is the real story of love, betrayal, and a desperate flight under the shadow of Henry VIII's Tower - featuring lost gold, a doomed romance, and an unforgettable escape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Russell family - future Dukes of Bedford - rose from obscure West Country gentry to the heights of Tudor power. Starting with John Russell, a trusted courtier of Henry VIII, they built their fortune from the lands of dissolved monasteries and turned Woburn Abbey into one of England's grandest estates.In this episode, we trace how the Russells survived through the shifting faiths of the Tudor court, survived rebellion and revolution, and eventually reshaped London itself through Russell Square and Bedford Square. From monks to magnates, this is the story of the family who built both a dynasty and a city. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Think you know the story of Guy Fawkes? Think again. In this mini episode, we're uncovering six myths about the Gunpowder Plot, from who really led it to whether the barrels could have actually blown up Parliament.Check out the full episode on the Gunpowder Plot here: https://www.englandcast.com/2018/11/episode-113-remember-remember/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Tudor England, portraits became more than decoration, they were tools of influence. This minicast explores how Renaissance humanism brought individuality and ambition to English art, from Holbein's lifelike studies of Henry VIII's court to Elizabeth I's carefully crafted royal image. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richard Topcliffe was one of Elizabeth I's most feared servants - a gentleman who became England's chief interrogator, hunting Catholic priests in the name of loyalty and faith. Today we'll look at his rise, his notorious torture methods, the scandal that nearly ended him, and his grim legacy as the man who turned service to the Crown into cruelty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode looks at the changing face of witchcraft from the Middle Ages through the Tudor and early Stuart eras. We'll start with royal women accused of sorcery, like Joan of Navarre and Eleanor Cobham - and trace how superstition turned into state policy under Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and finally King James I.https://www.englandcast.com/haunted-tudor-london-walk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He was handsome, ambitious, and despised... accused of being Queen Margaret's lover and blamed for losing England's empire in France. When Edmund Beaufort fell at St. Albans, the prophecy of his death came true, and England tumbled into civil war.Sources: The Reign of King Henry VI by Ralph GriffithsAJ Pollard - The Wars of the RosesTudor London Halloween Walk: https://www.englandcast.com/haunted-tudor-london-walk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Tudor England, potions promised power, whether to spark desire or to silence rivals. In this spooky Halloween Spooky Week minicast, we're diving into real Tudor recipes for love and poison, pulled straight from 16th-century sources like The Good Huswifes Jewell and early herbals.Here's the link to the Haunted Tudor London halloween tour: https://www.englandcast.com/haunted-tudor-london-walk/Sources:https://carolcmcgrath.co.uk/aphrodisiacs-in-tudor-times/https://www.historyanswers.co.uk/medieval-renaissance/mandrake-menstrual-blood-10-medieval-love-potion-recipes-and-ingredientshttps://distillatio.wordpress.com/2013/12/16/medieval-poisons-for-killing-animals-and-people/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're kicking off spooky week with a talk from Tudorcon 2024! Victoria Thompson takes us deep into the haunted landscape of East Anglia; a place of ghostly monks, witchcraft, and eerie folklore that has lingered since the Tudor period.Hear stories of drowned towns, spectral hounds, and strange rituals hidden inside old Suffolk homes. It's the perfect start to a week filled with Tudor hauntings and supernatural tales. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth Sydenham was the Somerset heiress who married Sir Francis Drake, but only after a meteor crashed through the roof of the church on her first wedding day. That fiery omen ended her engagement and changed her fate. This is the story of the woman who became Lady Drake and then vanished from history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.