Podcasts about tudor england

Every year in Tudor England, the weather warmed up and people wondered if this would be a plague year. On top of plague there was the sweating sickness, which could kill you between dinner and supper, plus a flu pandemic and years of failed harvests when bread prices tripled. So how did ordinary people live with that constant hum of "something terrible might happen"? In this episode we go outbreak by outbreak, from the first sweat in 1485 to the plague that greeted James I in 1603, and ask how people coped at every stop. We meet the Brandon boys, two teenage dukes of Suffolk who died of the sweat on the same morning in 1551, and their mother Katherine Willoughby, trying to make sense of it through her new Protestant faith. We look at what people lost when the Reformation took away purgatory, plague saints and prayers for the dead, right while the plague kept coming. And we meet Bartholomew Steer, who planned a rising in the hungry 1590s and had four men show up. I made this one because so many of us are feeling a low hum of dread about big things we can't control right now. The Tudors don't have all the answers, but they have some surprisingly useful ones, and a bit of plague comedy too. Also join the Privy Council for TudorCon From Home. Stream TudorCon, October 23 to 25, from your couch for $59, with a Digital Swag Bag worth over $100. Sign up by September 30 to join the Privy Council and get the brand new Spooky Halloween Walk through London immersive audio as a bonus, along with an extra game night, Tudor Zoom backgrounds and your Privy Council badge. Use code PRIVYCOUNCIL to save an additional 25%. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What were Black people doing in Tudor England? Playing music, deep-sea diving, exploring, getting married, testifying in court cases, and so much more. Miranda Kauffman shared her research in her 2017 book Black Tudors and joins us on the podcast to explain what you may not know about Black Tudor history. Buy a copy of Miranda's book Black Tudors (affiliate link) Further reading on Black British history: Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga (affiliate link) African Europeans: An Untold History by Olivette Otele (affiliate link) — Get Discord access, ad-free episodes, and bonus episodes by joining our Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/annfosterwriter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy a copy of Ann's book Rebel of the Regency⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠commonera.com/vulgar15⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠commonera.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code VULGAR15 at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.com/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (best for US shipping) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.redbubble.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (better for international shipping) — Vulgar History is an affiliate of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can send a text, include contact info to get a response. Last episode we had the emotional episode about the sufferings of paupers in 16th century Italy.  So we are now done.. with autophagy, cannibalism, dung eating, baker murdering, and all that.We are now moving on to a European wide response to poverty at the policy level.  Bronislaw Geremek's Poverty A History is a primary source.  Then when we move on to the specifically British response of the poor laws we will mainly be using Paul Slack's Poverty and Policy in Tudor England.   And a long essay by Paul Fideler  called Poverty, Policy and Providence.Some of the specific incidents come from Camporesi's Bread of Dreams.“Social Science has from its very inception, always recognized the importance of poverty, and its two most vital questions, what causes poverty and how is it to be eradicated.”I'll point out that the philosopher Hannah Arendt, named John Locke's notion that wealth is the product of human creativity.   Therefore, it is theoretically unlimited, opening the possibility that poverty can be eliminated.  I have to mention that, because the question of what causes poverty is sort of foolish, physics causes poverty.  Humans have to expend effort merely to live and creating wealth requires a high degree of coordination and cooperation.  The how is poverty to be eradicated question is more interesting, because it has happened and failed in many different ways.

In this interview with Dr Joanne Paul, to celebrate the paperback publication of her book 'Thomas More. A Life and Death in Tudor England', we discussed Thomas More's relationship with Erasmus, More's surprisingly scatological response to Luther, his surprising views on Henry VIII's break with Rome and More's imprisonment and execution.There is bonus content available for this interview, at Patreon.com/@BritishHistory where you can also get the ad-free video and audio versions of this interview. Thank you for listening to this episode, I hope you enjoyed it. There are many more historian interviews here for you to watch including over 60 fantastic historian interviews with eminent historians such as Tracy Borman OBE, Gareth Russell, Helen Castor, Helen Carr and many more. Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Thomas More and his significance03:01 Joanne Paul's background and research journey05:10 More's relationship with Erasmus and their intellectual bond08:00 More's initial response to Luther and the Reformation12:06 The scathing and scatological debate with Luther15:01 Henry VIII's defense of the sacraments and Luther's critique17:07 Henry VIII's break with Rome and More's opposition21:05 More's resignation as Lord Chancellor and his legal objections23:54 The progression towards More's arrest and trial26:56 More's imprisonment, conditions, and final days35:58 The trial, execution, and legacy of Thomas More45:00 Joanne Paul's research surprises and new discoveriesJoin my Patreon to enjoy ad-free, extended interviews with bonus content, Historical Book Club, early access to content, exclusive blogs, discounts on British History Events and more, all for £5/month.I'd really appreciate your help in making this show the best it can be. I know time is precious but if you do have 10 minutes you can spare to fill out this anonymous listener survey, I'd be really grateful - http://bit.ly/britishhistorypodcast-surveyPhilippa founded award-winning Historic Tour Operator British History Tours in 2014. Find out about these luxury, fully-escorted, immersive historical experiences at BritishHistoryTours.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to support the podcast? Join our Patreon or buy us a coffee. As an independent podcast, Shakespeare Anyone? is supported by listeners like you. In this episode, we are digging into the history of Shrovetide in early modern England. We've previously discussed Shrovetide as a possible date for the first production of As You Like It, but what did this holiday mean for the people of Shakespeare's time? We look at Shrovetide's origins as the last hurrah before the fasting and restraint of Lent to the customs that came to define it: feasting, football, cockfighting, pancakes, and festivals. We also look at where Shrovetide turns up in Shakespeare and other literature of the early modern period.  Shakespeare Anyone? is created and produced by Kourtney Smith and Elyse Sharp. Music is "Neverending Minute" by Sounds Like Sander. For updates: Join our email list Follow us on Instagram at @shakespeareanyonepod Visit our website at shakespeareanyone.com Support the podcast: Become a patron at patreon.com/shakespeareanyone  Buy us a coffee Bookshop.org: Since 2020, Bookshop.org has raised more than $38 million for independent bookstores. Shop our Shakespeare Anyone? storefront to find books featured on the podcast, books by our guests, and other Shakespeare-related books and gifts. Every purchase on the site financially supports independent bookstores. Libro.fm: Libro.fm makes it possible to purchase audiobooks through your local bookshop of choice. Use our link for 2 free audiobooks when you sign up for a new Libro.fm membership using our link. Find additional links mentioned in the episode in our Linktree. Works referenced: Brears, Peter C. D. Cooking and Dining in Tudor and Early Stuart England. Prospect Books, 2015. Foster, Pamela. "Shrove Tuesday and the British Pancake Tradition: From Mrs. Patmore's Kitchen to Your Table." Downton Abbey Cooks, 16 Feb. 2026, downtonabbeycooks.com/why-do-we-have-pancakes-on-shrove-tuesday/. Hutton, Ronald. The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press, 2011. Olney Pancake Race, Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul, Olney, 2026, olneypancakerace.org/. Teysko, Heather. " From Pancakes to Fasting: Shrovetide and Lent in Tudor England." History and Coffee, YouTube, 11 Feb. 2026, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHJaT3qZy_Y. "Why Do We Eat Pancakes on Shrove Tuesday?" English Heritage, 2026, www.english-heritage.org.uk/members-area/kids/kids-rule-makes-and-bakes/pancakes-shrove-tuesday/.  

Think we've exhausted Tudor history? Think again — what are we missing?Are the Tudors really overdone, or are we simply telling the same stories over and over again? Dr Joanne Paul joins Paul Bavill for a counter-rage against the idea that historians should stop studying the Tudors.From the English Reformation and the Break with Rome to poverty, politics, women, immigrants, people of colour and the extraordinary figures operating beyond the royal spotlight, there is far more to sixteenth-century England than Henry VIII, his six wives and Elizabeth I.Joanne explains why modern Tudor history is busy challenging Victorian misconceptions, uncovering overlooked lives and rethinking how power actually worked. Why did the dissolution of the monasteries fundamentally change the experience of poverty? Were Tudor counsellors sometimes more important than the monarch? Were the seeds of the English Civil War already being planted in sixteenth-century ideas about government?There is also plenty of discussion about the English Reformation, Lollardy, Renaissance humanism, Edward VI, the Marian regime, Henry VII, the rise of the “new men” and, inevitably, why Edward Seymour sucks.If you think Tudor history begins and ends with Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, this is your challenge to look again.Dr Joanne Paul is speaking at the Gloucester History Festival, which runs from 12th–20th September. Joanne will be appearing on Friday 18th September at 4pm, discussing the end of Henry VIII's reign. Find festival information and tickets at: https://www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.ukFind out more about Dr Joanne Paul and follow her work:Website: https://www.joannepaul.co.ukYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DrJoannePaulInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjoannepaul/X/Twitter: https://x.com/drjoannepaulJoanne is the author of Thomas More: A Life and Death in Tudor England and The House of Dudley. Buy The House of Dudley and support History Rage through the History Rage Bookshop: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781405937191Recommended episodes:Episode 269: Al Murray argues it's time to shut up about the Tudors.Episode 266: Dr Joanne Paul rages that it's not Lady Jane Grey — it's Queen Jane Dudley.Listen to more episodes and find History Rage here:Website: https://www.historyrage.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/historyrageFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/HistoryRageInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyrageX/Twitter: https://x.com/HistoryRageWant to support the show? Join the Angry Mob on Patreon for £5 per month and get early ad-free episodes, access to the monthly livestream and the coveted History Rage mug: https://www.patreon.com/historyrageIf you enjoy History Rage, please follow, subscribe, leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen — and tell another history lover to climb aboard the rage train. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me for Taste of TudorCon, a free online preview of this year's conference, on August 29th: https://tudorcon.englandcast.com/tasteoftudorcon2026/ A skilled craftsman in early Tudor London earned sixpence for a day's work. I've been staring at that number for ages, because on its own it tells you nothing. Sixpence out of what? Buys what? Compared to whom?So I went digging, and it turns out if you follow that one coin up and down the Tudor social ladder you end up seeing the whole society. The housemaid on a pound a year. The brewer on ten. The king who spent thirty-six thousand pounds on an eighteen-day party in a field. We get into the coins themselves, which have the best names in the world, including the gold angel that doubled as medicine. We climb from the bottom of the ladder to the top. We work out what sixpence would actually buy you at a market stall. And then we get to 1544, when Henry VIII started secretly putting less silver in the coins, and everybody's wages stopped working. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1497, King Henry VII of England sent Italian explorer John Cabot to North America. Over the next two centuries, British adventurers came to various parts of Eastern North America. The objects they picked up, created by Indigenous artisans, sparked various trends back in England. Author Lauren Working joins us to talk about some of these objects and the way they shaped culture in Tudor England. Buy a copy of Lauren's book A Golden World: How the Americas Transformed Tudor and Stuart England (affiliate link) — Get Discord access, ad-free episodes, and bonus episodes by joining our Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/annfosterwriter⁠⁠⁠⁠ — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy a copy of Ann's book Rebel of the Regency⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Get 15% off all the gorgeous jewellery and accessories at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠commonera.com/vulgar15⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠commonera.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use code VULGAR15 at checkout — Get Vulgar History merch at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.com/store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (best for US shipping) and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠vulgarhistory.redbubble.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (better for international shipping) — Vulgar History is an affiliate of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bookshop.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, which means that a small percentage of any books you click through and purchase will come back to Vulgar History as a commission. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use this link to shop there and support Vulgar History.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Lauren Working about her book 'A Golden World' and how voyages to the Americas reshaped 16th‑century England. The episode traces Atlantic influences on London life, art, fashion and trade through objects and people brought back from the New World. Examples include the flood of pearls and emeralds, the rise of tobacco and new fashions, live exotic animals and the crucial Indigenous knowledge behind many colonial practices. The conversation emphasises that Tudor England, even without a formal empire, was transformed by ongoing Atlantic encounters. Learn more about Dr Working https://www.york.ac.uk/english/people/laurenworking/ JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/ Learn more about your host: https://www.nataliegrueninger.com Support Talking Tudors on Patreon!

Throughout history, women have held extraordinary power but possessing power did not mean they were free to wield it.From Cleopatra and the queens of Tudor England to Catherine the Great, Queen Victoria, and beyond, powerful women have repeatedly been remembered through stories of sexuality, vanity, ambition, and failure.In today's episode, I'm joined by historian Kate Williams to discuss her latest book, Regina: A New History of Women and Power. We explore what it meant for a woman to rule, how queens crafted their own images, and why the myths surrounding powerful women have proven so difficult to dislodge.What happens when women take the throne and who gets to decide how we remember them? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Phoebe's special interest corner this week as the gang discuss Tudor England's answer to Emily in Paris: Anne Boleyn. Did she really have six fingers? Was she shagging her brother? Or was she in fact a much misunderstood woman who girlbossed too close to the sun? All will be revealed. Go see Milo on Tour in the UK and Canada here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, we have a conversation between the four co-authors of a new textbook in the field of royal studies, Exploring Monarchy in Medieval Europe 1000-1500, Elena (Ellie) Woodacre, Lucinda Dean, Simon Lambe and Patrik Pastrnak. They discuss the challenges that they faced in the composition of the book, the intended audience and use for the textbook and the contributions of colleagues in the field which enabled them to achieve a wide ranging survey of monarchical practices across the continent. Guest Bios:Elena Woodacre is Reader in Renaissance History at the University of Winchester. She is a specialist in queenship and royal studies and has published extensively in this area.See Elena's staff profile pageQueens and QueenshipLucinda H.S. Dean is Senior Lecturer at the Centre for History, UHI. Her research expertise includes medieval and early modern ritual, ceremony, kingship, material culture, gender, and the life cycle.See Lucinda's staff profile pageDeath and the Royal Succession in Scotland, c.1214-c.1543Simon Lambe is Associate Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. His academic background is in gentry and royal relations in late medieval and early Tudor England.See Simon's staff profile pagePatrik Pastrnak is Associate Professor at Palacký University, Olomouc. He specialises in royal weddings, wedding journeys, queenship, and rulership in late medieval and early modern Central Europe and Italy.See Patrik's academia.edu profile pageConfiguring Bohemian Queenship Project (and project Instagram account)

A Devon farmer records buying velvet shoes and 30 gold buttons. A London astrologer hides his affairs in Latin. Shakespeare puts a soliloquy on stage and an audience recognizes something true about themselves. Something was happening in late Tudor England, and it changed how human beings understood their inner lives forever. In this video we trace the invention of the personal diary, from medieval spiritual confession to the first people who just wrote things down because their life felt worth recording. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi Divas! You've been asking for many MANY moons for this ep so here we go. Today we're deep diving into the life and lies of Anne Boleyn! Second wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth I and known throughout time as 'the great whore,' Anne's story is full of reformist ideas, bold declarations of love, the pressure of an heir and ultimately, tragedy, as she looses her life under the dynastic demands of Tudor England. I think you'll love this one guys, and I'm keen as always to hear your thoughts!Shout out to our incredible researcher Grace McCamish and producer Jamie Rose for their work pulling this together, and if you're wanting more Hot History you can follow along on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and of course, right here!Til next week, Ainslie x

**Note - I gave Cattalena's death date wrong - it's 1625 and I said 1525! So sorry!!! *** When I picture Tudor England, I used to picture... white people. Portraits. Ruffs. Henry VIII being grumpy. And then I read Miranda Kaufmann's book Black Tudors. Because it turns out there were around 200 free Africans living in England during the Tudor period (probably more, but that's what we know for sure). Working, raising families, going to church, getting buried with full rites. And we almost completely forgot about them. In this episode we're looking at the stories of John Blanke, Jacques Francis, Reasonable Blackman, and Cattelena of Almondsbury. And then I want to talk about something that I've been thinking about: scientific racism, the Enlightenment, Darwin, eugenics, and the strange human pattern of taking progress and using it to build a hierarchy. Miranda Kaufmann's Black Tudors: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Tudors-Miranda-Kaufmann-audiobook/dp/B076ZS1K75/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tudor and Stuart England is sometimes considered "a scepter'd isle," as Shakespeare put it--proudly alone. But in fact, the history is much more complicated. Nandini Das explores how small and interconnected the world was in the 16th and 17th centuries, and how that contributed to the nature and character of England at the time.Nandini DasUniversity of Oxfordhttps://www.english.ox.ac.uk/people/nandini-das https://www.english.ox.ac.uk/people/nandini-das @rentravailer on TwitterThis Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart EnglandCourting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of EmpireKey Words of Identity, Race, and Human Mobility in Early Modern EnglandCarol Ann LloydTEDx talk: 3 Leadership Secrets from Shakespeare@shakeuphistoryhttps://carolannlloyd.com/https://patreon.com/carolannlloydhttps://bookshop.org/shop/carolannThe Tudors by NumbersCourting the Virgin QueenSupport the showHistory reveals what's possible.

Someone asked me this from their pool. They were floating around listening to the podcast and thought, "did the people I'm obsessed with ever do this?" And it sent me down a rabbit hole, because the answer is so much more complicated and class-loaded than I expected. In this episode we cover: Why Tudors avoided hot baths (and why that was actually logical given what they believed about disease) Who could swim in Tudor England, and it's the opposite of what you'd expect The first swimming manual ever published in England, written by a Cambridge academic who was simultaneously being expelled for blowing a horn around the college grounds The Thames, which was exactly as bad as you're imaginingThe superstition sailors swore by to protect themselves from drowning, and why it made complete sense Tudor history isn't about dirty people who didn't know any better. It's about people with a completely different framework for understanding the world. Water was essential, deadly, and magical to them all at once. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The history of immigration in England is far older than many people realise. Immigration in Tudor England, medieval England and even Roman Britain helped shape the nation we know today. People often talk about immigration as though it is a modern issue, but England's history tells a very different story. In this video, we explore over a thousand years of migration to England, from the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans to medieval Jewish communities, Flemish weavers, Italian bankers, Tudor refugees, African residents and Muslim diplomats. You'll discover how immigrants helped shape England's economy, culture and society, and how concerns about jobs, wages and foreign competition were being debated centuries ago. We'll examine events such as the York massacre of 1190, the anti-immigrant riots of Evil May Day in 1517, the arrival of Huguenot refugees, the story of John Blanke, Henry VIII's Black royal trumpeter, and England's diplomatic links with Morocco and the Ottoman Empire. History doesn't tell us what immigration policy should be today, but it can challenge assumptions about the past. Was England ever truly isolated? What does the historical evidence actually reveal? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.   #History #EnglishHistory #TudorHistory #MedievalHistory #BritishHistory #BlackTudors #ImmigrationHistory #HistoryDocumentary #HenryVIII #ElizabethI

In 1533, the Boleyns seemed to have it all. Anne Boleyn was Queen, and her family were reaping the rewards of Henry VIII's favour. But it was not to last.   Within three years, each member of the faction was fighting for survival as their power evaporated.  In this second episode of a two-part series on the Rise and Fall of the Boleyns, Tracy Borman is joined by Gareth Russell at Hampton Court Palace. They explore how the House of Boleyn was dismantled with such devastating consequences. Who, if anyone, dared to try and save them? And who was left as the faction crumbled? Read more from Tracy Borman: Was Jane Boleyn the most hated woman in Tudor England? 

What did it actually take to keep Tudor England clean? Before dawn, before the court woke up, before Henry VIII put on his famous doublet, someone was already up to her elbows in lye, urine, and other people's laundry. That someone was the Tudor laundress, and her story is one I have been wanting to tell for a long time. In this episode we follow three very different women doing the same essential work: the royal laundress at Hampton Court, who washed the king's most intimate linen and had to pretend she knew absolutely nothing about what those sheets revealed; the household laundress in a noble family, including the remarkable story of Bess Holland, who went from washer in the nursery to mistress of the Duke of Norfolk; and the independent washerwoman working on her own, building a business in a world that viewed her very existence with suspicion. Plus: the Tudor hygiene experiment that will completely change how you think about cleanliness, the Flemish refugee who arrived in London and built an empire out of a bucket of starch, and why the most fashionable accessory in Elizabethan England was basically a laundress's worst nightmare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Professor Nandini Das explores how Tudor and Stuart England were shaped by movement, exchange, and diverse individuals—artists, scholars, missionaries, and sailors—whose lives challenge the idea of a sealed island nation. Through four vivid case studies (the court miniaturist Levina Teerlinc from Bruges, the roaming thinker Giordano Bruno, the missionary Thomas Stevens in Goa, and William Adams in Japan), the episode reveals how identity, belonging, and nationhood were negotiated across borders in the 16th and 17th centuries. JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/ Learn more about your host: https://www.nataliegrueninger.com Support Talking Tudors on Patreon!

Before it was an insult, "spinster" was a job title. It meant a woman who spins thread. It appeared in tax rolls, court records, and legal documents. It was an occupation. And then the economy collapsed, the guilds shut women out, and the word became something else entirely. In this episode we're looking at the women who quite literally kept Tudor England running -- the spinners, weavers, and dyers whose labor underpinned the most important industry in the country. We're talking about the guild system that excluded them from legal protections while depending entirely on their work, the enclosure crisis that pulled the floor out from under their livelihoods, and the Statute of Artificers that gave magistrates the power to imprison women who weren't working hard enough. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In early June in Tudor England, one woman was already up before sunrise. She had roughly four months to produce everything her household needed to survive the next twelve months. Medicine. Preserves. Cosmetics. Cleaning products. The entire household pharmacy. All of it, from scratch, while the plants were available. She had no name in the history books. But without her, the household didn't make it through winter. We follow a Tudor stillroom mistress through a day at the start of summer, from the early morning herb harvest before the dew burns off, through the hours of distilling rose water and filling the medicine chest, all the way to the evening ledger by candlelight. Along the way we get into the dissolution of the monasteries and why it made her job dramatically higher stakes, the cosmetics she was producing that were slowly poisoning the people she was trying to care for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Memorial Day, and I've been thinking about patriotism -- where it comes from, why people feel it so strongly, and whether Tudor people felt anything like it at all. The answer is more interesting than I expected. In 1485, when Henry VII takes the throne after the Battle of Bosworth Field, England is basically a collection of feudal relationships. Loyalty runs to your lord, your family, your region -- not to some abstract idea of "England." There's no standing army, no national church, no real sense of a shared national identity. And then the Reformation happens. And everything changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In its 80-year history, no woman has ever held the role of United Nations Secretary-General. The race for the job, which happens every 10 years, began in January and the candidates have recently appeared in their one and only TV debate. Four people are currently in the running, two of whom are female. But should it matter if the top job goes to a woman? Nuala McGovern discusses with Susana Malcorra, former Chief of Staff to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and founder of GWL Voices, which stands for Global Women Leaders, and Ben Donaldson, advisor to 1 For 8 Billion, a campaign group calling for an open, inclusive and merit-based selection process to appoint a woman as Secretary-General. Nuala speaks to actors Liv Hill and Tanya Reynolds, stars of the new West End play 1536. Set in Tudor England, the drama follows three young women in Essex as they grapple with the shockwaves of Anne Boleyn's execution. Through the stories of Jane, Anna and Mariella, the play explores how events at the Royal court ripple through ordinary lives, and what the fall of a queen means for women far beyond the palace walls.It has been called 'a last ditch reset', 'a very important moment' and 'the speech of his career'. That's the speech that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is giving today as he tries to convince Labour MPs he's the right man for the job after heavy election losses last week. One of those listening is Labour backbencher Catherine West who, if still dissatisfied after hearing him, says she will send out an email and attempt to trigger a leadership contest. Meanwhile Angela Rayner put out a 1000-word statement yesterday, warning that the party's current approach isn't working and it needs to change. Joining Nuala to discuss what the political landscape looks like for women after the elections is BBC political correspondent Alicia McCarthy and Dr Annabel Mullin, Director of communications at Elect Her, an organisation that works to get women into elected office. M&S have announced that following a successful trial they are ditching the measuring tape for bra fittings. Other underwear retailers have done this for years, but how does it work fitting a bra by eye? Nuala is joined by Joanna Wakefield-Scurr, Professor of Biomechanics at Portsmouth University, and virtual bra fitter Katie Weir.Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Andrea Kidd

What happened in Tudor England when someone's mind turned against them? There was no therapist, no diagnosis, no prescription. But there was a whole system, and it was more coherent than you'd expect. We dig into the four humors as a complete theory of the mind, Timothy Bright's 1586 Treatise of Melancholie (the first English book on mental illness), music as formally prescribed medical treatment, and the social structures that made room for people who thought differently. We also look at Will Somers, Henry VIII's jester, what Bedlam actually was in the Tudor period, and why the Henry VIII personality change story is more complicated than it first appears. The Tudors were trying to make sense of suffering with the tools they had. Some of those tools were wrong. The impulse behind them is completely recognizable. Music of the Spheres episode is here: https://youtu.be/SPlfSROH4TU Will Sommers episode is here: https://youtu.be/Xs8SwqZXPxc It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and people care about you and your health. If this episode touched something personal: Call or text 988 (US) to reach the Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7. You don't have to figure it out alone. Sources: Timothy Bright, A Treatise of Melancholie (1586), free on Internet Archive. Andrew Boorde, The Breviary of Healthe (1552). Peter Andersson, Fool: In Search of Henry VIII's Closest Man (2023). Susana Lipscomb, 1536: The Year That Changed Henry VIII. Historic England's overview of mental illness in the 16th and 17th centuries at historicengland.org.uk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Someone left a comment asking about Tudor dairymaids, and I went down a rabbit hole I did not expect. The dairymaid looks like a background character in Tudor history. She is absolutely not. We're covering her daily work, the surprising economic independence the dairy gave women in a world designed to give them none, and why the phrase "as smooth as a milkmaid's skin" is actually encoding centuries of accumulated medical knowledge that eventually gave Edward Jenner the lead for the smallpox vaccine. She woke up before dawn, milked the cows, made the cheese, sold the butter, saved her money, and changed the world in ways no one thought to write her name next to.

Thomas Wolsey was born the son of a butcher from Ipswich, yet he rose to become one of the most powerful men in Tudor England as Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor. He was even known as 'The Other King', and built a palace that rivalled Henry VIII's.  This spectacular rise was only matched by the drama of his fall.  In this first episode of our new series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Elizabeth Norton to explore Wolsey's time in Henry's court. How powerful was he? Why did he fall from Henry VIII's favour? And what legacy did he leave behind?  Read more about Thomas Wolsey and see inside his palace at Hampton Court on our website.

Before hospitals, painkillers, or germ theory, the Tudor midwife was the most powerful person in the room. Licensed by the Bishop, sworn to secrecy, she outranked duchesses, performed sacraments no other woman was allowed to touch, and knew every secret in the neighborhood. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The story of how a respected Elizabethan botanist looked at a tomato, applied perfectly logical medical reasoning, and concluded that English people shouldn't eat one, and why it took two hundred years for anyone to prove him wrong. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if one of the most powerful men in Tudor England was responsible for helping the king go to the toilet? It sounds like the lowest of the low, but the Groom of the Stool was anything but a menial servant. In fact, this role placed a man at the very heart of royal power. In this video, I explore the surprisingly influential position of the Groom of the Stool under Henry VIII. From managing the king's private chambers and personal belongings to controlling the privy purse and overseeing daily finances, this role was built on trust, access, and intimacy. And in the Tudor court, access to the monarch meant influence. Men like William Compton and Henry Norris held this office, men who weren't just attendants, but key figures in the political world surrounding the king. I also look at how queens such as Mary I of England and Elizabeth I relied on their own trusted attendants for similarly intimate roles. #TudorHistory #HenryVIII #RoyalHistory #HistoryExplained #BritishHistory #AnneBoleyn #HistoryFacts #Tudors #HistoryChannel #OnThisDay

In Tudor England, a dream wasn't private. It was medical evidence, potential divine communication, and possibly a message from Satan. This video explores the three frameworks Tudor people used to understand their dreams, and the story of Elizabeth Barton, the Holy Maid of Kent, whose visions made her famous across England and then got her executed in 1534. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Easter Sunday marks one of the most important moments in Christian history, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this video, I explore the events of that first Easter morning through the Gospel of John, including Mary Magdalene's discovery of the empty tomb and her powerful encounter with the risen Christ. I also share a passage from William Tyndale's Bible, a version of the New Testament that brought these words to English readers in the 16th century. But how was Easter Sunday celebrated in Tudor England? From darkened churches being filled with light again, to the opening of the Easter sepulchre and joyful feasting after Lent, this video looks at both the spiritual meaning of Easter and the traditions that surrounded it. We also explore the symbolism that continues today, from roast lamb to Easter eggs, all reflecting themes of resurrection, renewal, and hope. Do you celebrate Easter? I'd love to hear your traditions in the comments. #EasterSunday #EasterHistory #ChristianHistory #TudorHistory #Resurrection #OnThisDay #BibleHistory #EasterTraditions

Maundy Thursday is often overlooked today, but in Tudor England it was marked with powerful and symbolic royal rituals. In this video, I explore the meaning of Maundy Thursday - from the Last Supper and the washing of the disciples' feet, to the development of royal Maundy ceremonies in medieval and Tudor England. By the reign of Henry VIII, the monarch would wash the feet of poor people and give alms, with the number of recipients reflecting the monarch's age. We also have a fascinating eyewitness account from the reign of Mary I of England, showing just how personal and devotional this ceremony could be, with the queen washing, drying, and even kissing the feet of poor women before giving them gifts. Although the foot-washing ritual eventually ended, the tradition of Maundy money continues today. Charles III still distributes Maundy coins each year in recognition of service to the community. This is a glimpse into a lesser-known aspect of Tudor life,  one that combines faith, monarchy, and charity. Do you mark Maundy Thursday in your community? Let me know in the comments.  

Good Friday commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, a moment at the heart of the Christian faith, remembered as the ultimate act of sacrifice and redemption. But how was Good Friday marked in Tudor England? In this video, I explore both the meaning of Good Friday and the powerful, physical rituals that shaped its observance in medieval and Tudor times. From the biblical account of Christ's trial before Pontius Pilate and crucifixion at Calvary, to the dramatic church practices of the period, including the Easter Sepulchre and the deeply symbolic ceremony of “creeping to the cross”. By the reign of Henry VIII, even the monarch took part in these rituals, approaching the cross on his knees in an act of humility. But the Reformation brought change and controversy. Under Edward VI, such practices were abolished, only to be restored with intensity under Mary I of England, whose Good Friday ceremonies also included the blessing of cramp rings and the royal healing touch. With the reign of Elizabeth I, these traditions were once again swept away, reflecting the shifting religious landscape of the Tudor period. This is a glimpse into a world where faith was not just believed, it was expressed physically, emotionally, and publicly, by both ordinary people and monarchs. How is Good Friday marked where you are? Let me know in the comments. #TudorHistory #GoodFriday #HenryVIII #MaryTudor #ElizabethI #BritishHistory #HistoryExplained #Reformation #Easter #OnThisDay

Sir Thomas More is one of the most famous men of the 16th century. A figure of colossal significance at the court of King Henry VIII, a figure who stood up to the king, always remaining loyal but unable to accept the royal supremacy, a decision which would cost him his life. Today, I am pleased to welcome back onto the podcast historian Dr Joanne Paul for a discussion on Thomas More, following the recent release of Joanne's incredible book, Thomas More, A Life and Death in Tudor England. From Thomas's early life to his own involvement in the torture and burning of protestants through to his trial and how he was set up by Richard Rich, all will be discussed, so settle in as we explore the life of the man who's last words were "I die the kings good servant and gods first".

In the 1550s, Tudor England created exiles going both ways. When Mary I came to the throne, Protestants fled. When Elizabeth came to the throne, Catholics fled. Today we're looking at two women caught on opposite sides of that chaos: Katherine Willoughby, Duchess of Suffolk, who endured poverty and Lithuania rather than pretend to be Catholic for one single day, and Jane Dormer, Mary I's closest friend, who left England in 1559 and never came back. Both women refused to compromise. Both held onto who they were no matter what it cost them. But one always knew she was going home, and one quietly stopped thinking of England as home at all. This is part of an ongoing series on Tudor women who did things their own way despite what authority was telling them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recently watched Louis Theroux' documentary "Inside the Manosphere", in which he interviewed several members of the online Manosphere, a community of influencers promoting controversial views of women.  And I couldn't stop thinking about Tudor England, because as I listened to these modern influencers, their ideas about women - what they expect, how they judge, and how they define women's roles - felt strangely familiar. It connected directly with something I've been exploring recently: how women like Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth Woodville have been labelled as the seductress and the witch, and how history is full of women branded as she-wolves, unnatural, or dangerous.   In this video, I explore: How Manosphere views on women compare to attitudes in the medieval and Tudor periods The historical roots of double standards around sex, power, and control Whether these modern ideas are echoes of the past, or something even more extreme And I ask: Are these attitudes really new, or have we heard them all before?  And why are some voices trying to turn back the clock? A big thank you to my Privy Council channel members for their insights during our recent Zoom discussion, some of which helped shape this video.   Sources:  Louis Theroux: Inside The Manosphere, Netflix Adultery in the Middle Ages by Jo Geisen - https://sites.up.edu/earlybritishsurvey/adultery-in-the-middle-ages/  Women in Early Modern England by Sara Mendelson and Patricia Crawford

This week, we’re time traveling with Philippa Gregory, prolific author and feminist historian (and maybe Danielle’s new bestie???). Philippa is the woman behind over 50 historical fiction novels that trace narratives across Medieval and Tudor England, including The Other Boleyn Girl, which was adapted into a film starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Her latest novel, The Boleyn Traitor, follows the infamous Anne Boleyn’s sister-in-law, Jane Boleyn, through her life as a spy in the English court. And this story, as so many of Philippa Gregory's do, brings a complicated, sometimes unlikeable, largely forgotten woman to the forefront. Because Philippa doesn’t really trust pure, pious women. She’s drawn instead to the truth – that women in from history are just as layered and diverse as we are today. BOOKS MENTIONED: The Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory Wild Acre by Philippa Gregory The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory Richard III by William Shakespeare This Little World: A New History of Tudor and Stuart England by Nandini Das The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Little Grey Rabbit by Alison Uttley The Female Eunuch by Germaine Greer Ulysses by James Joyce Mine Own Executioner by Nigel BalchinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What toys did children play with in Shakespeare's lifetime? In this episode, historian Dr. Julia Martins joins That Shakespeare Life to explore the games, dolls, rattles, hobby horses, and playground activities that shaped childhood in Tudor England—and how these playful details appear in Shakespeare's world.      

Related episode on Isabella Whitney: https://youtu.be/JoSeTYE22SE Before newspapers, before coffeehouses, Tudor England had its own chaotic information ecosystem, and it reached further down the social ladder than most people realize. In this episode we're looking at who could actually read, what ordinary people were reading (broadside ballads, almanacs, monster news), and how the Crown kept losing the information war no matter how hard it tried. Turns out the Tudor relationship with fake news, spin, and banned texts looks a lot more familiar than you'd expect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Henry Tudor a tyrant obsessed with control, or a visionary who created peace and prosperity? How did a penniless exile with a tenuous claim to the crown found a dynasty that reshaped the nation? How did he fight off pretenders to the throne?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Sean Cunningham to explore how Henry VII, from unlikely beginnings, stabilized a kingdom torn apart by decades of civil war and laid the foundations of the Tudor age.MORE:The Last Plantagenets in Tudor EnglandListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPrinces in the TowerListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Tudors were prolific builders, from grand palaces such as Hampton Court Palace and Greenwich to imposing castles, small townhouses and narrow cobbled streets with black and white timber structures jutting out at odd angles. Sadly, many of the great sites of Tudor England are now either greatly reduced or completely lost, but what happened in them is not. Today, I am pleased to welcome back onto the podcast my friend Dr Sarah Morris, for a discussion all about her very favourite topic - Tudor buildings. Sarah has an encyclopaedic knowledge of practically every Tudor building in the UK, including many that people have never heard of but can still be visited, so stay tuned to find out some of the secrets and lesser known locations and stories from the myriad Tudor buildings spread across Great Britain!

Did the Tudors celebrate Valentine's Day? And if so, what did it actually look like before chocolates, roses, and greeting cards? In this episode, we step into mid-February in Tudor England, that quiet stretch between Candlemas and the start of Lent, and explore how people marked St. Valentine's Day. From candlelit church processions and weather lore to love poems written in the Tower of London, we look at the real traditions behind the holiday. You'll hear about the medieval belief that birds chose their mates in mid-February, the Duke of Orléans writing a valentine from captivity, and Margery Brews' heartfelt love letter to John Paston. We'll also look at how Tudor households actually celebrated, from drawing valentines by lot to exchanging gloves, ribbons, and small gifts. It's a gentler, quieter kind of Valentine's Day, set in a world of church calendars, cold February mornings, and handwritten letters carried across the countryside. A small holiday, but one that brought a little warmth to the middle of winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Was Henry VIII's fifth wife a promiscuous teenager and then heartless adulteress and schemer? Celebrated, scrutinised, and endlessly talked about at court, Katherine Howard's reign was dazzlingly brief; within two years of marrying the king, she was accused of adultery and treason and executed.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Gareth Russell and Dr Nicola Clark to get to know the real young woman who was plucked from obscurity, whose life was cut short by the unforgiving power politics of Tudor England.MORE:Anne Boleyn's Final YearListen on AppleListen on SpotifyAnne Boleyn & Katherine Howard's Uncle, Thomas HowardListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What did a typical morning look like in Tudor England? There were no alarm clocks, no hot showers, and no coffee waiting in the kitchen. Instead, people woke in cold rooms, often sharing beds, with the fire nearly out and the day's work already ahead of them. In this episode, we walk through a full Tudor morning routine, from first light to the start of work. You'll hear about rush-covered floors, chamber pots, quick basin washes, layered clothing, bread and small beer for breakfast, morning prayers, and the all-important task of bringing the fire back to life. It's a practical, physical start to the day that depended on the household, the season, and the light of the sun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Late February was one of the hardest times of year in Tudor England. Food stores were running low, the weather was damp and cold, and spring still felt far away. But in the middle of that hungry season came Shrovetide, a brief burst of pancakes, games, and noise before the long fast of Lent began. In this video, we spend a day inside a Tudor household at the end of winter. From thin pottage and smoky hearths to Shrove Tuesday pancakes and rough village football, this is what the season actually looked like for ordinary people. We'll follow the rhythm from the final feast of Shrovetide into the quiet first days of Lent, when the tables grew plainer and the long wait for spring began. If you'd like to experience this season in a more reflective way, you can join The Tudor Spring: A 40-Day Sanctuary, a gentle, history-based journey through Lent with daily stories, music, and reflections:https://heatherteysko.thrivecart.com/the-tudor-spring-a-40-day-sanctuary/ #TudorHistory #Shrovetide #DailyLifeHistory #Lent #SocialHistory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Greg Jenner is joined in the sixteenth century by Dr Alanna Skuse and comedian Ria Lina to learn all about medicine and medical professionals in Tudor and Stuart England. In Renaissance-era England, medicine was still based on the theory of the four humours, passed down from ancient Greek and Roman physicians like Hippocrates and Galen. But from the reign of Henry VIII, there were signs of change. The invention of the printing press led to an explosion in medical and anatomical books, and the circulation of ideas from across Europe. The College of Physicians was founded in 1518, and the Company of Barber-Surgeons in 1543. Medicine became a real business, with a range of specialists, professional bodies overseeing different kinds of healthcare, and an explosion of medical providers advertising their services to the general public. This episode explores the landscape of healthcare in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, looking at everyone from physicians, surgeons and apothecaries to domestic healers and midwives, and even taking in quacks and frauds. Along the way, it examines the sensible social distancing measures taken during the Great Plague, the cures both sensible and dangerous offered for all kinds of diseases, and the cutting-edge experiments men like William Harvey and Christopher Wren were carrying out on the circulation of the blood. If you're a fan of the history of everyday life in Tudor England, petty professional rivalries, and the whacky wellness trends of the past, you'll love our episode on medicine in Renaissance England. If you want more from Ria Lina, listen to our episodes on pirate queen Zheng Yi Sao and medieval traveller Marco Polo. And for more on the history of health and wellness, check out our episodes on Ancient Medicine, Renaissance Beauty and the Kellogg Brothers. You're Dead To Me is the comedy podcast that takes history seriously. Every episode, Greg Jenner brings together the best names in history and comedy to learn and laugh about the past. Hosted by: Greg Jenner Research by: Katharine Russell Written by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow, Dr Emma Nagouse, and Greg Jenner Produced by: Dr Emmie Rose Price-Goodfellow and Greg Jenner Audio Producer: Steve Hankey Production Coordinator: Gill Huggett Senior Producer: Dr Emma Nagouse Executive Editor: Philip Sellars

If you've ever visited a Tudor palace in winter and wondered why it feels so cold inside, the answer is simple: it always was. In this episode, I explore how people in Tudor England actually stayed warm indoors. Not central heating, not roaring fires in every room, but a daily system built around one hearth, heavy clothing, hot food, shared warmth, and carefully managed routines. We'll look at fireplaces and fuel, why most rooms were never heated at all, how beds were warmed instead of bedrooms, and how people wrote, read, and worked with numb fingers in firelit rooms. From foot warmers taken to church to warming pans slipped between the sheets, heat in the Tudor world was local, temporary, and precious. Understanding how the Tudors dealt with cold changes how we think about daily life, privacy, sleep, work, and even learning in the sixteenth century. Warmth wasn't ambient. It was something you had to make, protect, and share. This is the everyday reality of living in cold stone houses, with one fire, long winters, and no escape from the chill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a major winter storm is hitting much of the United States, it's hard not to think about how dependent we are on forecasts, alerts, and advance warnings. We know when snow will start, how bad it might get, and when it should be over. The Tudors had none of that. In this episode, we explore how people in Tudor England understood the weather, what “forecasting” meant in a world without instruments or data, and how households prepared for winter when storms arrived without warning. We'll look at seasonal preparation, food storage, fuel shortages, and what happened when cold lasted longer than anyone expected. We'll also examine real historical examples of severe winters from the Tudor period and just beyond it, including prolonged frosts that froze rivers, stalled trade, and tested the limits of everyday life. This isn't a story about cozy snowfalls. It's about uncertainty, preparation, and what winter meant in a world where no one could say how long the storm would last. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices