Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors

507 Episodes

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[YouTube Drop] Mary of Hungary

2025-10-1207:56

Mary of Hungary was more than just a Habsburg princess. She ruled Hungary as regent and governed the Netherlands on behalf of her brother, Emperor Charles V. As cousin to Mary Tudor, she sat just outside the Tudor story but still held enough power that Henry VIII had to acknowledge her. This minicast looks at how she ended up in that position, and why even Henry couldn’t ignore her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] The Illness That Almost Changed Tudor History

2025-10-1011:56

In October 1562, 29-year-old Queen Elizabeth I fell seriously ill with smallpox at Hampton Court Palace, and for a few terrifying days, it looked like England might lose its queen. With no clear heir to the throne, panic swept through the Tudor court.In this minicast, we’ll look at what happened during Elizabeth’s illness, how her ladies risked their own lives to care for her, and one of the few times when even the indomitable Elizabeth Tudor seemed mortal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Ophelia's Fate

2025-10-0916:57

Taylor Swift’s new album references “the fate of Ophelia”, but who was Ophelia, and why does her story still matter? In this episode, we look at Shakespeare’s tragic heroine, her fate in Hamlet, and what her story shows us about women’s lives in Elizabethan England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 311: Fair Rosamund

2025-10-0822:30

Rosamund Clifford (“Fair Rosamund”) was Henry II’s mistress, remembered more in legend than in fact. This episode traces her real story, the myths of labyrinths and poison that grew after her death, and how the Tudors revived her as a tragic heroine in chronicles, poems, and ballads. From Holinshed to Samuel Daniel, and from her Godstow tomb to Elizabethan nostalgia, Rosamund became one of England’s most enduring romantic legends. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Chapuys and Tudorcon Recap!

2025-10-0724:55

Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys spent nearly two decades at Henry VIII’s court, recording the gossip, arguments, and scandals that defined the Tudor age. Fiercely loyal to Catherine of Aragon and Princess Mary, and famously hostile to Anne Boleyn, his letters give us some of the most vivid snapshots of Henry’s reign.Plus, a Tudorcon recap (the first of what will be many, I'm sure!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 310: The Parr Family

2025-10-0124:35

The Parr family rose from Kendal gentry to the heart of the Tudor court, producing Henry VIII’s last queen, Catherine Parr. This episode follows their story from northern service and Wars of the Roses loyalties to Catherine’s queenship, William Parr’s turbulent career, and Anne Parr’s link to the powerful Herbert-Sidney circle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Strange Deaths in Tudor England

2025-09-3015:27

Tudor England was full of dangers, and some deaths were downright bizarre. From accidents with oxen and brewing vats to poisoned mushrooms and infamous executions, these unusual stories reveal the strange and unpredictable side of Tudor life.Order or preorder the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Ways-Die-Tudor-Ages/dp/1036108732/Tudorcon From Home tickets here: https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Thomas Cromwell’s Mysterious “Lost Years”

2025-09-2913:23

Before he became Henry VIII’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell spent nearly twenty years in obscurity. From fighting as a mercenary in Italy to working for a Florentine banker and trading in Antwerp, these mysterious “lost years” shaped the man who would one day change England forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Shakespeare’s Midnight Heist

2025-09-2707:151

In 1598, Shakespeare’s company secretly dismantled their old playhouse, The Theater, and carried the timbers across the Thames to build the Globe. This minicast tells the story of the midnight heist that gave us the most famous stage in history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Ben Jonson’s Deadly Duel

2025-09-2609:24

In 1598, playwright Ben Jonson (rival and friend of Shakespeare) faced actor Gabriel Spencer in a duel at Hoxton Fields. Spencer was killed, and Jonson landed in prison, facing execution for murder. He escaped the noose through a loophole in Tudor law known as benefit of clergy and walked free, branded but alive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 309: The Seymours

2025-09-2424:26

The Tudors get all the glory, but no family in England gambled more than the Seymours. They went from quiet country gentry to the heart of Henry VIII's court, a move that gave them a Queen, a King, and a spectacular downfall. But what happens to a family when two of its greatest members are executed for treason? In this episode, we follow the Seymours from their humble start, through their ruthless ambition and tragic fall, to their incredible survival into the modern day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Katherine Pole

2025-09-2313:48

Her grandmother was beheaded. Her father was executed. Her uncle exiled. But while so many of her relatives fell to Tudor paranoia, Katherine Pole not only survived; she built a dynasty. In this episode, we'll tell the forgotten story of the woman whose royal blood put her in mortal danger, but whose quiet wisdom and shrewd alliances helped her outlast the Tudor purge and secure her family’s legacy.Tudorcon From Home is coming up! https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] The Death That Saved a Queen

2025-09-2213:51

A queen's death changes everything. When Marie of Guise, the powerful mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, died in 1560, it sparked rumors of poisoning. But was it a conspiracy or a convenient twist of fate? Let's talk about how this single event led to a historic treaty and set the stage for one of history's most epic rivalries: Elizabeth vs. Mary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] The Queen Raised in Chaos

2025-09-2110:28

You know the name, but do you know the full story? Katherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, is famous for her tragic end. But the real story is in her chaotic beginnings. Today we look at her unconventional upbringing, the shocking secrets of her youth, and how the "Rose Without a Thorn" was set up for failure long before she ever met the King. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] The Funniest Tudor Beliefs

2025-09-1910:34

The Tudors weren’t just political power players, they were also deeply superstitious. In this video, we look at the strangest beliefs of the era: strange births seen as divine warnings, everyday superstitions like “bless you” and knocking on wood, ghost lore and sin-eaters, witchcraft paranoia, and medical cures involving beetles, fox fat, and even buttered frogs. Tudor life was fascinating, frightening, and sometimes very funny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Interview: Three Queens with Rosamund Graves

2025-09-1828:16

Playwright Rosamond Graves joins me to talk about her new play Three Queens, premiering at the Gamut Theatre in Harrisburg, PA. The play imagines Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Lady Jane Grey meeting on the eve of Jane’s execution, exploring power, survival, and how history remembers these women.Go see the play if you're local to Central PA: https://www.paonstage.com/shows/2025/harrisburg/three-queens Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 308: John of Gaunt & Katherine Swynford

2025-09-1720:12

In this episode, we trace the scandalous yet enduring relationship between John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, from mistress and governess to Duchess of Lancaster. Their children, the Beauforts, carried the stain of illegitimacy but became central to English politics, and through Margaret Beaufort, their bloodline gave rise to the Tudor dynasty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Tudor Self-Help

2025-09-1611:47

Forget modern self-help books: the Tudors had their own guides for living well. In this episode, we look at advice from Thomas More, Erasmus, Roger Ascham, William Harrison, and John Dee. From moderation and kindness to simple faith and the pursuit of knowledge, their lessons still resonate today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] Clocks and Timekeeping in Tudor England

2025-09-1516:40

In Tudor England, time was shifting from the rhythms of the sun and church bells to the tick of mechanical clocks. This episode explores how the Tudors measured their days, from sundials and cathedral clocks to Anne Boleyn’s gilt-bronze timepiece and Henry VIII’s spectacular astronomical clock at Hampton Court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[YouTube Drop] What if Henry IX had lived?

2025-09-1413:30

In 1511, Henry VIII’s son, Henry Duke of Cornwall, lived to adulthood. As King Henry IX, he married into the Spanish Netherlands and led England into a Catholic Golden Age: no Anne Boleyn, no Elizabeth I, and no English Civil War. Here’s how history might have looked if the first Tudor prince had survived. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comments (7)

Anglophile EngLover

I like your voice 😍

Sep 4th

Katie Louise Tyers

Please can you post the title and authors of the book you mentioned in this episode? Thanks

Feb 27th

Princerince

so glad I found this podcast. Thank you.

Jan 4th

becky Filopoulos

looove this show!

Aug 5th

Reply (1)

Kathelijne Sierens

could this be an unedited version?

Feb 1st

Amy White

every other word is um very hard to listen to

May 4th

#box-pro-ellipsis-176036804701413{-webkit-line-clamp:2;}Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors