Six Queens

Kate and Cally take to Instagram Live to recap the Motherhood series, share some personal highlights, discuss some topics that weren't addressed in the main episodes, answer audience questions, and preview what's to come in 2024.Partially-edited recording of a live broadcast streamed 26 January 2024. Viewers should be advised that the live show contains references to topics that may be disturbing to some listeners, including miscarriage/pregnancy loss and childbirth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Honourable Mentions" is a series that honours the lives of Tudor women who knew, aided, and impacted the lives of our six queens. To end Series 4, "Motherhood," Kate and Cally are discussing the most infamous mother at the Tudor court: Elizabeth "Bessie" Blount, the mother of Henry VIII's only acknowledged illegitimate child.Who was Bessie? How did her relationship with the King begin? How was her fate impacted by the chaotic, confusing politics of the Great Matter? And how did Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn interact with their husband's mistress and the child she bore? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three of our queens were the mothers of English monarchs, in addition to being married to one. How did they view their children as the legacies of their reigns and ambitions? And how did the children honor their mothers' memories once on the throne?In the final episode of "Motherhood," Kate and Cally explore the ways in which Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I remembered their mothers and, in some cases, vindicated their complicated legacies. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five of our queens were stepmothers to Henry VIII's children. How did they approach this complicated family dynamic? Did the politics and etiquette of court affect the relationships between stepmother and stepchildren? Kate and Cally discuss the complicated relationships between our queens and their royal stepchildren: Mary, Elizabeth, and Edward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did queens embrace the responsibility of educating their children, especially their daughters? How did they assert their own political power through raising and shaping their children?Kate and Cally are devoting two episodes to discussing education, one of the most important components of motherhood for our six queens. On this episode, they celebrate the ways in which Katherine Parr championed the education of her stepchildren, especially Elizabeth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did queens embrace the responsibility of educating their children, especially their daughters? How did they assert their own political power through raising and shaping their children?Kate and Cally are devoting two episodes to discussing education, one of the most important components of motherhood for our six queens. On this episode, they'll examine the progressive (for its time) education of Princess Mary, commissioned and championed by her mother, Katharine of Aragon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who was in charge of raising a royal baby? How did nurses and governesses assume a maternal role in the lives of their charges?Kate and Cally investigate the royal nursery to reveal the interesting lives of wet nurses and governesses, especially how they interacted with (and advocated for) Katharine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn and their children. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Four of our six queens experienced the ordeal of childbirth. What did that process look like? What were the dangers that, ultimately, resulted in the deaths of two of those queens?Kate and Cally talk childbirth, the beginning of motherhood for so many women, and unpack the sweeping phrase "death in childbirth" to reveal the experiences of Jane Seymour and Katherine Parr. Listeners should be aware that this episode contains some adult content and mildly graphic descriptions of childbirth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What was the experience of pregnancy like for Early Modern noblewomen? How did expectations of fertility govern their lives and marriages? What medical "tips and tricks" did women follow to get and stay pregnant? And how did the stress of being Henry VIII's queen affect his wives' pregnancies? In this episode, Kate and Cally discuss the first step to motherhood for our six queens: conception and pregnancy. Listeners should be aware that this episode contains MATURE CONTENT and discussions of topics that some viewers may find uncomfortable. In particular, a discussion of miscarriage that takes place between 26:25 and 30:22. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What did "motherhood" look like in Early Modern noble households? What were the social expectations for birthing and raising children? How were our six queens' views of motherhood influenced by the world around them? Kate and Cally introduce the topic for Series 4, "Motherhood," by examining the lives, legacies, and influence of six special women: the mothers of our six queens! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Honourable Mentions" is a series that honours the lives of Tudor women who knew, aided, and impacted the lives of our six queens. To kick off Series 4: Motherhood, Kate and Cally are celebrating the "mother of the Tudor dynasty," Margaret Beaufort.As the mother of Henry VII, how did Margaret help to establish the Tudor dynasty? How did her "overbearing" ways impact politics and courtly life? How did her descendants learn from her example? And was it all influenced by Margaret's experiences during the Wars of the Roses? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Within English history, she's known as "Anne," the queen whose lack of beauty and charm led to the hasty annulment of her marriage. But behind all of those stories is Anna, a Duchess of Cleves and member of a powerful German family. What can we learn about Anna's origins by examining her life through its German context? How was her life influenced by the politics and religion of her family? By examining German history and sources, can we get closer to the truth of her life?To answer their questions and learn more about the origins of Anna of Cleves, Kate and Cally interview historian and author Heather Darsie, whose research seeks to restore her into her own national narrative. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Honourable Mentions" is a new series that honors the lives of Tudor women who knew, aided, and impacted the lives of our six queens. Every future series of Six Queens will give an Honourable Mention based on its theme, so it seemed fitting that "Origins" should honor the original Tudor consort: Elizabeth of York.Kate and Cally introduce you to Elizabeth and her tumultuous world. How did she navigate the politics of the Wars of the Roses? How did she impact and contribute to the new Tudor dynasty? And how did her queenship inspire her son and future daughters in law? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Henry VIII is often remembered as the "most married" monarch in British history, but his sixth queen, Katherine Parr, was the most married consort. Who were her four husbands and how did she come to marry them? How did she, like so many women in the sixteenth century, use marriage for social advancement? Series 3 concludes with a look at "the four husbands" of Katherine Parr: her life as a Northern noblewoman, the complications and freedoms of widowhood in the sixteenth century, and the ways in which Katherine honored her duty over her heart. At the end of the episode, stay tuned for a sneak peek of Series 4! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the centuries, Katherine Howard has gained a reputation for having relationships before her queenship. What were the nature of these relationships? How did her flirtations get out of hand? And how did her mistakes threaten to follow her once she arrived at the Tudor court?Kate and Cally take on the difficult task of discussing the origin story of Katherine's reign: what happened during her early teenage years, how she caught the eye of an aging king, and the traces of the real Katherine we can see underneath all the drama. Listeners should be aware that this episode contains mature themes that may be unsettling. Part 1 contains a discussion of sexual assault. If you would like to avoid this discussion, which begins at the 11:58 time mark, you can skip ahead to Part 2 at 22:40. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even though we imagine royal weddings as huge, glittering affairs, five of our six queens married Henry in small private ceremonies. Why? What are the backstories behind every wedding? What got each queen down the aisle? What sorts of vows did they have to make? And why are some more scandalous than others?In this episode, Kate and Cally are inviting you to the weddings of Katharine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On New Years Day 1540, Anne of Cleves met her future husband for the first time...and we all know that Henry VIII wasn't pleased. What went wrong? How did the expectations of courtly love affect Henry's judgement of Anne? And is there any way to know Anne's thoughts and feelings on the matter?In this episode, Kate and Cally try to determine how history (and Henry) have misjudged the embarassing events that led up to Anne and Henry's wedding.Once again, we would like to apologize for the compromised audio quality of this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the death of Jane Seymour in 1537, Henry VIII spent two years searching for his fourth wife and queen. What can this search tell us about Henry's personal preferences? How did his less-than-stellar reputation preceed him? What were his advisors telling him to do? And what women became the objects of his affections? In this episode, Kate and Cally discuss the personal and political situations that brought Anne of Cleves onto the world stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Anne Boleyn's experiences abroad shape her? What did she learn from the refined, worldy, and sometimes dangerous court of France? How did her European education make her stand out at the English court, for better or worse?Kate and Cally discuss Anne's teenage years in Europe and how a young, precocious girl might have been influenced by humanist thinking, religious reform, early forms of "feminism," art and music, and sexual politics. Please note that this episode contains some mature themes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did Katharine of Aragon spend her earliest years in England? What were the ramifications of her widowhood? And how did financial, political, and social problems help to shape her identity?In this episode, Kate and Cally cover Katharine's final crawl to the throne of England: a white wedding, tragic death, social instability, arguing kings, and the young woman caught up in the middle of it all. We would like to apologize for the compromised audio quality of this episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.