Not Just the Tudors

In the mist‑shrouded Highlands, a quiet minister dared to trespass into forbidden realms. Convinced that fairies were not mere fables but a hidden nation with laws and lives of their own, Robert Kirk set out to reveal their secrets, and paid a terrible price. When Kirk died suddenly in 1692, locals whispered he had not died at all, but been taken alive into the Fairy Commonwealth for his betrayal.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and historian Rachel Morris journey into Kirk’s haunted world, an age when science and sorcery, angels and spirits, coexisted in a twilight of wonder and fear.MORE:Elizabeth I's Conjuror: John DeeListen on AppleListen on SpotifyJohn Dee's AngelsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Tim Arstall 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.

What does it take to rule as an equal in a man's world? How did a quiet, devout queen help reshape Britain’s monarchy forever?All this month, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is exploring the Restoration monarchs. In this episode, she focuses on Queen Mary II, England’s first and only joint sovereign, who ruled alongside her husband William of Orange. Far from being a passive partner, Mary was politically astute, deeply devout, and a formidable cultural influence, playing a pivotal role in forging Britain’s constitutional monarchy. Dr Holly Marsden joins Suzannah to examine Mary II’s reign and why her story still resonates in the histories of Britain, gender, and political revolution.MORE:William III & the Persecution of SodomitesListen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Massacre of GlencoeListen 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.

This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, violence and child abuse. Listener discretion is advised. How did the mob lynching of a notorious astrologer and occultist in June 1628 act as a grim prelude to the demise of King Charles I? Why did John Lambe - accused of witchcraft, sorcery, and moral corruption - become the target for popular anger at a monarchy seen as distant, corrupt, and unaccountable?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Alastair Bellany to uncover how witchcraft accusations became political weapons, and how the killing of one man revealed a terrifying truth: royal authority in England was beginning to fail.MORE:Tudor True Crime: Murder in the Stuart CourtListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGiordano Bruno: Mystic, Heretic, SpyListen 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 and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A king with unyielding faith. A nation on the brink. A crown lost to revolution.King James II is often dismissed as the unfortunate monarch swept aside by William and Mary. But behind the Glorious Revolution lies a story of ambition, devotion, and downfall more dramatic than legend would suggest.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb joins Dr. Breeze Barrington to uncover the man behind the myth. Was James a tyrant blinded by belief, or a visionary undone by his own time?MORE:The Restoration Queen: Maria of ModenaListen on AppleListen on SpotifyDiary of Samuel PepysListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle. 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.

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.

From clinging to a tree while evading capture, his face blackened with soot, to triumphantly sailing home to reclaim his crown — the story of Charles II is one of survival, spectacle, and transformation. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb guides us through the Restoration, tracing life in England from the shadow of civil war to the glittering courts of Restoration London, and discovers how intrigue, scandal, plague, and fire gave rise to an age of theatre, science, and unfettered pleasure. MORE:Nell Gwyn: Actress and Royal MistressListen on AppleListen on SpotifyIsaac Newton: The Man at the Centre of GravityListen 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.

After the execution of King Charles I, England became a Republic for the only time in its history. Yet why was this revolutionary moment so short-lived? Why did Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth collapse?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores its rise and demise with a panel of expert historians: Professor Ronald Hutton, Dr. Jonathan Healey and Dr. Miranda Malins. Together they discuss what the Republic's failure reveals about authority, popular consent, and the enduring pull of monarchy in 17th-century Britain.MORE:The English Civil WarListen on AppleListen on SpotifyOliver Cromwell v. Charles IListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producers are Fiona Turnock and 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.

Was Mary Tudor truly “Bloody Mary”? Has England’s first reigning queen been misunderstood for centuries? Determined to restore Roman Catholicism, her reign became forever associated with the burning of Protestants. But was she really a religious tyrant, or a trailblazer trapped by Europe's violent politics?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Anna Whitelock to put the record straight on the remarkable reign of Mary I, five turbulent years which shaped the future of England in profound, and often misrepresented, ways.MORE:Mary I: What if She'd Lived?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Spanish King of EnglandListen 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.

What impact did the Tudors have on Ireland, not just in the councils of kings and earls, but in the rhythms of ordinary life? What were the consequences for ordinary citizens when English power was asserted through martial law, low-level coercion and the constant threat of punishment?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr David Edwards to discuss how communities were reshaped from the ground up.MORE:Ireland's Witchcraft TrialsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyTudor Conquest of IrelandListen 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.

Why was a Portuguese-born Jewish doctor, who rose to become Elizabeth I’s chief physician, brutally executed for treason in a scandal that shocked England? Was Dr. Rodrigo Lopes truly guilty, or simply caught in the crossfire of anti-Semitism, court rivalries, and empire?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Samia Errazouki to reexamine Lopes’s fall, tracing a web of diplomacy, espionage, and identity that stretched from London to Lisbon to Marrakesh.MOREElizabeth I & the Sultan of MoroccoListen on AppleListen on SpotifyElizabeth I's Conjuror: John DeeListen 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.

Could one of art’s greatest mysteries at last be solved? Who was the luminous girl with a pearl earring in Vermeer's iconic painting? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Andrew Graham-Dixon who believes he's finally identified her.MORE:Shakespeare's Male Muse: A Mystery Solved?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyA Tudor Mystery: The Girl Who Could Be QueenListen 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.

The Pilgrimage of Grace sounds calm, but was in reality a major uprising in the north of England against Henry VIII’s religious and political reforms, including the dissolution of monasteries.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Andy Wood to retell the legend of when tens of thousands of rebels risked their lives to try to restore Catholic practices and influence government policy, rocking the very seat of the King.MOREDissolution of the MonasteriesListen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Rebellions of 1549Listen 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.

How much do we really know about William Shakespeare, his wife Anne Hathaway, and the family tragedies that may have shaped the bard's greatest work? This is the premise of Maggie O'Farrell's luminous novel Hamnet, now adapted into a major film starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Maggie O'Farrell about transforming Shakespearean history into unforgettable fiction, and reviews the film with Dr Will Tosh from Shakespeare's Globe.MORE:Shakespeare's Family: New DiscoveriesListen on AppleListen on SpotifyShakespeare's Daughter, JudithListen 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.

This episode contains discussions of incest and sexual assault.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by historical novelist Elizabeth Fremantle to explore the harrowing story of Beatrice Cenci, a young woman executed in Rome in 1599. They discuss how Beatrice survived an abusive upbringing and her eventual participation in the murder of her father, highlighting the brutal realities faced by women of the 16th century.MORE Who Murdered Lord Darnley?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifySame-Sex Marriages in Renaissance RomeListen 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.

What happens when a Queen refuses to name her heir? How does she hold her kingdom together when every courtier is secretly preparing for her death? What really unfolded in Elizabeth I’s glittering court as her long reign drew to an end?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the unspoken crisis at the heart of Elizabeth I’s rule with Dr. Tracy Borman. Together they discuss how the hidden struggle for succession became one of the most precarious moments in English history.MORE:From Tudor to Stuart: Regime ChangeListen on AppleListen on SpotifyElizabeth I's Censored Annals: A Major DiscoveryListen 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.

Was Christopher Marlowe a rebel, a genius, or a heretic ahead of his time? From his plays that shocked Elizabethan England to his brutal murder, Marlowe's short, dazzling life was defined by rivalry, scandals and secrets.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Stephen Greenblatt delve into Marlowe's provocative ideas, his rumoured queerness, and the dangerous brilliance that left an indelible mark on English literature.MOREMarlowe & Shakespeare: Rivals or Collaborators?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyTudor True Crime: Murder of Christopher MarloweListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle. 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.

In the early modern period, belief in fairies was quite commonplace. But put all thoughts of Tinkerbell aside! Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Diane Purkiss to find out how these fairies were altogether more dangerous beings - troublemakers, child-snatchers, seducers and changelings.MORETransgender Fairies in Early Modern LiteratureListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPractical Magic: Spells, Prayers & Cunning FolkListen 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.

Why are diamonds black, and how does a triangle show power in Tudor portraits? From Henry VII’s shrewd statecraft to the glittering reign of Elizabeth I, the Tudors projected their power not just through politics, but through visual propaganda, art and objects.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr Christina Faraday, who ventures beyond the Tudor rose and the famous faces painted by Holbein to take us deeper, uncovering how art and objects shaped the ambitions and identities of people at every level of Tudor society.MOREFig Leaves & A Grumpy Jesus: Renaissance to Baroque ArtListen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Women Who Painted the TudorsListen 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 unsolved mystery of what happened to the Princes in the Tower - Edward V and Richard, Duke of York - is possibly English history’s greatest cold case. Were they murdered by their paternal uncle Richard III?Recent findings have raised new questions about the 540-year-old mystery. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the evidence with Nathen Amin and Matt Lewis.MOREHenry VII: Rise of the Medieval TudorsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyTudor True Crime: Murder in the Stuart CourtListen 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.

In 1647 Christmas vanished by the decree of the Puritans who ruled Britain. But not everyone complied. Families lit candles behind closed doors, whispered carols, and held secret services. And protestors in Canterbury launched the infamous "plum pudding riots". This was more than a fight over festivities; it was a struggle over power and belief.Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Prof. Mark Stoyle to explore how the war on Christmas revealed a deeper contest between authority and resistance, godliness and joy, and how echoes of it can even be found in the works of C.S. Lewis and Charles Dickens.MORE:Tudor Christmas CarolsListen on AppleListen on SpotifyTudor Ghosts and Angels: Spirits of Christmas PastListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Max Carrie 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.