Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

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I NEVER Thought I'd Say This About Henry VIII...

2026-11-0909:03

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!I've spent years researching Henry VIII, and if you've watched my videos, you'll know that I'm certainly no fan of his! I've criticised his cruelty, his treatment of his wives and the terrible things he did to those who crossed him.But something happened to me last year that has made me look at Henry in a rather different way. And I never expected that!I've been researching Henry VIII's declining health and mobility recently, particularly his leg problems and the difficulties he faced in his later years. But this time, I've found myself thinking about things I hadn't really considered before.It's raised some uncomfortable questions for me about how we judge historical figures, whether we can separate someone's suffering from their actions, and what it really means to understand someone from the past.So, have my feelings about Henry VIII actually changed?Well, you'll have to watch to find out!I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments, particularly whether you've ever found yourself looking at a historical figure differently after something happened in your own life.And if you enjoy exploring Tudor history with me, don't forget to subscribe to The Anne Boleyn Files for more videos!#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #TheAnneBoleynFiles #Tudors

Was Bess of Hardwick Tudor England's BIGGEST Gold-Digger?

2026-11-0417:26

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Was Bess of Hardwick a Tudor gold-digger, or was she simply a remarkably shrewd woman who knew how to make the most of her opportunities?Bess married four times, outlived all four husbands and became one of the wealthiest people in Elizabethan England. It's hardly surprising that she's sometimes been accused of marrying her way to a fortune!But was that really what happened?In this video, I'm investigating Bess's four marriages, from her first husband, Robert Barlow, to the wealthy and powerful Earl of Shrewsbury. We'll look at the enormous debt left by her second husband, Sir William Cavendish, the furious accusations made by Sir William St Loe's family when he left Bess most of his fortune, and the extraordinary marriage arrangements that united the Cavendish and Talbot families.Was Bess calculating and manipulative, or was she doing exactly what Tudor society expected of an ambitious woman of her position?And would we judge a man quite so harshly for doing the same thing?I'd love to hear what you think in the comments!TUDOR WOMEN OF POWER - 4-10 JANUARY 2027I've been researching Bess for my upcoming online event, Tudor Women of Power, where we'll be exploring the lives of eight fascinating Tudor women and the different ways they exercised power and influence.We'll be looking beyond the familiar stories to explore their relationships, beliefs, ambitions, struggles and achievements.The event includes pre-recorded talks you can watch at your own pace, live Zoom discussions and plenty of opportunities to explore Tudor history together.Find out more and book your place at:https://claireridgway.com/events/power/ Early bird registration is available until 20 November 2026.If you enjoy Tudor history, please subscribe for more videos exploring the people, events and mysteries of the Tudor period.#BessOfHardwick #TudorHistory #ElizabethanEngland #TudorWomen #TheAnneBoleynFiles

Did Henry VIII Really Have a STAIRLIFT?!

2026-10-3019:36

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Did Henry VIII really have a stairlift? It sounds extraordinary, but there's a historical account claiming that, towards the end of his life, Henry VIII had become so large that he couldn't manage stairs and had to be moved up and down by a mysterious device.But what exactly was this device? In this video, I'm digging into the historical evidence, from the testimony of the Duke of Norfolk's mistress, Elizabeth Holland, recorded by Edward Herbert, to Henry VIII's posthumous inventory, which describes specially made carrying chairs and includes a particularly intriguing reference to something that went “up and down”.I'll also be looking at the story of Henry being hoisted onto his horse, contemporary accounts of carrying chairs, and what the evidence can actually tell us about how Henry got around his palaces as his health declined.Was there really a Tudor stairlift? Let's follow the evidence!I've also been investigating the sources behind the stairlift story in much greater depth for my Tudor Courtier members in a special Evidence Room video, including the intriguing question of a quotation attributed to Edward Hall.And for Tudor Enthusiast members, there's a separate bonus video exploring Henry VIII's magnificent velvet carrying chairs.You can find out more about channel membership by clicking Join or going to https://www.youtube.com/@anneboleynfiles/membership#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #HistoryMysteries

I Was Wrong About Tudor History... And That's OK

2026-10-2514:27

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!I've spent years researching Tudor history, written books about it and made hundreds of videos. But I've been wrong about Tudor history, and I'm perfectly happy to admit it!In this video, I'm talking about why changing your mind isn't a weakness, particularly when you're researching history. Sometimes the evidence challenges things you've believed for years, and sometimes familiar stories turn out to be far less reliable than you'd thought.I'll share how my opinions about Thomas Boleyn and Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, have changed, why I recently had to question a famous story about Henry VIII's foul-smelling legs, and how going back to the original sources can completely change our understanding of the past.I'll also discuss a fascinating example from historian Owen Emmerson of Hever Castle, involving a miniature of Anne Boleyn, and why his thoughts on historians admitting when they're wrong really resonated with me. After all, history is an ongoing investigation. We're constantly learning, questioning and discovering new ways of interpreting the evidence. And I think that's something to celebrate!I'd love to hear your thoughts.Have you ever completely changed your mind about a Tudor figure or event? Perhaps someone you once disliked but now see differently? And has anything I've covered on this channel made you reconsider something you previously believed?Let me know in the comments!Explore more Tudor history with me - Join The Anne Boleyn Files channel memberships for exclusive bonus videos, in-depth historical investigations, primary-source research and more:https://www.youtube.com/@anneboleynfiles/membershipExplore the research and historical articles shared by Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey:https://www.patreon.com/cw/OwenandKateHistoryIf you enjoy questioning Tudor myths, investigating historical mysteries and discovering the real stories behind the Tudors, please subscribe to The Anne Boleyn Files.#TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII

Did Henry VIII Really Smell THAT Bad? Claire Investigates...

2026-10-2015:33

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!Could people really smell Henry VIII coming from three rooms away?You may have heard the story that Henry VIII's leg ulcers were so awful that people could smell him coming from several rooms away. It's certainly a horrible thought, isn't it?But where does this story actually come from? Who first wrote about it? Was it someone at Henry's court, one of the ambassadors, or perhaps one of his physicians?After doing all that research into Henry VIII's troublesome legs for my previous video, I decided to do a bit more digging and see if I could find the original source for this claim. And I have to admit that I've repeated this story myself in the past, without questioning where it came from!I've been looking through contemporary accounts, biographies, medical articles and Tudor surgical treatments to see what evidence there actually is. Could Henry's leg ulcers have produced such a terrible smell? What treatments might his physicians have used? And, most importantly, did anyone who knew Henry actually write about his legs smelling?In my latest video, I share what I've found, including some interesting details about Tudor medicine and where this rather unpleasant story might have come from.I'd love to know what you think, particularly if you've come across a contemporary account that I've missed!Watch my investigation into Henry VIII's leg problems: https://youtu.be/1J4mEb_tOoY

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