Single Malt History with Gareth Russell

In 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots faced execution. Had her own son helped bring her to this terrible fate? One of the great mysteries of James VI's life are his feelings towards his exiled, Catholic mother. In this episode, I explore surprising evidence from the heart of James's court that shows the role he played in his mother's final tragedy.

Matilda of Boulogne was a powerhouse in medieval politics, almost universally admired in a time of treachery, anarchy, and civil war.

In the sixteenth century, a Scottish king called James braved sea and storm to bring home Scotland's new queen.

Discover the brutal story of the witch-hunts that consumed Scotland, one hundred years before Salem.

In a Single Malt History exclusive, the first chapter of my book "Queen James" - narrated by me - is shared here on UK publication date.

In 1922, a murder happened in Belfast that was so horrific that everyone - from Winston Churchill to Michael Collins - condemned its savagery. Yet, the killers were never brought to justice. A century later, I’m joined by historian Dr. Edward Burke, author of the new book “Ghosts of a Family,” who set out to solve the mystery of Ireland’s greatest unsolved cold case.

Author AJ West visits Single Malt History to discuss his new Sunday Times best-selling novel “The Betrayal of Thomas True,” and the world, hidden in plain sight in Georgian London, that inspired his book. CONTENT WARNING: This episode of Single Malt History contains discussions of sexual behaviour. Listener discretion is advised.

This week, I'm joined by two guests: Kleio CEO, Siobhán O'Shaughnessy, to talk about how she created her new Catherine Howard and Hampton Court candles, and counter-terrorism expert Anthony Tucker-Jones, who's here to discuss his book, "Churchill: Master and Commander".

Berengaria of Navarre was said to be the only queen of England who never set foot in the country. Explore the life of the princess who married Richard the Lionheart, travelled Europe with Eleanor of Aquitaine, and was held hostage in the Mediterranean.

In 1534, what drove the best-dressed man in Ireland to parade through the streets of Dublin and denounce Henry VIII? This episode of Single Malt History with Gareth Russell covers the remarkable actions of 'Silken Thomas' Fitzgerald, an earl suspected of witchcraft, a countess who nursed her husband in prison, and how Tudor Ireland reveals what Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell thought of one another long before the dramatic events of her downfall.

I sit down with brand expert Bob Sheard to chat about what advice he'd give to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the royals in the 21st century. And I discuss what's gone wrong at previous coronations - from Anne Boleyn's re-think on the dress, Queen Adelaide's invocation of Marie-Antoinette, a burst appendix, chatty dukes, tripping barons, and how trophy hunters nearly injured Elizabeth I's ladies in waiting.

In 1066, England had three kings and, by the end of the year, a new queen. Pious and beautiful Matilda of Flanders followed her brutal husband's victory at the Battle of Hastings to become England's queen consort in the age of the Norman conquest.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother's cousin Charles was involved in one of the forgotten - and harrowing - shipping disasters of the 20th century.

The remarkable and dramatic life of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.

‘Nine Tales from Victorian Belfast continues with a murder in east Belfast, unionist dinnerware, a Catholic sisterhood with a secret in the west, a party with the Titanic’s designer, and a servant’s life in the mansions of the south. 5. A Murder on Eliza Street 6. From Slob-Land to Snob-Land: A servant’s life on the Malone Road 7. The Duke of Abercorn gives a speech 8. The Sisterhood of Clonard 9. A party with Thomas Andrews Content warning: Today’s episode contains discussions of domestic violence which some listeners may find distressing. CAST LIST Colm Doran as Reverend Narcissus G. Batt Ashley Montgomery as a member of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Paul Storrs as James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn and Thomas Andrews Jr.

A slightly unexpected ending to season 3 and what's ahead in season 4. So, a farewell and a thanks. 

I am joined by Dr. Valerie Schutte to discuss her fascinating research into the world of sixteenth-century books and her forthcoming cultural biography of Anne of Cleves, Queen of England (b. 1515, d. 1557).

When homosexuality was made a death penalty offence for the first time in English history by Henry VIII in 1533, it looked like the new laws might claim hundreds or even thousands of lives. But, sixty years later, a young poet was openly writing poems about his love for another man in a London ruled over by Henry's daughter. What was the reality for Tudor people who fell in love or lust with their own gender? Did it change under the Stuarts? Exploring the impact of the laws, the complexities of Elizabethan culture, and the scandals that rocked Stuart high society, this episode of Single Malt History discusses the ways in which sexuality was punished, hidden, proclaimed, and analysed in the early modern period. CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frequent use of sexual language and a discussion of assault which some listeners may find distressing. 

Some exclusive anecdotes from the Queen Mother's life on the day my biography of her hits the shelves in Britain, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and South Africa.

Some reflections on the passing of Queen Elizabeth II (1926 - 2022) and the many royal figures who attended her funeral.