Forget the Deathbed Myth: Tracy Borman on Elizabeth I, James VI, and The Stolen Crown
Update: 2025-11-18
Description
Did Elizabeth I actually name James VI of Scotland as her heir? Historian Dr. Tracy Borman joins me to talk about her new book, The Stolen Crown, and the newly uncovered evidence showing that the deathbed scene we’ve all heard was rewritten after the fact. We talk about the real contenders for the throne, the political panic around Elizabeth’s refusal to name an heir, Robert Cecil’s king-making, James’s shaky reputation in England, and why the 1603 succession was anything but inevitable.
Tracy Borman is Chief Historian for Historic Royal Palaces and the author of numerous Tudor histories. The Stolen Crown is out now. Order it on Amazon or your favorite bookstore!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Comments
In Channel
![[YouTube Drop] The Bonkers Plot to Blow Up Elizabeth I’s Bed](https://assets.pippa.io/shows/60edc3598a822b6646c6cd77/1764020026935-24fd77e8-d390-4396-9984-332d724fd7ea.jpeg "[YouTube Drop] The Bonkers Plot to Blow Up Elizabeth I’s Bed")
![[YouTube Drop] The Tudor Vagabond with the Forged Passport](https://s3.castbox.fm/77/2a/6d/a97f6006567efa9623d22c886a97ba23f2_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] The Tudor Vagabond with the Forged Passport")
![[YouTube Drop] Tudor Hygiene Myths](https://s3.castbox.fm/8e/8e/0c/0b1247561840cdd24866acf8c09c099d46_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] Tudor Hygiene Myths")
![[YouTube Drop] License to Travel](https://s3.castbox.fm/5e/27/43/74120d003c11d9586475f41f55bc6bc38c_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] License to Travel")
![[YouTube Drop] What Did the Tudor Gentry Actually Do?](https://s3.castbox.fm/6d/0e/c4/9de6e0c8062147923c50a2e46b63acff5f_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] What Did the Tudor Gentry Actually Do?")
![[YouTube Drop] The Secret Marriage That Sent Walter Raleigh to the Tower](https://s3.castbox.fm/0a/84/62/835a671cc52169329815cb3a7ec548a2c6_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] The Secret Marriage That Sent Walter Raleigh to the Tower")
![[YouTube Drop] What Did the Nobility Actually Do in Tudor England?](https://s3.castbox.fm/1a/c8/55/6111f31722aa32ea20c0a7d76ac2130db3_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] What Did the Nobility Actually Do in Tudor England?")
![[YouTube Drop] The Woman Who Escaped the Tower of London](https://s3.castbox.fm/aa/5b/c2/ea5086d8e54ee4b158c1f8d2f875196904_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] The Woman Who Escaped the Tower of London")
![[YouTube Drop] The Faces of Power](https://s3.castbox.fm/8a/7c/22/a7a111c1e83966c4c5720e68854276e64e_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] The Faces of Power")
![[YouTube Drop] Richard Topcliffe](https://s3.castbox.fm/30/8e/2e/02902ca1f12e30c24edb0f91175ec41c9b_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] Richard Topcliffe")
![[YouTube Drop] Medieval and Tudor Witches](https://s3.castbox.fm/b1/0e/c0/49c23f72fd7f99bb7312d34afb2ace2f55_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] Medieval and Tudor Witches")
![[YouTube Drop] Tudor Love Potions and Deadly Brews](https://s3.castbox.fm/19/b8/c9/5c201a9147bd2e2766121a96d21c713801_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] Tudor Love Potions and Deadly Brews")
![[YouTube Drop] 👻 Haunted East Anglia](https://s3.castbox.fm/6c/f1/2f/907c5acf160b950145f9f4e3e66d5da90e_scaled_v1_400.jpg "[YouTube Drop] 👻 Haunted East Anglia")
![]YouTube Drop] Elizabeth Sydenham](https://s3.castbox.fm/bc/de/d2/d2d5403376080e4919110fc234c0c4ce9b_scaled_v1_400.jpg "]YouTube Drop] Elizabeth Sydenham")
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States00:00
00:00
x
