The Plantagenet Who Became a Queen's Favourite Sleeping Companion
On 1 October 1526, Dorothy Stafford was born, a woman of Plantagenet blood who would spend forty years at the heart of Elizabeth I’s privy chamber. In this episode, I trace Dorothy’s remarkable path:...
30 Sep 20254min
Margaret Tudor’s Flight: The 1515 Escape that Led to a United Crown
On 30 September 1515, Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII’s elder sister and widow of James IV, slipped across the Scottish border into England: heavily pregnant, newly remarried, and out of power. Her dash to...
29 Sep 20254min
Dragon-Slayer & Dinner: How the Tudors Marked Michaelmas
I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author. On 29 September, the Tudors celebrated Michaelmas, the feast of St Michael the Archangel, heaven’s champion and defender of the Church. Beyond the bells and p...
28 Sep 20253min
From Exile to Baron: Robert Willoughby, Henry VII's Loyal Supporter
Imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with Henry Tudor in exile, then riding back to win a crown at Bosworth. Today we meet Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke: sheriff, soldier, royal fi...
27 Sep 20254min
Helene Harrison on The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn
Who’s the “real” Anne Boleyn—the medal, the portraits, or the version we’ve imagined? In this interview, Helene Harrison joins me to discuss her book The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image ...
26 Sep 202553min
Spies, Sonnets & a Sword
The Short, Daring Life of Thomas Watson On this day in Tudor history, 26 September 1592, poet and translator Thomas Watson was buried at St Bartholomew-the-Less. You may not know his name, but in Eli...
25 Sep 20254min
Fotheringhay Bound: Mary, Queen of Scots
The Day Mary, Queen of Scots’ Fate Was Sealed On this day in Tudor history, 25 September 1586, Mary, Queen of Scots was escorted to Fotheringhay Castle. She would never leave. That same week, Elizab...
24 Sep 20254min
Born in the Tower
On this day in Tudor history, 24 September 1561, a baby with a claim and a cloud was born inside the Tower of London. Meet Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, son of Lady Katherine Grey (Jane Grey’s ...
23 Sep 20255min
