Henry VIII’s Bloody Response to Rebellion: The Pilgrimage of Grace Begins
On this day in Tudor history, 9 October 1536, anger in Lincolnshire burst into open revolt. At Horncastle, a crowd raised their hands in agreement: “We like them very well!”, and sent a blunt list of...
8 Okt 20254min
The Fall of the Lord Protector
How Edward Seymour Went from Power to the Scaffold On this day in Tudor history, 8 October 1549, England’s most powerful man became its newest traitor. Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and uncle to ...
7 Okt 20254min
The Quiet Power Behind England’s Rise at Sea
On this day in Tudor history, 7 October 1589, the bells of Deptford tolled for William Hawkins: merchant, sea captain, three-time mayor of Plymouth, and the steadier, quieter elder of the famous Hawki...
6 Okt 20254min
John Capon: Tudor Bishop and Political Weathervane
On 6 October 1557, John Capon, also known as John Salcot, died, probably of influenza. His career charts the shifting winds of Tudor religion: Benedictine monk, abbot, court preacher, reformer unde...
5 Okt 20254min
The Brutal Murder of George Saunders: Tudor True Crime
A spring morning in 1573. A respected London merchant leaves a friend’s house near Woolwich… and ends up dead by Shooter’s Hill. The killer, Captain George Brown, is caught within days. But the real s...
4 Okt 20256min
Queens, “Female Kings,” and Power: Elizabeth Norton Explains
Historian Elizabeth Norton joins me to talk about her new book Women Who Ruled the World: 5000 Years of Female Monarchy—from ancient queens to early modern powerhouses. We cover how she chose her rule...
3 Okt 202554min
What did Mary Boleyn Really Look Like?
Was Mary Boleyn really “the pretty one”, or is that just fiction? I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author, and today I’m pulling apart the myths to ask what we can actually say about Mary’s appearanc...
3 Okt 20258min
Trusted Across Three Reigns: Sir William Fitzwilliam’s Tudor Career
On this day in Tudor history, 3 October 1559, Sir William Fitzwilliam, gentleman of Prince Edward’s privy chamber, MP, court insider, and later deputy chancellor in Ireland under Mary I, died and was ...
3 Okt 20254min
