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
From Fotheringhay to Bosworth: Richard III Is Born
On this day in 1452, a boy was born at Fotheringhay Castle who would become England’s last Plantagenet king: Richard III. I’m Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode we trace Richard’s short, stormy ro...
1 Okt 20254min
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
