The Tudor Chest Podcast

Queen Elizabeth I's later in life romance with the French prince, Francois, Duke of Anjou, is seldom explored at great length, despite the clear affection for which the two felt for each other, so why? Well to discuss this I am pleased to welcome historian David Lee onto the podcast. In 2023 David’s book, 'The Queens Frog Prince, the Courtship of Elizabeth I and the Duke of Anjou' was released, and acts as the basis for our conversation, so get comfortable and prepare to learn all about an aspect of Elizabeth I’s life that rarely gets the attention it deserves.

In early 1554 a rebellion against queen Mary I broke out over fears that her impending marriage to Philip II of Spain would plunge England into becoming nothing more than an extension of Spain. This rebellion has become known as Wyatt’s rebellion, for one of its key architects was Thomas Wyatt the younger. The rebellion would end in failure, but what actually was it and who was involved, how serious was the threat against Queen Mary and why was its biggest casualty Lady Jane Grey, despite her not being remotely involved?

Much of Katharine of Aragon’s story is dominated by the end of her marriage to King Henry VIII, but we seldom explore where it all started, back in her native homeland of Spain. What was Katharine of Aragon's ancestry, how did her marriages into the English royal family come about, and how did Katharines mother Isabella work with Henry VII to help legitimise each others claims to their respective thrones? Well to answer all of this I welcome back historian, author and attorney Heather Darsie onto the show. Heather’s latest book, Katharine of Aragon, Spanish Princess, which comes out next month in the UK, is the basis for our conversation. Prepare to learn a lot about Katharine of Aragon that you did not know!

She is the woman who started it all, the Tudor dynasty's matriarch, Margaret Beaufort, mother of King Henry VII and a truly fascinating figure in her own right. In recent years thanks to historic fiction, she has become a figure of controversy, portrayed as an evil religious zealot, obsessed with getting her son on the throne, but is this interpretation of her in any way accurate? Well today I am thrilled to welcome historian and author Lauren Johnson onto the podcast for the first time. Lauren’s upcoming book, Margaret Beaufort, Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker, is the backbone of this conversation, so join Lauren and I as we explore the life of Margaret Beaufort and smash apart some of the long held beliefs about her life, and life story.

Rachel Turnbull, Senior Collections Conservator with English Heritage, reveals her pivotal role in discovering a newly surfaced portrait of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Days Queen. The discussion dives into the intricate artistic details and modifications that reflect changing perceptions of Jane throughout history. Rachel shares her passion for art conservation and explains how dendrochronology may connect this artwork to its time. Listeners gain fresh insights into Tudor art, its significance, and the evolving narrative of Lady Jane Grey's identity.

We all know that the Tudors took the throne from King Richard III at the battle of Bosworth, thus ending the decades long wars of the roses, but, who actually were the two sides of this ongoing battle, how did the families of Lancaster and York split off, who were they, what was their royal descent, and of course the big question, who had the better overall claim? Well to discuss this and a whole lot more about this fascinating period of history, I am thrilled to welcome back historian and author Gareth Streeter onto the podcast to tells me all you need to know about who exactly were the houses of Lancaster and York.

In todays episode I am delighted to be welcoming back Dr Elizabeth Norton for a discussion all about Jane Seymour, with our conversation based around Elizabeth’s book, Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s True Love. We discuss Jane’s early life, what roles she played at court, how she behaved as queen and ask the questions, just what would have happened to Jane had she lived longer, or more crucially, if she had failed to deliver a son, so sit back and enjoy as I discuss, by Elizabeth Norton’s own admission, the wife of King Henry VIII who is perhaps the least popular, but had a monumental impact on his reign nonetheless.

When we hear the name Boleyn, we naturally jump to the world of the Tudors and one of the most famous women in British history, Anne Boleyn, but, Anne and her family didn’t just pop out of the ground, there were of course many generations of Boleyn’s before her, so who were they? Well today I am thrilled to welcome Dr Claire Martin onto the podcast for a discussion on this very subject. We discuss how the Boleyn family started out, what led to Boleyn involvement in the wars of the roses and how Anne’s great-grandfather, Geoffrey became one of the most important men in London.

Charles Brandon is the man who was Henry VIII’s best friend, a career courtier who owed basically all of his rise to the house of Tudor, preferment that eventually led to his being made Duke of Suffolk. He is famous for his scandalous marriages, from dumping one intended wife to marry her much older and much richer aunt, to marrying Henry VIII’s own sister in secret, but what about the man beyond the marriages? Who was he, how did he get his place at court and is there an argument that actually his soul mate, in a totally platonic way, was, in fact, Henry VIII? Today historian Michael Hoy joins me to chat all about this fascinating figure, a true survivor of Henry VIII's court.

Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire is famous as the mother of Queen Anne Boleyn, and yet Elizabeth herself remains an extremely elusive figure. So much of her story is unknown, which is why I was so excited to learn that the very first book about Elizabeth Boleyn has been written and will be released later this year. I am thrilled to say that the books author, Sophie Bacchus Waterman is this weeks podcast guest. She joins me to discuss this fascinating but hugely overlooked figure, and although much still remains unknown, Sophie has discovered some new insights which do help us piece together something of who this woman was, so join Sophie and I as we explore the life of this remarkable woman, the mother of England’s most infamous queen consort.