Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well!

Today we’re sitting down with historian Lauren Johnson and talking about the life and times of Margaret of Anjou, the long-suffering wife of Henry VI of England.

She was called the She-Wolf of France, she was villainised by the Yorkists during the Wars of the Roses and by Shakespeare long after her death. Did she deserve this fate? Let’s talk to Lauren and find out…

Pre-Order Margaret Beaufort - Survivor, Rebel, Kingmaker:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/margaret-beaufort-9781789541649/ (UK)

https://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Beaufort-Survivor-Rebel-Kingmaker-ebook/dp/B0F1FGLF27/ (USA)

Get The Shadow King - The Life and Death of Henry VI:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/shadow-king-9781784979645/ (UK)

http://pegasusbooks.com/books/the-shadow-king-9781643131283-hardcover (USA)

Get Lauren's Other Books:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/author/lauren-johnson/ (UK)

http://pegasusbooks.com/authors/lauren-johnson (USA)

Lauren's Fiction:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Arrow-of-Sherwood-Hardback/p/4101/aid/1238

Find Lauren:

http://lauren-johnson.com/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/LaurenJohnsonAuthor/

https://www.threads.com/@history_lauren

Lauren on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7796295.Lauren_Johnson

Find Baroque:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

https://www.reignoflondon.com/

https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcast

Support Baroque:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/

https://buymeacoffee.com/ifitaintbaroque

If you would like to join Natalie on her walking tours in London with Reign of London:

Saxons to Stuarts:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011/

Tudors to Windsors:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-georgian-and-windsor-monarchs-walking-tour-t481355 .

For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our Royal Romance season.

We’re continuing with the #StuartSpring series, but this is the finale of the Royal Valentines season.

Today we’re going to look at two Stuart couples that found love within their marriage, despite their unions being arranged.

First up, we have Mark Turnbull who will tell us all about Elisabeth Stuart,

daughter of James VI & I, and her husband Frederick V of Bohemia. 

Next up, concluding this year’s Royal Valentines, we have Andrea Zuvich, and she’ll tell us about the unexpected feelings of Mary II & William III,

the joint King and Queen, the heroes of the Glorious Revolution.

Stuart History Festival:

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thestuarthistoryfestival

https://www.andreazuvich.com/current-events/the-stuart-history-festival-speaker-lineup/

https://bsky.app/profile/stuarthistoryfest.bsky.social

https://www.facebook.com/StuartHistFest/

https://www.instagram.com/stuarthistoryfestival/

https://x.com/StuartHistFest

Get Mark's Books:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Charles-Is-Private-Life-Hardback/p/23661/aid/1238

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Prince-Rupert-of-the-Rhine-Hardback/p/52608/aid/1238

Find Mark:

https://www.allegianceofblood.com/

https://www.instagram.com/1642author/

www.1642author.com

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/cavaliercast-the-civil-war-in-words/id1521758820

Andrea's Books:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Ravenous-A-Life-of-Barbara-Villiers-Charles-IIs-Most-Infamous-Mistress-Hardback/p/50814/aid/1238

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Sex-and-Sexuality-in-Stuart-Britain-Paperback/p/17131/aid/1238

https://www.amberley-books.com/a-year-in-the-life-of-stuart-britain.html

https://www.amberley-books.com/the-stuarts-in-100-facts.html

Find Andrea:

https://www.andreazuvich.com/about/

https://www.youtube.com/@17thCenturyLady

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andrea-zuvich

Barbara Villiers' Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/76Ernb5886hsmGQwFL7Rpi

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/12bbaFVQcGGND7pzFRROGp

Find Baroque:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

https://www.reignoflondon.com/

https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcast

Support Baroque:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/

https://buymeacoffee.com/ifitaintbaroque

If you would like to join Natalie on her walking tours in London with Reign of London:

Saxons to Stuarts:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011/

Tudors to Windsors:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-georgian-and-windsor-monarchs-walking-tour-t481355 .

For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Right trusty and well beloved, we greet you well!

Welcome to SEASON EIGHT of If It Ain’t Baroque…your independent history podcast!

This new season we’re kicking off with a brand new mini series dedicated to the Stuarts, titled #StuartSpring. 

As our guest today we have Steven Veerapen, and we’ll be chatting all things Mary Queen of Scots. I say chatting, we’ll be busting some myths. 

Get Steven's Books:

https://www.waterstones.com/author/steven-veerapen/4403209

https://www.stevenveerapen.com/

https://www.bookseriesinorder.com/steven-veerapen/

Get Anna Whitelock's The Sun Rising: James I and the Dawn of Global Britain:

https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/sun-rising-9781408863510/

Stuart History Festival:

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thestuarthistoryfestival

https://www.andreazuvich.com/current-events/the-stuart-history-festival-speaker-lineup/

https://bsky.app/profile/stuarthistoryfest.bsky.social

https://www.facebook.com/StuartHistFest/

https://www.instagram.com/stuarthistoryfestival/

https://x.com/StuartHistFest

Find Baroque:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

https://www.reignoflondon.com/

https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcast

Support Baroque:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/

https://buymeacoffee.com/ifitaintbaroque

If you would like to join Natalie on her walking tours in London with Reign of London, Stuarts can be found on the following walks:

Saxons to Stuarts:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011/

Stuarts to Windsors:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-georgian-and-windsor-monarchs-walking-tour-t481355 .

For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our 150th episode!

As a treat, we have something very special for you today.

Heather R Darsie is back on the show, once more we talk of her upcoming book 

"Katharine of Aragon: Spanish Princess: I Am Not as Simple as I May Seem", published by Amberley Books.

This book dives deep into Katharine’s life when she was a young princess in Spain.

We get to learn all about her relations and the state of Iberian politics which makes for a fuller picture of Europe in the 16th century, especially if we already know what happened when Katharine arrived in England. 

Let's re-evaluate what we know of Katharine, as the daughter of Spain. 

Order Heather's New Book on Katherine of Aragon:

https://www.amberley-books.com/katharine-of-aragon-spanish-princess.html

Buy Heather's book Stuart Spouses:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Stuart-Spouses-A-Compendium-of-Consorts-from-James-I-of-Scotland-to-Queen-Anne-of-Great-Britain-Hardback/p/51167/aid/1238

Heather's The House of Cleves Books:

https://www.amberley-books.com/anna-duchess-of-cleves-9781398103269.html

https://www.amberley-books.com/children-of-the-house-of-cleves.html

Pre-Order Heather's New Book on Anne Boleyn:

https://www.amberley-books.com/if-any-person-will-meddle-of-my-cause.html

Heather's Website:

https://maidensandmanuscripts.com/

Find Baroque:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

https://www.reignoflondon.com/

https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcast

Support Baroque:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/

https://buymeacoffee.com/ifitaintbaroque

If you would like to join Natalie on her walking tours in London with Reign of London, please follow the links:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011/

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452/

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-georgian-and-windsor-monarchs-walking-tour-t481355 .

For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroque.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our Royal Romance season.

On this episode, we’ll be talking about Georgian Couples that didn’t have a happy ending. 

Please welcome Catherine Curzon back as we learn more about the Georgian couples whose Happily Ever After seemed to have an expiration date.

We’ll talking about George III of Great Britain & Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz 

and

Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg Saalfeld.

Our Favourite Books by Catherine:

The Crown: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Royal-Family-vs-The-Crown-Hardback/p/51893/aid/1238

Georgian Queens: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Queens-of-Georgian-Britain-Hardback/p/14066/aid/1238

Georgian Kings: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Kings-of-Georgian-Britain-Hardback/p/12904/aid/1238

Wives of Prince Regent: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Wives-of-George-IV-Hardback/p/20127/aid/1238

Life in the Georgian Court: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Life-in-the-Georgian-Court-Hardback/p/12109/aid/1238

The Real Bridgerton: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Real-Bridgerton-Hardback/p/23199/aid/1238

Our fangirling over Catherine's first book:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/post/life-in-the-georgian-court-the-long-18th-century

Find Baroque:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

https://www.reignoflondon.com/

https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcast

Support Baroque:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/

https://buymeacoffee.com/ifitaintbaroque

Join Natalie on her Georgian London walking tour:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-georgian-and-windsor-monarchs-walking-tour-t481355

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is still Shakespeare Week, and today we present our latest episode celebrating this great poet and playwright. Words, words, words, indeed.

Next up, we have Carol Ann Lloyd, an author of several books on the Tudors, and she’s also a researcher at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

On this episode, Carol Ann and Natalie are exploring Shakespeare's Sassy Leading Ladies, and just how much agency they had over their lives..

Find Carol Ann:

https://www.carolannlloyd.com/

https://www.instagram.com/shakeuphistory/

https://www.youtube.com/@carolannlloydshakeup

https://www.smithsonianjourneys.org/experts/carol-ann-lloyd/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolannlloyd/

https://linktr.ee/carolannlloyd

Get Carol Ann's Books:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Tudors-by-Numbers-Hardback/p/23448/aid/1238

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Courting-the-Virgin-Queen-Hardback/p/50586/aid/1238

Join Natalie on her Naughty London Walking Tour:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452/

Find Baroque:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

https://www.reignoflondon.com/

https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcast

Support Baroque:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/

https://buymeacoffee.com/ifitaintbaroque

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Shakespeare Week, so we have a mini series of episodes celebrating this great poet and playwright. Words, words, words, indeed.

Next up, we have Ramie Targoff and we’ll be talking about her latest book Shakespeare’s Sisters which celebrates the lives of William’s near contemporaries - the ladies who wrote. Anne Clifford, Aemilia Lanyer, Mary Sidney and Elizabeth Cary - let’s hear more about these, these women who wrote the Renaissance.

Published by Riverrun / Quercus.

Get Shakespeare's Sisters:

https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/ramie-targoff/shakespeares-sisters/9781529404890/ (UK)

https://www.waterstones.com/book/shakespeares-sisters/ramie-targoff/9781529404913 (UK - paperback)

https://shop.shakespeare.org.uk/products/shakespeare-s-sisters-four-women-who-wrote-the-renaissance-by-ramie-targoff-signed-by-the-author (UK)

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/618090/shakespeares-sisters-by-ramie-targoff/ (USA)

Find Ramie:

https://ramietargoff.com/about

Ramie's Books:

https://www.waterstones.com/author/ramie-targoff/469902

For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/

Find more Shakespeare on Natalie's walking tours with Reign of London:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Shakespeare Week, so we have a mini series of episodes celebrating this great poet and playwright. Words, words, words, indeed.

Today our guest is Matt Pinches, the co-founder of Guildford Shakespeare Company. 

And we’ll be talking about The Comedy of Errors, the play that the company is putting on a bit later in the year… 

Find GSC:

https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/

https://www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk/2025-programme/

https://www.instagram.com/guildfordshakespeare/

https://www.tiktok.com/@guildfordshakespeare

Get Tickets for The Comedy of Errors:

https://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/whats-on/the-comedy-of-errors

https://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk/whats-on/a-company-of-rascals

Welcome to Our Table:

https://guildfordshakespeare.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173661433

For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/

Find more Shakespeare on Natalie's walking tours with Reign of London:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today is the anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death, as well as his potential birthday.

We’re here to honour this great playwright and poet with a mini season of episodes, all to do with him.

First up, is Darren Freebury-Jones with his latest book - SHAKESPEARE'S BORROWED FEATHERS - published by Manchester University Press, it’s all about William’s writing process and which authors and friends he was influenced by.

Words, words, words, indeed....

Find Darren:

https://darrenfj.wordpress.com/

https://www.thehistoryofeuropeantheatre.com/guests/darren-feebury-jones/

https://stagetalkmagazine.com/p/34306

https://www.instagram.com/freeburian/

Borrowed Feathers:

https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526177322/ (UK)

https://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-borrowed-feathers-playwrights-greatest/dp/1526177323 (USA)

For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/

Find more Shakespeare on Natalie's walking tours with Reign of London:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Royal Love Stories Told Wrong: Cupid Painted Blind 

On this episode we’re looking at the royal love stories which are different from how they’re usually told.

To help sort out fact from fiction, we have great historians with us today.

The couples we’ll be talking about include: 

• Isabella of France & Edward II of England (Sharon Bennett Connolly)
• Anne Boleyn & Henry VIII..also of England (Amy McElroy)
• Anna of Cleves & also Henry VIII (Heather R Darsie)
• Queen Anne of Great Britain and Prince George of Denmark

Find Sharon here:

@sharonbennettconnolly on Instagram

https://historytheinterestingbits.com/

Sharon's Books:

https://www.amberley-books.com/silk-and-the-sword.html

https://www.amberley-books.com/discover-books/women-of-the-anarchy.html

https://www.amberley-books.com/heroines-of-the-tudor-world.html

https://www.amberley-books.com/heroines-of-the-medieval-world-9781445689449.html

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Sharon-Bennett-Connolly/a/3883

Sharon's Scotland's Medieval Queens:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Scotlands-Medieval-Queens-Hardback/p/51759/aid/1238

Find Amy:

https://amymcelroy.blog/

Mary Tudor, Queen of France:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Mary-Tudor-Hardback/p/51784/aid/1238

Educating the Tudors:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Educating-the-Tudors-Hardback/p/22338/aid/1238

Women's Lives in the Tudor Era:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Womens-Lives-in-the-Tudor-Era-Hardback/p/24437/aid/1238

Pre-Order Heather's New Book on Katharine of Aragon and Her Spanish Family:

https://www.amberley-books.com/author-community-main-page/d/community-heather-r-darsie/katherine-of-aragon-spanish-princess.html

Heather's book on Stuart Spouses:

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Stuart-Spouses-A-Compendium-of-Consorts-from-James-I-of-Scotland-to-Queen-Anne-of-Great-Britain-Hardback/p/51167/aid/1238

Heather's The House of Cleves Books:

https://www.amberley-books.com/anna-duchess-of-cleves-9781398103269.html

https://www.amberley-books.com/children-of-the-house-of-cleves.html

Heather's Website:

https://maidensandmanuscripts.com/

Join Natalie on her London walking tours:

Monarchy Anglo-Saxons to Stuarts: https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011/

Monarchy Stuarts to Windsors: https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-georgian-and-windsor-monarchs-walking-tour-t481355

Naughty London: https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452/

and a new one on British Monarchy:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/british-monarchy-walking-tour-saxons-to-windsors-t481358/

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.