Bess of Hardwick (birth name: Elizabeth Cavendish) appeared a few times throughout the Mary, Queen of Scots series. And today, we're diving into just how this low(ish) born woman became the second-wealthiest woman in Tudor England (after Queen Liz I).

We spill all the tea: the four husbands, the attempted poisonings, the embroideries, her dealings with the Grey family, the house building, the useless sons (and step-sons) and the LATE BREAKING NEWS.

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References:

Devices and Desires: Bess of Hardwick and the Building of Elizabethan England by Kate Hubbard

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-derbyshire-66265517

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/peak-district-derbyshire/hardwick

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/peak-district-derbyshire/hardwick/gideon-tapestry-project-at-hardwick-hall

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Recommended podcast:

Dwarfism History with Aubrey Smalls

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