"Honourable Mentions" is a series that honours the lives of Tudor women who knew, aided, and impacted the lives of our six queens. To kick off Series 4: Motherhood, Kate and Cally are celebrating the "mother of the Tudor dynasty," Margaret Beaufort.

As the mother of Henry VII, how did Margaret help to establish the Tudor dynasty? How did her "overbearing" ways impact politics and courtly life? How did her descendants learn from her example? And was it all influenced by Margaret's experiences during the Wars of the Roses?

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On their first ever live show, Kate and Cally give a preview of Series 4, share some behind-the-scenes tidbits, and answer audience questions.

Partially-edited recording of a broadcast streamed 22 July 2023.

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Kate and Cally reflect on the history-making coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on 6 May 2023. How did it compare to coronations of the past? What elements were the same and what were modernised? And does studying history cause us to set unrealistic expectations for ritual and ceremony in the twenty-first century?

To answer these questions and to see how the ceremony has changed over time, Kate and Cally take a look at the coronation of Katherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, who participated in many of the same rituals together in June 1509.

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Within English history, she's known as "Anne," the queen whose lack of beauty and charm led to the hasty annulment of her marriage. But behind all of those stories is Anna, a Duchess of Cleves and member of a powerful German family. What can we learn about Anna's origins by examining her life through its German context? How was her life influenced by the politics and religion of her family? By examining German history and sources, can we get closer to the truth of her life?

To answer their questions and learn more about the origins of Anna of Cleves, Kate and Cally interview historian and author Heather Darsie, whose research seeks to restore her into her own national narrative.

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"Honourable Mentions" is a new series that honors the lives of Tudor women who knew, aided, and impacted the lives of our six queens. Every future series of Six Queens will give an Honourable Mention based on its theme, so it seemed fitting that "Origins" should honor the original Tudor consort: Elizabeth of York.

Kate and Cally introduce you to Elizabeth and her tumultuous world. How did she navigate the politics of the Wars of the Roses? How did she impact and contribute to the new Tudor dynasty? And how did her queenship inspire her son and future daughters in law?

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Henry VIII is often remembered as the "most married" monarch in British history, but his sixth queen, Katherine Parr, was the most married consort. Who were her four husbands and how did she come to marry them? How did she, like so many women in the sixteenth century, use marriage for social advancement?

Series 3 concludes with a look at "the four husbands" of Katherine Parr: her life as a Northern noblewoman, the complications and freedoms of widowhood in the sixteenth century, and the ways in which Katherine honored her duty over her heart.

At the end of the episode, stay tuned for a sneak peek of Series 4!

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Over the centuries, Katherine Howard has gained a reputation for having relationships before her queenship. What were the nature of these relationships? How did her flirtations get out of hand? And how did her mistakes threaten to follow her once she arrived at the Tudor court?

Kate and Cally take on the difficult task of discussing the origin story of Katherine's reign: what happened during her early teenage years, how she caught the eye of an aging king, and the traces of the real Katherine we can see underneath all the drama.

Listeners should be aware that this episode contains mature themes that may be unsettling. Part 1 contains a discussion of sexual assault. If you would like to avoid this discussion, which begins at the 11:58 time mark, you can skip ahead to Part 2 at 22:40.

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Even though we imagine royal weddings as huge, glittering affairs, five of our six queens married Henry in small private ceremonies. Why? What are the backstories behind every wedding? What got each queen down the aisle? What sorts of vows did they have to make? And why are some more scandalous than others?

In this episode, Kate and Cally are inviting you to the weddings of Katharine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard, and Katherine Parr.

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On New Years Day 1540, Anne of Cleves met her future husband for the first time...and we all know that Henry VIII wasn't pleased. What went wrong? How did the expectations of courtly love affect Henry's judgement of Anne? And is there any way to know Anne's thoughts and feelings on the matter?

In this episode, Kate and Cally try to determine how history (and Henry) have misjudged the embarassing events that led up to Anne and Henry's wedding.

Once again, we would like to apologize for the compromised audio quality of this episode.

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After the death of Jane Seymour in 1537, Henry VIII spent two years searching for his fourth wife and queen. What can this search tell us about Henry's personal preferences? How did his less-than-stellar reputation preceed him? What were his advisors telling him to do? And what women became the objects of his affections? 

In this episode, Kate and Cally discuss the personal and political situations that brought Anne of Cleves onto the world stage.

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