How did Anne Boleyn's experiences abroad shape her? What did she learn from the refined, worldy, and sometimes dangerous court of France? How did her European education make her stand out at the English court, for better or worse?

Kate and Cally discuss Anne's teenage years in Europe and how a young, precocious girl might have been influenced by humanist thinking, religious reform, early forms of "feminism," art and music, and sexual politics. 

Please note that this episode contains some mature themes.

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How did Katharine of Aragon spend her earliest years in England? What were the ramifications of her widowhood? And how did financial, political, and social problems help to shape her identity?

In this episode, Kate and Cally cover Katharine's final crawl to the throne of England: a white wedding, tragic death, social instability, arguing kings, and the young woman caught up in the middle of it all. 

We would like to apologize for the compromised audio quality of this episode.

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What did it take to get a future queen to England? How important were marriage alliances to European politics? Was it hard for young women to leave their homes and step into their new roles? And what happens when it doesn’t go smoothly?

Kate and Cally follow the journeys of Katharine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves to England: the negotiations, travel, pageantry, and personalities.

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When and where did our queens come into the world? What were their circumstances at birth? Who was born to be a queen and whose birthdays weren't even recorded?

The natural place to begin Series Three, "Origins," is a discussion of our queens' earliest years!

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Paying tribute to the late great Dame Hilary Mantel, Kate and Cally discuss the Wolf Hall novels and their 2015 television adaptation. The series tells the story of the Tudor court through the eyes of Thomas Cromwell: his rise to power, his work for Henry VIII, and his interactions with the first four of our queens, especially Anne Boleyn.

How was Mantel able to use fiction to fill gaps in the historical record? Are her portrayals of the Tudors fair? And how has this iconic work shaped Tudor drama as a whole?

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Kate and Cally return to discuss what they've been watching all summer: the new series "Becoming Elizabeth" on STARZ. The drama depicts the teenage years of the future Queen Elizabeth I as she navigates the politics of the Tudor court. Our sixth queen, Katherine Parr, makes a rare screen appearance, and the legacies of other queens continue to influence the lives of their surviving children.  

What was good? What was...well, icky? Did the writers and actors do justice to our queens and the period in which they lived? And most importantly, what did Kate and Cally think of the COSTUMES?

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How were our queens remembered within the faiths they championed? Do we still remember their religious achievements today, or have they been neglected within popular imagination and culture?

In the Series 2 finale, Kate and Cally discuss the religious legacies (and potential martyrdoms) of Katharine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Parr, all considered heroes of their faiths in the aftermath of the English Reformation.

Viewers should be aware that this episode contains a brief graphic description of human remains that some may find disturbing.

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What happened during the respective regencies of Katharine of Aragon and Katherine Parr? How did their times as Queens Regent shape Tudor history? And how did they embrace the traditionally masculine world of politics and war?   

In a quick break from talking about the English Reformation, Kate and Cally are turning their attention to war: specifically, the two French campaigns of Henry VIII's reign, when he left his wives in charge of England.   

Listeners should be aware that this episode contains a brief mention of violence and human remains that some may find disturbing.

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How were English Reformers inserting their theological ideas into the new Church of England? What are the origins of the Church's most important foundational texts? And how did Katherine Parr's contributions threaten her queenship and her life?  

Kate and Cally explore the "intellectual Reformation" in England: the publication of the Bible in English, the pros and cons (for Henry) of accessible religion, and Katherine Parr's risky career as a published author.

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