Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian Amy McElroy about Desiderius Erasmus, exploring his mysterious early life, education, travels across Europe, and key works such as 'Praise of Folly' and his Greek-Latin New Testament.

The conversation covers Erasmus’s influence on Tudor education and humanism, his relationships with Thomas More and Martin Luther, and his complex legacy as a Catholic reformer and leading Renaissance scholar.

This episode of Talking Tudors was made possible by 'Simply Tudor Tours'. Check out their new Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I Tour!

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Professor Nandini Das explores how Tudor and Stuart England were shaped by movement, exchange, and diverse individuals—artists, scholars, missionaries, and sailors—whose lives challenge the idea of a sealed island nation.

Through four vivid case studies (the court miniaturist Levina Teerlinc from Bruges, the roaming thinker Giordano Bruno, the missionary Thomas Stevens in Goa, and William Adams in Japan), the episode reveals how identity, belonging, and nationhood were negotiated across borders in the 16th and 17th centuries.

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Host Natalie Grueninger talks with historian Jessica Carey-Bunning about her book 'The Wives of Henry VIII', presenting fresh archival research and new perspectives on each queen.

They discuss Catherine of Aragon’s finances after annulment, Anne Boleyn’s use of dress and image, Jane Seymour’s complex reputation and faith, Anne of Cleves’ later life, Catherine Howard’s queenship, and the contested danger faced by Catherine Parr.

Carey-Bunning urges listeners to question traditional narratives and to return to primary sources to better understand the messy realities of Tudor court life.

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Natalie Grueninger interviews Martha Tatarnic about her new book on Anne Boleyn, exploring how Anne shaped the English Reformation, championed the English Bible, and influenced church leadership through key appointments.

The conversation also examines how Anne's reputation has been distorted over time, why the stories we tell about historical women matter today, and how recovering silenced voices reshapes our understanding of the past and present.

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Natalie Grueninger is in conversation with Dr Owen Emmerson about five surviving letters written by William Kingston during Anne Boleyn’s imprisonment in May 1536. They examine Kingston’s eyewitness details—Anne’s moods, her conversations with attendants, mentions of Henry Norris, Mark Smeaton and George Boleyn—and the damaged Cotton manuscripts used alongside later transcriptions.

The episode traces Anne’s shifting emotions, her religious faith, the role of her attendants as informants, the hurried preparations for execution, and why Thomas Cromwell may have avoided visiting the prisoners.

VISIT DR EMMERSON'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE https://drowenemmerson.com/

EXPLORE COTTON MS OTHO C X https://searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-001102888

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Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Wyn Derbyshire about the remarkable life of Bess of Hardwick — her uncertain origins, four marriages, sharp business sense, and rise to becoming the second-richest woman in England. The episode explores her building projects (Hardwick and Chatsworth), estate management, and relationships with Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.

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In this episode host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Sara Charles about the production of medieval manuscripts, her hands-on experiments with parchment, inks and pigments, and her book 'The Medieval Scriptorium'.

They explore the evidence for where manuscripts were made, the people and long supply chains behind their materials, the evolution of scripts and decoration, and the everyday details that bring medieval scribes to life.

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https://www.teachingmanuscripts.com/about

Takeaway

'The Craftman's Handbook' by Cennino d'Andrea Cennin

Find out about 'Medieval Castles in Germany' by Kurt Fuchs

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Host Natalie Grueninger talks with historian and novelist Professor Tracy Borman about her new novel, 'The House of Boleyn', the rise and fall of the Boleyn family, and Hever Castle as the book’s intimate setting. They explore lesser-known figures like Margaret Butler and Jane Boleyn, plus the servants and daily life that shaped the family.

The conversation also covers Borman’s research process, historical details that informed the novel and publication and tour dates (UK release 23 April; US release 4 September).

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Sean Cunningham about Henry VII’s unlikely path from exile to king, the political alliances and myths he used to secure power, and the major challenges of his reign, including rebellions and pretenders.

They explore Henry’s strategies for legitimacy, his marriage to Elizabeth of York, the role of Margaret Beaufort, and how Tudor symbolism and governance shaped the dynasty’s future.

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Author Jo Harkin joins Talking Tudors to discuss her novel 'The Pretender', which imagines the life of Lambert Simnel — a farm boy thrust into Yorkist plots, crowned in Dublin, and swept through courts from Oxford to Burgundy and Ireland.

Jo explains her five-year research process, the vivid locations and powerful women who inspired her, and her approach to balancing historical fact with imaginative storytelling.

She also shares reading and viewing recommendations, a glimpse of her next project set in Spain, and practical insights into writing historical fiction.

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