In this episode, Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Lauren Johnson about Margaret Beaufort — a child bride turned survivor whose political skill, marriages, and networks helped secure Henry VII’s rise. They trace her early life, complex role during the Wars of the Roses, and her close but often-misunderstood relationship with her son and Elizabeth of York.

The conversation also busts long-standing myths, explores Margaret’s religious patronage and use of early printing, and highlights her cultural legacy. Lauren discusses her new biography, Margaret Beaufort’s Survivor Rebel Kingmaker, and why Margaret’s story matters today.

Visit Lauren Johnson's official website

http://www.lauren-johnson.com/

Join Natalie Grueninger and Dr Owen Emmerson's new online event:  'Rethinking Anne Boleyn'

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rethinking-anne-boleyn-tickets-1981325385564?aff=oddtdtcreator

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 https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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In this episode, host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Mary Hollingsworth about the life of Catherine de' Medici. They explore her Italian roots and convent upbringing, her marriage to Henry II, regency for her sons, and efforts to navigate the Wars of Religion. They discuss Catherine's cultural patronage, her complex relationships with contemporaries like Elizabeth I, and the origins of her notorious reputation, including the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre. 

Visit Dr Hollingsworth's official website

https://mary-hollingsworth.com/

Learn more about the sponsor of this episode, Simply Tudor Tours

https://simplytudortours.com/

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 https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Ella Brook Muir about how queenly clothing in 16th‑century England and France acted as political communication, conveying magnificence, legitimacy, loyalty and cosmopolitan identity through fabrics, colours and emblems.

The episode examines case studies (Katherine of Aragon, Claude of France, Anne Boleyn, and Eleanor of Austria), the makers and household staff who produced these garments, the impact of global trade on materials, and the scarcity and mystery of surviving textiles.

Visit Ella's official website

https://www.ellabrookmuir.co.uk/

Learn about our sponsor!

https://simplytudortours.com/

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Melissa Shiels about New Year's gift-giving across 16th-century England and Ireland, and how material gifts expressed political messages at the Tudor court.

They discuss typical gifts (money, clothing, jewellery, horses, hawks), differences across reigns, examples of gifts that reveal diplomacy or tension, and the distinction between public gift exchange and bribery.

Find out more about Dr Shiels

https://www.instagram.com/dr.melissashiels/

The Greensleeves Project

https://greensleevesproject.uk/

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 https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Michelle Seah about the economic lives of medieval and late 15th-century English queens, focusing on Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville, and Elizabeth of York.

They explore how queens raised and managed income—through lands, cash allowances, port customs and the tradition of “queen’s gold”—how their households were organised, and how financial resources shaped their public role, patronage and power.

Learn more about Dr Seah

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/michele-seah

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Kate McCaffrey of Hever Castle about Anne Boleyn’s books of hours, the hidden inscriptions they contain, and the Kentish women who preserved Anne’s memory after her fall.

The episode explores female networks, the material life of devotional books, and how these discoveries challenge the lonely, male-focused myth of Anne Boleyn, plus a preview of Hever Castle’s upcoming exhibition "Capturing a Queen."

Learn more about Kate McCaffrey

https://kateemccaffrey.wordpress.com/

Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn Exhibition

https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-on/capturing-a-queen/

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 https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Professor Stephen Gunn about his research using 16th-century coroner's inquests to reveal how accidental deaths illuminate everyday Tudor life—covering hazards like animals, open water, mills, house collapses, seasonal work, and risky pastimes such as early football.

They discuss patterns by age, gender and social status, surprising and bizarre cases, research challenges, and resources for further reading including Gunn’s book 'An Accidental History of Tudor England' and the project’s online dataset.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EVERYDAY LIFE & FATAL HAZARDS IN TUDOR ENGLAND

https://tudoraccidents.history.ox.ac.uk/?page_id=17

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Christina Faraday about her new book, 'The Story of Tudor Art', a first-of-its-kind survey of 16th-century English art.

They explore how Tudor art functioned as communication and status—covering portraits, miniatures, tapestries, household objects, royal effigies, patrons from kings to middling professionals, and artists such as Holbein, Hilliard, and lesser-known women makers.

The episode also discusses imported art, surprising everyday objects that reveal court life, and an upcoming exhibition, Tudor Contemporary, which pairs modern responses with historical works.

Visit Dr Faraday's official website

https://www.christinajfaraday.com/

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Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Stephen Campbell about Leonardo da Vinci’s life, work, and the myths that surround him. They explore his early years in Florence, his Milanese network, anatomical studies, and his later years in France.

The conversation examines common misconceptions, highlights key works such as 'The Last Supper' and the 'Sala delle Asse', and considers why Leonardo’s fragmented biography continues to captivate modern audiences.

Learn more about Dr Campbell

https://arthist.jhu.edu/directory/stephen-j-campbell/

Buy the book!

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691193687/leonardo-da-vinci

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Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes Dr Alanna Skuse to Talking Tudors to explore medicine in Renaissance England. They discuss humoral theory, the medical hierarchy of physicians, surgeons, apothecaries and midwives, and the lively marketplace of practitioners including itinerant bone-setters and domestic healers.

The episode highlights women’s roles in care, real patient cases, early regulation of medical practice, and Alanna’s book 'The Surgeon, The Midwife, The Quack' — practical insights into how people sought treatment and survived in the Renaissance.

NOT SHAKESPEARE LECTURES

https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/not-shakespeare-elizabethan-and-jacobean-popular-theatre

VISIT DR SKUSE'S WEBSITE

https://www.dralannaskuse.co.uk/

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