The Tudor Chest Podcast

The stories of the many men and women who, as far back as the 10th century, have been the earls and countesses of Warwick, are among the most infamous, stimulating and shocking figures from across England’s rich history, and so to discuss this fascinating dynasty with me, I am pleased to welcome onto the podcast for the first time, historian Aaron Manning, who’s first book, England’s Bears, The Blood and Glory of the House of Warwick acts as the basis for our conversation.

Childbirth in Tudor England was a moment of extraordinary danger, uncertainty, and hope, but what really happened behind the closed doors of a Tudor birthing chamber? Who were the midwives entrusted with delivering babies, and what remedies, rituals, and techniques did they use? To discuss all of this and more, I'm pleased to welcome back historian and midwife Brigitte Barnard to explore the fascinating and often overlooked world of Tudor childbirth and midwifery. Together, we'll uncover the realities of pregnancy and birth, but also unpick some of the facts that have come down the centuries about Tudor royal births that Brigitte is adamant have been presented incorrectly.

The Wars of the Roses produced some of England’s most ruthless and intriguing figures, but few have left behind a darker mystery than Sir James Tyrell. A trusted servant of Richard III, Tyrell rose through the ranks to become a powerful and influential figure at the Yorkist court. Yet his name, thanks to the writings of Sir Thomas More, would become forever associated with one of English history’s greatest unsolved mysteries: the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower. But who was the man behind the legend? Was he a loyal soldier, a political opportunist, or a ruthless killer? And how did a man who survived the downfall of Richard III ultimately find himself on the scaffold under Henry VII? Well to discuss all of this and more, I am pleased to welcome back historian Richard Anderton onto the podcast, whose upcoming book, The Boar and the Peacock, The Rise and Fall of Sir James Tyrell acts as the basis for our conversation.

Governess, confidante and fiercely loyal companion, Kate Ashley was an almost constant presence throughout the life of Queen Elizabeth I, from her early days as a princess, to the most dangerous years, to the very height of her powers but who was the woman behind this extraordinary reign and friendship, who actually was Kate Ashley, who were her court relations, what links did she possess to royalty itself and what can her story tell us about female friendship, loyalty and survival in Tudor England? Well to find out, I am pleased to welcome historian Rosemary Griggs onto the podcast for the first time, for a discussion based on her book, Queen Elizabeth’s Governess, The Real Kate Ashley.

What happens when two of the most powerful women of sixteenth-century Europe meet across the political and religious divides of their age? Elizabeth I of England and Catherine de Medici, Queen Mother of France, never had a simple relationship. Separated by borders, faith, and competing political interests. In this episode, I’m joined by historian Dr Estelle Paranque to explore the fascinating relationship between these two formidable figures. What did Elizabeth and Catherine think of one another and what can their encounters tell us about the ways women could exercise political influence in Renaissance Europe?

Today, I am delighted to be joined by Sarah Gristwood to explore Blood Sisters: the women behind the wars of the roses. Seven women who were fundamental to the successes and losses across this huge period of English civil conflict, and at its core, the relationships between them, and what their interconnected lives can tell us about the late medieval and early Tudor world. We will move chronologically through their stories, from their family backgrounds and early experiences of power, to the unity of the houses of York and Lancaster. This is a story of sisters, rivals, queens, daughters, mothers and political actors — but above all, it is a story of women who lived at the very centre of one of the most turbulent periods in English history.

Across nearly five centuries, Richard Rich has acquired a reputation as the consummate opportunist: a man who appeared to possess few genuine principles beyond his own advancement, who accumulated immense wealth through the destruction of the monasteries, and who played pivotal roles in sending two of England's most revered martyrs—Bishop John Fisher and Sir Thomas More—to the scaffold. To many historians, Rich epitomises the darker side of Tudor government, where ambition eclipsed conscience and political expediency routinely trumped morality, so, what was his actual story?

What was life really like for women in the Middle Ages? From princesses and queens, to noblewomen all the way down to peasants, their lives were shaped by work, family, faith, law and the communities around them. But how much do we actually know about their experiences, and what can medieval sources tell us about the choices, challenges and opportunities they faced? Well to discuss just that, I am thrilled to welcome back Dr Catherine Hanley, onto the podcast, for a discussion based around her book, The Family Lives of Medieval Women. Together, we’ll look beyond the stereotypes of the “medieval woman” and discover the remarkable variety of women’s lives during this period.

What if Henry VIII’s two most famous wives had put aside their differences and joined forces against the man who destroyed both their lives? Imagine Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn — two women who, in real life, became bitter rivals — forming the most unlikely alliance in Tudor history. Well to answer that question, I am joined by author Jillian Laine, whose novel Henry Tudor Must Die brings Catherine and Anne together in an entirely new version of the Tudor story — one where the wives aren't simply victims of Henry's reign, but the architects of his downfall.  So sharpen your knives, keep your head down, and prepare for a very different take on the story we know so well.

Among Henry VIII’s many significant ministers and members of his inner circle, William Paget is woefully overlooked. In many ways the successor to Thomas Cromwell, he was instrumental in defining the last years of King Henry VIII’s life, playing a fundamental role in the destruction of the Earl of Surrey and in establishing how Henrys planned succession would take shape. To discuss Paget with me, I am pleased to welcome historian Dr Andrew Johnston onto the podcast for the first time. His book, The Kings Secretary, William Paget and the Last Years of the Reign of Henry VIII acts as the basis for our conversation, so stay tuned, to find out the story behind the man who became central to the final days of England's most notorious king