Rebecca and historian Matthew Lewis launch a new series exploring the Norman kings, beginning with the man who changed England forever: William the Conqueror.

Born the illegitimate son of the Duke of Normandy, William survived a childhood filled with violence, betrayal and political uncertainty. Those early experiences helped shape the ruthless ruler who would eventually cross the Channel and claim the English throne.

Rebecca and Matt follow William from his rise in Normandy and his complicated relationship with Harold Godwinson to the disputed oath that helped ignite the succession crisis of 1066. They examine the Battle of Hastings, William’s chaotic Christmas Day coronation and the brutal methods he used to secure his new kingdom—including castle building, the destruction of the Anglo-Saxon elite and the devastating Harrying of the North.

Was William a brilliant military leader, a calculating propagandist or simply a conqueror willing to destroy anyone who stood in his way?

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Host: Rebecca Larson

Guest: Matt Lewis

Philippa Langley became internationally known for leading the search that discovered the remains of King Richard III beneath a Leicester car park. Now she is challenging another of history’s most enduring mysteries: what really happened to the Princes in the Tower?

Philippa joins Rebecca to discuss her remarkable search for Richard III, the evidence that led to the excavation of Greyfriars, and what the king’s remains revealed about the man behind Shakespeare’s infamous portrayal. She also shares the findings of the Missing Princes Project, a ten-year international investigation involving more than 350 researchers.

Could Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, have survived into the reign of Henry VII? Philippa explains the archival discoveries supporting her controversial argument that the Yorkist claimants known as Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck were actually the missing princes. The conversation also examines Elizabeth Woodville’s actions, the destruction of records under Henry VII, and why Philippa believes the bones preserved at Westminster Abbey should undergo modern scientific testing.

This is a fascinating examination of Richard III, the Princes in the Tower, and the evidence that could transform one of the greatest mysteries in British history.

https://www.philippalangley.co.uk/bookshelf.html

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Guest: Philippa Langley

What would you choose: marry King John or Richard II? Follow Richard the Lionheart or Edward I into battle? Support Matilda or Stephen? Witness Bosworth or Hastings? And if you could solve one historical mystery, would you rather interview the people involved—or secretly watch the whole thing unfold?

This week on Off the Record, Amy and Rebecca are playing Would You Rather: Medieval Edition, and some of these choices are much harder than they sound.

From questionable royal husbands and medieval battlefields to the Anarchy, the Wars of the Roses, Cecily Neville’s household, and a day wandering the streets of medieval London, Amy and Rebecca debate where they’d go, whom they’d trust, and which moments in history they’d most like to witness firsthand.

Along the way, the conversation takes an unexpected turn into Rebecca’s research for her upcoming book on Thomas Seymour, including how historians piece together conflicting evidence, the frustrations of Tudor handwriting, and what happens when the surviving sources don’t quite tell the story historians have long assumed they do.

It’s medieval history with no script, plenty of opinions, and some surprisingly difficult choices.

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Co-Hosts: Rebecca Larson & Amy McElroy

Long before Katherine of Aragon sailed for England, she had already traveled across kingdoms, witnessed conquest, encountered new cultures, and experienced life at the heart of an itinerant royal court.

In this episode, Rebecca is joined by Dr. Emma to retrace Katherine’s formative journeys through Spain—from her birth in Alcalá de Henares to Granada, Barcelona, Medina del Campo, Laredo, and finally La Coruña, where she departed for England in 1501.

Together, they challenge the familiar image of Katherine as an isolated princess and reveal a very different childhood: one spent on the road as a “nomad princess,” surrounded by royal ceremony, political negotiation, and the practical administration of her parents’ expanding monarchy. Katherine witnessed the surrender of Granada, experienced the extraordinary surroundings of the Alhambra, and was present in Barcelona when Christopher Columbus returned with reports and objects from across the Atlantic.

The conversation also explores Katherine’s surprising connections to the Americas and considers how the architecture and decorative traditions she encountered in Spain may later have influenced Tudor England.

Before she became Henry VIII’s queen, Katherine of Aragon had already been shaped by a childhood of movement, spectacle, cultural exchange, and political power.

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--Co-Hosts: Rebecca Larson & Dr. Emma Cahill Marron

Queen Elizabeth I understood that clothing was never simply decorative—it was a powerful political tool. In this episode, Rebecca Larson speaks with Sylvia Barbara Soberton, author of Dressed to Impress: Queen Elizabeth I and the Art of Fashioning Power, about how Elizabeth used gowns, jewelry, color, and carefully constructed imagery to communicate legitimacy, authority, purity, and royal magnificence.

They explore Elizabeth’s evolving style, from the restrained clothing of her youth to the spectacular wardrobe of the Virgin Queen. Sylvia also challenges some of the most persistent myths surrounding Elizabeth I, including claims that she covered her face with toxic white lead makeup and wore a steel breastplate during her famous speech at Tilbury.

The conversation also examines Elizabeth’s relationships with Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Catherine Howard; the possible meaning of the Chequers Ring; Tudor sumptuary laws; the symbolism of the Rainbow Portrait; and what happened to Elizabeth’s enormous wardrobe after her death.

Discover how Elizabeth I fashioned not only her appearance but one of the most recognizable royal identities in history.

You can also find Sylvia on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/cw/SylviaBSo/posts

Find book on Amazon

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Host: Rebecca Larson

Guest: Sylvia Barbara Soberton

Rebecca and Amy explore the remarkable life of Reginald Pole—a Yorkist survivor who went from Henry VIII’s favored scholar to one of the king’s most outspoken opponents. They discuss Pole’s education in Oxford and Padua, his rejection of the royal supremacy, and the devastating consequences his resistance had for the family he left behind in England.

After years of exile, Pole returned under Mary I as her trusted confidant and the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury. His extraordinary story came to an end on November 17, 1558—just hours after Mary’s own death.

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Co-Hosts: Rebecca Larson & Amy McElroy

What does House of the Dragon have in common with some of the bloodiest succession struggles in medieval history?

Historian Matt Lewis joins Rebecca Larson to explore the real history woven into the world of Westeros—from Empress Matilda’s battle for the English throne during the Anarchy to the rivalries and shifting loyalties of the Wars of the Roses. They discuss female succession, disputed heirs, illegitimacy, sibling rivalry, propaganda, and the importance of controlling the capital.

They also examine dragons as symbols of royal authority, the uneasy relationship between church and state, and the devastating human cost when the quarrels of powerful families spill into the streets. Westeros may be fictional, but its politics are unmistakably medieval.

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Host: Rebecca Larson

Guest: Matthew Lewis

Was the marriage between Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves truly doomed from the beginning - or has hindsight distorted the story? Dr. Valerie Schutte joins me to challenge the familiar narrative of Henry’s immediate disgust and Anne’s disastrous failure as queen. We examine what the sources reveal when read chronologically, from their first meeting at Rochester and the couple’s communication difficulties to the questionable testimony used to secure their annulment. We also explore Anne’s religious identity, her status as the king’s “beloved sister,” and the remarkable relationship she maintained with Henry and his children long after the marriage ended.

⁠Buy - Anne of Cleves: The Historical and Cultural Legacy of a Queen--

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Host: Rebecca Larson

Guest: Dr. Valerie Schutte

Would you rather marry Henry VIII or spend five years in the Tower? Serve Katherine of Aragon during her downfall or Anne Boleyn during her rise? Discover the true identity of Perkin Warbeck or finally learn what happened to the Princes in the Tower?

In this episode of Off the Record, Rebecca and Amy face a series of impossible medieval and Tudor choices involving royal marriages, dangerous courts, enduring mysteries and unforgettable historical events. From choosing between York and Lancaster to deciding whether they would rather serve Cardinal Wolsey or Thomas Cromwell, they reveal which risks they would take—and which historical figures they would trust with their lives.

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Co-Hosts: Rebecca Larson & Amy McElroy

In the finale of the Medieval Kings series, Rebecca and Matt answer listener questions, challenge medieval monarchs with some very modern dilemmas, and revisit a few of history’s most persistent mysteries. Who would survive a siege, win Survivor, or make the worst podcast guest? Join us for one final round of crowns, controversy, and medieval kings chaos!

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Host: Rebecca Larson

Guest: Matt Lewis