Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About The Tudors

Today we’re looking at the closest thing Tudor England had to newspapers: the crime pamphlets that reported real murders, scandals, and witchcraft cases in the sixteenth century. We’ll dig into the 1573 killing of George Saunders, the 1592 murder of John Brewen, and a witchcraft case printed that same year, and explore how these pamphlets shaped public ideas about justice long before regular news existed. Yuletide with the Tudors is starting on Monday! Don't forget to add some festive history to your season! https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this session from Tudorcon 2025 Sarah Pixley Papandrea from Agecroft Hall breaks down the real twelve-day Christmas season of Tudor England, from mumming and wassailing to role-reversal games, feast days, and the Lord of Misrule. It’s a lively look at the traditions that shaped winter celebrations across the Tudor world. Yuletide with the Tudors begins Monday, December 1. It’s my digital advent experience running through Twelfth Night, with daily stories and activities exploring these same festive customs. Join at the link in the show notes. https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we explore the life of Jane Lumley, a Tudor noblewoman whose translations made her one of the earliest female scholars in English literature. Through her, we trace the intertwined stories of the FitzAlan and Lumley families, the politics that shaped their world, and the remarkable library that preserved her work. From Nonsuch to the Lumley Chapel at Cheam, her life offers a rare window into the quieter, book-filled side of Tudor England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward the Black Prince was Europe’s most celebrated warrior. Joan of Kent was already notorious for one secret marriage and an accidental second one that sparked a papal court battle. When the two married in secret in 1361, it created a royal crisis that threatened the legitimacy of England’s future heir. In this minicast, we follow Joan from her turbulent childhood and bigamy scandal to her marriage with the Black Prince, their years in Aquitaine, the deaths of their children, Edward’s decline, and her final role guiding young Richard II. A story of ambition, impulse, and a marriage that reshaped the Plantagenet line. Sign up for Yuletide with the Tudors here! https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1586, William Stafford proposed one of the strangest assassination ideas of Elizabeth I’s reign: blowing up the queen’s bed while she slept, even though his own mother served in that room. This minicast unpacks the Stafford Plot, the French connection, and Walsingham’s likely role in turning the whole thing into an intelligence trap. A bizarre slice of Elizabethan espionage with very real political consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Baddesley Clinton looks calm today, but the families who lived there left behind a long trail of drama. This episode follows the Clintons, the fiery Bromes, and the Catholic Ferrers through murder, duels, hidden priest holes, and the Jesuit network that operated out of the house during Elizabeth I’s reign. It’s a full narrative journey through 500 years of secrets inside one Warwickshire manor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did Elizabeth I actually name James VI of Scotland as her heir? Historian Dr. Tracy Borman joins me to talk about her new book, The Stolen Crown, and the newly uncovered evidence showing that the deathbed scene we’ve all heard was rewritten after the fact. We talk about the real contenders for the throne, the political panic around Elizabeth’s refusal to name an heir, Robert Cecil’s king-making, James’s shaky reputation in England, and why the 1603 succession was anything but inevitable. Tracy Borman is Chief Historian for Historic Royal Palaces and the author of numerous Tudor histories. The Stolen Crown is out now. Order it on Amazon or your favorite bookstore! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1596, a young man crossed England with a passport so convincing that constables let him pass from county to county without a second glance. The problem? The document was entirely fake. When Justice Edward Hext finally examined it, he realized it had fooled officials from one end of the kingdom to the other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re looking at what Tudor people actually did to stay clean. From linen “dry baths” and herbal wash water to tooth powders made from salt, sage, and charcoal, this episode walks through the real routines behind Tudor bathing and daily mouth care. It’s a closer look at how people washed, groomed, and kept themselves presentable in a world without modern plumbing or toothpaste. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we’re looking at what a “passport” meant in Tudor England. There were no little booklets, but anyone leaving the kingdom needed royal permission in the form of licences and safe-conducts. Let's do a quick dive into how these documents worked and why the Privy Council watched foreign travel so closely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The other day we looked at the nobility and what they did - today, a look at the gentry, the thousands of families who handled the everyday work of running the kingdom. From managing estates to serving as Justices of the Peace, they kept local government functioning while pursuing their own ambitions. It’s a quick tour of the people who made Tudor England operate behind the scenes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Blounts of Mountjoy were everywhere in Tudor England, from Bessie Blount, Henry VIII’s mistress and mother of his only acknowledged son, to Charles Blount, Elizabeth I’s trusted commander and scandalous lover of Penelope Rich. This episode looks at how one family quietly threaded through a century of royal power, war, and intrigue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1592, Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, Sir Walter Raleigh, and her maid of honour, Bess Throckmorton, were sent to the Tower - not for treason, but for love. Their secret marriage scandalized the court and cost them everything. This is the story of their forbidden romance, their fall from favor, and the loyalty that lasted long after the Queen’s anger cooled. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ever wonder what a Tudor duke actually did all day? In this minicast, we dig into the real jobs of England’s nobles, landlords, courtiers, commanders, and sometimes survivors of royal politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1533, a woman named Alice Tankerville pulled off one of the boldest acts in Tudor history, escaping from the Tower of London. Accused of piracy and murder, Alice used her wit, charm, and the affection of a lovestruck guard to slip out of her chains and nearly make it to freedom. This is the real story of love, betrayal, and a desperate flight under the shadow of Henry VIII’s Tower - featuring lost gold, a doomed romance, and an unforgettable escape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Russell family - future Dukes of Bedford - rose from obscure West Country gentry to the heights of Tudor power. Starting with John Russell, a trusted courtier of Henry VIII, they built their fortune from the lands of dissolved monasteries and turned Woburn Abbey into one of England’s grandest estates. In this episode, we trace how the Russells survived through the shifting faiths of the Tudor court, survived rebellion and revolution, and eventually reshaped London itself through Russell Square and Bedford Square. From monks to magnates, this is the story of the family who built both a dynasty and a city. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Think you know the story of Guy Fawkes? Think again. In this mini episode, we’re uncovering six myths about the Gunpowder Plot, from who really led it to whether the barrels could have actually blown up Parliament. Check out the full episode on the Gunpowder Plot here: https://www.englandcast.com/2018/11/episode-113-remember-remember/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Tudor England, portraits became more than decoration, they were tools of influence. This minicast explores how Renaissance humanism brought individuality and ambition to English art, from Holbein’s lifelike studies of Henry VIII’s court to Elizabeth I’s carefully crafted royal image. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Topcliffe was one of Elizabeth I’s most feared servants - a gentleman who became England’s chief interrogator, hunting Catholic priests in the name of loyalty and faith. Today we'll look at his rise, his notorious torture methods, the scandal that nearly ended him, and his grim legacy as the man who turned service to the Crown into cruelty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode looks at the changing face of witchcraft from the Middle Ages through the Tudor and early Stuart eras. We’ll start with royal women accused of sorcery, like Joan of Navarre and Eleanor Cobham - and trace how superstition turned into state policy under Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and finally King James I. https://www.englandcast.com/haunted-tudor-london-walk/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices