Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About The Tudors

Before he became Henry VIII’s chief minister, Thomas Cromwell spent nearly twenty years in obscurity. From fighting as a mercenary in Italy to working for a Florentine banker and trading in Antwerp, these mysterious “lost years” shaped the man who would one day change England forever. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1598, Shakespeare’s company secretly dismantled their old playhouse, The Theater, and carried the timbers across the Thames to build the Globe. This minicast tells the story of the midnight heist that gave us the most famous stage in history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1598, playwright Ben Jonson (rival and friend of Shakespeare) faced actor Gabriel Spencer in a duel at Hoxton Fields. Spencer was killed, and Jonson landed in prison, facing execution for murder. He escaped the noose through a loophole in Tudor law known as benefit of clergy and walked free, branded but alive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tudors get all the glory, but no family in England gambled more than the Seymours. They went from quiet country gentry to the heart of Henry VIII's court, a move that gave them a Queen, a King, and a spectacular downfall. But what happens to a family when two of its greatest members are executed for treason? In this episode, we follow the Seymours from their humble start, through their ruthless ambition and tragic fall, to their incredible survival into the modern day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Her grandmother was beheaded. Her father was executed. Her uncle exiled. But while so many of her relatives fell to Tudor paranoia, Katherine Pole not only survived; she built a dynasty. In this episode, we'll tell the forgotten story of the woman whose royal blood put her in mortal danger, but whose quiet wisdom and shrewd alliances helped her outlast the Tudor purge and secure her family’s legacy. Tudorcon From Home is coming up! https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A queen's death changes everything. When Marie of Guise, the powerful mother of Mary, Queen of Scots, died in 1560, it sparked rumors of poisoning. But was it a conspiracy or a convenient twist of fate? Let's talk about how this single event led to a historic treaty and set the stage for one of history's most epic rivalries: Elizabeth vs. Mary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the name, but do you know the full story? Katherine Howard, the fifth wife of Henry VIII, is famous for her tragic end. But the real story is in her chaotic beginnings. Today we look at her unconventional upbringing, the shocking secrets of her youth, and how the "Rose Without a Thorn" was set up for failure long before she ever met the King. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Tudors weren’t just political power players, they were also deeply superstitious. In this video, we look at the strangest beliefs of the era: strange births seen as divine warnings, everyday superstitions like “bless you” and knocking on wood, ghost lore and sin-eaters, witchcraft paranoia, and medical cures involving beetles, fox fat, and even buttered frogs. Tudor life was fascinating, frightening, and sometimes very funny. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Playwright Rosamond Graves joins me to talk about her new play Three Queens, premiering at the Gamut Theatre in Harrisburg, PA. The play imagines Mary I, Elizabeth I, and Lady Jane Grey meeting on the eve of Jane’s execution, exploring power, survival, and how history remembers these women. Go see the play if you're local to Central PA: https://www.paonstage.com/shows/2025/harrisburg/three-queens Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, we trace the scandalous yet enduring relationship between John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, from mistress and governess to Duchess of Lancaster. Their children, the Beauforts, carried the stain of illegitimacy but became central to English politics, and through Margaret Beaufort, their bloodline gave rise to the Tudor dynasty. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Forget modern self-help books: the Tudors had their own guides for living well. In this episode, we look at advice from Thomas More, Erasmus, Roger Ascham, William Harrison, and John Dee. From moderation and kindness to simple faith and the pursuit of knowledge, their lessons still resonate today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Tudor England, time was shifting from the rhythms of the sun and church bells to the tick of mechanical clocks. This episode explores how the Tudors measured their days, from sundials and cathedral clocks to Anne Boleyn’s gilt-bronze timepiece and Henry VIII’s spectacular astronomical clock at Hampton Court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1511, Henry VIII’s son, Henry Duke of Cornwall, lived to adulthood. As King Henry IX, he married into the Spanish Netherlands and led England into a Catholic Golden Age: no Anne Boleyn, no Elizabeth I, and no English Civil War. Here’s how history might have looked if the first Tudor prince had survived. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s autumn, and the spider webs are everywhere. But in Tudor England, spiders weren’t just pests. They carried layers of meaning: omens of luck, remedies for illness, and even ties to witchcraft. In this minicast, we’ll look at how Tudors thought about spiders, their place in folklore and medicine, and why these creepy crawlies are still tied to Halloween today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another one from the Members Only vault from a few years ago. Meet Anne Herbert, sister of Catherine Parr, who played her own important role in Tudor history. Serving multiple queens, becoming chief lady-in-waiting to her sister, and marrying into the powerful Herbert family, Anne stood at the heart of court life. A devoted supporter of the Reformed faith, she corresponded with leading scholars and helped shape the religious and political shifts of her time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Howard family rose from Bosworth’s ashes to become one of the most powerful dynasties of Tudor England, producing queens, poets, and traitors. In this episode, we trace their rise at Flodden, their heights under Anne and Catherine Howard, their dramatic falls under Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, and their survival into the Stuart age. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Henry VIII’s final will was meant to control the Tudor succession, but it left a legacy of confusion. Signed with a dry stamp instead of Henry’s own hand, the will cut out the Stuart line. Yet James VI of Scotland inherited the English crown anyway. Today we’ll explore what the will said, why it was controversial, and how it shaped the future of England. Tudorcon From Home tickets: https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On September 7, 1533, Anne Boleyn delivered her first child, a daughter named Elizabeth. Henry VIII had planned for a son, but instead England welcomed the girl who would one day be its most famous queen. Today we look at Anne’s confinement at Greenwich, the shock of Elizabeth’s birth, and the dazzling christening that followed, where politics and family rivalries played out in full display. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How did coffee change England forever? In this episode, we trace the rise of coffee houses from Oxford’s first shop in 1650 to London’s bustling Cornhill, where pamphlets, politics, and newspapers were brewed alongside the coffee. We’ll see why Charles II tried to ban them, how the Women’s Petition Against Coffee mocked them, and how Lloyd’s Coffee House gave birth to one of the world’s great financial institutions. Coffee houses weren’t just about caffeine. They were the birthplace of England’s public sphere. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When did people first start eating out in England, and how did the Reformation play a role? This episode traces the rise of taverns, cook shops, and ordinaries in medieval and Tudor England, from the first tablecloths in Westminster to the explosion of alehouses after the monasteries closed. Discover how eating out shifted from charity to commerce, and why it mattered for more than just food. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices