The Royal Studies Podcast

In this episode, host Megan Barber interviews Conor Byrne on his research into the executions of early modern queens. In particular they focus on the visual illustrations of these executions and how they compare to the written accounts of these events. Guest Bio : Conor Byrne is a PhD student at the University of Southampton researching representations of the executions of four British queens in s...

This episode, hosted by Charlotte McCrory, explores the Woodville family who played such a prominent role in late fifteenth century English politics. Historians Danielle Burton, Lynda Pigeon and Kavita Mundan Finn explore the Woodvilles from their early origins in 1066, through to the height of their political power and prominence in the fifteenth century.  Guest Bios Danielle Burton Danielle Burt...

In this episode, host Ellie Woodacre chats with three historians about the lives of three daughters of Eleanor of Aquitaine and Henry II of England: Matilda, duchess of Saxony, Leonor, queen of Castile and Joanna, queen of Sicily and later Countess of Toulouse. We discuss their relationship with their parents and with one another and the pros and cons of being a Plantagenet princess.  Guest Bios:...

In this episode, host Ellie Woodacre interviews Elizabeth Norton and Valerie Schutte about their new books for the Lives of Royal Women series on Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves. We discuss the surprising facts they encountered in their research which gave them new perspectives on these queens and the myths and tropes about their lives that they want to change. If you are in the UK and a member of...

In this episode, host Susannah Lyon-Whaley talks to Ben James about his exciting new book on the female convents of Lisbon, including the royal women who lived in these monastic institutions.  Ben James is a historian of early modern Portugal and completed his doctoral research at King’s College, London. His thesis was entitled The Female Convents of Lisbon 1640-1750: Economies, Material Culture a...

The mini series within the Royal Studies Podcast on Monarchy & Money is hosted by Charlotte Backerra from the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, and Cathleen Sarti from the University of Oxford in the UK. In the Monarchy & Money episodes, they are talking with scholars on why economic questions are important to understand monarchical rule, and how royals are interacting with the economie...

The mini series within the Royal Studies Podcast on Monarchy & Money is hosted by Charlotte Backerra from the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, and Cathleen Sarti from the University of Oxford in the UK. In the Monarchy & Money episodes, they are talking with scholars on why economic questions are important to understand monarchical rule, and how royals are interacting with the economie...

In this episode, host Megan Barber interviews Dr Owen Emmerson about the exhibition ' Capturing A Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn ' at Hever Castle and the memory of this ever fascinating Tudor queen. Guest Bio  Dr Owen Emmerson is a social and cultural historian, author, broadcaster, and historical consultant. He is Assistant Curator at Hever Castle in Kent and recently served as a hist...

In this episode, host Megan Barber interviews Dr Holly Marsden, assistant curator of research at Historic Royal Palaces, on her research on Mary II of England--a fascinating yet often overlooked regnant queen. Guest Bio: Holly Marsden is an assistant curator of research at Historic Royal Palaces, who focuses predominantly on the Queen’s State Apartments at Kensington Palace. She completed her PhD...

In this episode, we have a conversation between the four co-authors of a new textbook in the field of royal studies, Exploring Monarchy in Medieval Europe 1000-1500, Elena (Ellie) Woodacre, Lucinda Dean, Simon Lambe and Patrik Pastrnak. They discuss the challenges that they faced in the composition of the book, the intended audience and use for the textbook and the contributions of colleagues in t...

In this episode, host Susannah Lyon-Whaley inteviews Lauren Working on her new book, A Golden World , which is released this month (June 2026). A Golden World illuminates how the Americas became a visible and material presence in English culture, through a range of unexpected objects: from tobacco leaves strewn in playhouses to a boy wearing a pearl earring. Award-winning historian Lauren Working...

In this episode, host Ellie Woodacre interviews Heidi Dawson-Hobbis on her work on the mortuary chests at Winchester Cathedral. We discuss the history of the mortuary chests, the challenges of identifying which bones belonged to and the only woman whose bones were in the chests--the fascinating queen Emma of Normandy. Guest Bio: Dr Heidi Dawson-Hobbis is a senior lecturer in Biological Anthropolog...

In this episode, host Megan Barber interviews Alfred Hawkins, curator at Historic Royal Palaces on his work at the Tower of London. The interview explores the many faceted role of the Tower as a palace, fortress and prison, its rich history and what royal life there was like in different eras. Guest Bio : Alfred Hawkins is a historian, buildings archaeologist, curator, and broadcaster with a decad...

We are joined by Dr. Elizabeth Eltze to discuss the reign of Amannote-erike, ancient King of Kush. Elizabeth is an early career researcher in ancient northeast African studies – primarily Nubiology. Originally from South Africa, she moved to Auckland, New Zealand some years ago, and completed her studies in Ancient History at the University of Auckland with a doctoral degree in 2019. Guest Bio: Li...

In this episode, host Dr Ellie Woodacre interviews Matthieu Mensch on his book Marie-Thérèse Charlotte of France: Daughter of Marie-Antoinette and Almost Queen , which will be published in May 2026 in Routledge's Lives of Royal Women series. We discuss the trials and tribulations that Marie-Thérèse experienced during the French Revolution and her vital role, in the ever shifting landscape of...

In this episode, the second of our Marie Antoinette related trio, host Dr Ellie Woodacre interviews Tia Caswell on her comparative study of Marie Antoinette and Queen Victoria. We discuss the rationale for bringing these two queens together and what we can learn about both women and queenship from this study. Guest Bio:  Tia Caswell successfully defended her doctoral thesis at the University of No...

In this episode, host Ellie Woodacre interviews Dr Sarah Grant, lead curator for the V&A's incredibly popular 'Marie Antoinette Style' exhibition. We'll discuss the exhibition, the inspiration behind it and what it tells us about Marie Antoinette and her legacy. Guest Bio: Dr Sarah Grant is a Senior Curator in the Department of Art, Architecture, Photography & Design at...

In this episode, host Victoria Barlow interviews Dr Brooke Newman about her recent book The Crown's Silence: The Hidden History of the British Monarchy and Slavery in the Americas . A story hereto relatively unknown to the public (though largely accepted in academic circles), the discussion delves into how, throughout the centuries, the British monarchy heavily invested into and greatly profi...

In this podcast we delve into the story of female sovereignty and chiefly women in Aotearoa New Zealand via the story of Meri Te Tai Mangakahia and Queen Victoria. Our guest speaker Dr. Miranda Johnson is a historian of colonialism and decolonisation, focusing on issues of settler identity, race, indigeneity, citizenship, and the politics of writing history. Her research focuses on Anglophone sett...

In this episode, host Victoria Barlow interviews Lionel Arsac about the recent exhibition at the Palace of Versailles: The Grand Dauphin (1661-1711). Son of a king, father of a king and never king . This exhibition shines a light on the relatively unknown life and career of Louis of France (son and heir of the famous Louis XIV). Their discussion outlines the importance of remembering this interest...

The mini series within the Royal Studies Podcast on Monarchy & Money is hosted by Charlotte Backerra from the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, and Cathleen Sarti from the University of Oxford in the UK. In these Monarchy & Money episodes, they are talking with scholars on why economic questions are important to understand monarchical rule, and how royals are interacting with the econom...

The mini series within the Royal Studies Podcast on Monarchy & Money is hosted by Charlotte Backerra from the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, and Cathleen Sarti from the University of Oxford in the UK. In these Monarchy & Money episodes , they are talking with scholars on why economic questions are important to understand monarchical rule, and how royals are interacting with the econo...

The mini series within the Royal Studies Podcast on Monarchy & Money is hosted by Charlotte Backerra from the University of Klagenfurt in Austria, and Cathleen Sarti from the University of Oxford in the UK. In these Monarchy & Money episodes , they are talking with scholars on why economic questions are important to understand monarchical rule, and how royals are interacting with the econo...

In this episode, host Ellie Woodacre interviews the editor of the cluster ‘Diplomacy as Performative Politics in the Early Modern Courts’, as featured in the December 2025 issue of the Royal Studies Journal (issue 12.2). We discuss the inspiration behind this theme and delve into the contents of the cluster and its original and innovative approach to early modern diplomacy, rulership and courts.  ...

Female Rulers Reimagined in Film and Television – A Royal Studies Roundtable (Part 2) In this second episode of a three-part series, members of the Royal Studies Blog team, Andrea McMillin, Kurtis Pope, and Elena Teibenbacher, come together for an in-depth roundtable exploring how female rulers are reinterpreted in modern popular culture. This continuing discussion introduces the central theme of...