Vulgar History: Regency Era

It's Anne Boleyn Month, and this week we're covering the third part of her life story, where a lot of bad things happen very quickly. Thanks for nothing, Henry VIII. But this isn't the end of Anne's story! Next week, we're joined by an Anne Boleyn expert to discuss her life-after-life, legacy, and why her story still resonates with so many people... and to finally deduce her score on the Fredegund...

Anne Boleyn was the It Girl of the Tudor royal court, and her French ways caught the attention of several men. Unfortunately, one of those was Henry VIII. He set about a multi-year campaign to get to marry her, and eventually did. Everything's going so well! For now... Shop our new Six Queens merch Get 15% off an Anne Boleyn pendant or ring from our brand partner Common Era with code VULGAR15 Join...

October is Anne Boleyn Month! And we're kicking things off with a discussion of Anne Boleyn's lesser-known early years. We learn about her female mentors (there are a lot, mostly named Margaret), her Emily in Paris era, and what brought her back to England in service to Queen Katherine of Aragon. Next time: Everything's going so well! Right? Shop our new Six Queens theme merch Get 15% off an Anne...

Elizabeth Barton, also known as the Mad Maid of Kent, was a prophetess during the Tudor Era. Her visions were so influential that Henry VIII summoned her to court. What did she have to do with Anne Boleyn's downfall... and what led to Elizabeth's own fall from grace? Author Hayley Nolan shares the saga of Elizabeth Barton on this week's podcast. Read Hayley's new book Notorious: Anne Boleyn and th...

What were Black people doing in Tudor England? Playing music, deep-sea diving, exploring, getting married, testifying in court cases, and so much more. Miranda Kauffman shared her research in her 2017 book Black Tudors and joins us on the podcast to explain what you may not know about Black Tudor history. Buy a copy of Miranda's book Black Tudors (affiliate link) Further reading on Black British h...

What was queer life like during the Tudor Era? We're joined by Dr. Kit Heyam to discuss Henry VIII's Buggery Act (boo!), queer poet Richard Barnfield (yay!), and what Shakespeare and Marlowe were really up to (ooh!). Learn more about Kit and his work at kitheyam.com And listen to Kit, and other wonderful guests, on the new podcast Time Travelling Queers — Get Discord access, ad-free episodes, and...

Marie Maitland was a queer poet living during the tumultuous 16th century in Scotland. Her life and writings were mostly unknown until historian Ashley Douglas began to piece it all together. Ashley Douglas joins us this week to discuss how she unearthed Marie's story and the importance of queer history. Buy a copy of Ashley's book With My Own Hand (affiliate link) — Get Discord access, ad-free ep...

Witch hunts were at a fever pitch in Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries. Who was hunted, how were they investigated, and how many were executed? Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell, KC, from Witches of Scotland are here to explain why we are not the daughters of the witches they didn't burn. Pick up a copy of Zoe and Claire's book How To Kill a Witch - now in paperback! (affiliate link) Keep u...

In 1497, King Henry VII of England sent Italian explorer John Cabot to North America. Over the next two centuries, British adventurers came to various parts of Eastern North America. The objects they picked up, created by Indigenous artisans, sparked various trends back in England. Author Lauren Working joins us to talk about some of these objects and the way they shaped culture in Tudor England....

Anne Boleyn is one of the best-known women from the Tudor era. Her family members are less well-known, which is why we're talking about them today. From her Irish granny to her notorious brother and his wife, we're here to talk about The Other Boleyn Family Members and Hever, the home they all shared. Tracy Borman, author of the new novel The House of Boleyn, joins us to discuss all the Boleyn fam...

Catherine of Aragon was Queen of England for twenty-four years. Yet somehow she's usually only remembered as one of Henry VIII's six wives? This cannot stand! This week we are joined by historian Kate Williams to celebrate Catherine of Aragon's Queen Era, and why she deserves to be remembered as more than just some man's wife. Get a copy of Kate's new book Regina: A New History of Women and Power...

Henry VIII stomped all over the Tudor era, and for a long time people thought he was a great guy. Some people knew he was not, like the six women unlucky enough to marry him. But in a post-Six world, Henry is now seen as the villain of this story. We're joined by Jillian Laine, author of the new novel Henry Tudor Must Die, to explain why Henry VIII was, in fact, The Worst. Buy a copy of Henry Tudo...

Margaret of Anjou was a prominent figure during England's Wars of the Roses, just before the Tudor Era. At the end of the Tudor Era, William Shakespeare wrote several plays about the Wars - and in these, we see Margaret progress from young Princess to warrior Queen to mystical witch-crone. No other character has such a dramatic portrayal across Shakespeare's plays. The new book Shakespeare's Marga...

The Tudors are the most famous royal family in English history (or at least, the most notorious). Where did they come from? The surname came from Wales; their claim to the throne came partly from France, and it was, frankly, a little dodgy, which is why later Tudor Kings didn't want you to think about their claim to the throne too hard! This week, we look at the women responsible for bringing the...

The Tudors are the most famous dynasty in English history. Names like Anne Boleyn, Bloody Mary, and Henry VIII are still known today. This season on Vulgar History, we'll spill the tea on the notorious Tudors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zelda Fitzgerald is best known as the long-suffering wife of author F. Scott Fitzgerald. But she was MUCH more interesting than he ever was, and we're here to tell her story. My guest this week is Alicia from Trashy Royals and Trashy Divorces, and she's got a LOT of feelings about Zelda. Listen to Alicia's podcasts Trashy Royals and Trashy Divorces wherever you get podcasts! AND stay tuned to the...

When John Adams was working to establish the United States of America, his wife, Abigail Adams, urged him to "remember the ladies" and grant women greater freedom. Who was Abigail Adams? America's first feminist? The most prolific letter-writer of all time? Queen Charlotte's number one hater? All of the above? We dig into her life with special guest Meredith Constant (from Off With Their Headlines...

Enjoy the first episode of the new podcast NeferTV with Ann Foster and Gina Berry! New episodes every alternate Monday. Subscribe to NeferTV wherever you get podcasts! Gina Berry has watched Spartacus: Blood and Sand many, many times. Ann Foster has never seen it before. Together, they will recap every episode of this series in our new podcast, NeferTV! New episodes every other Monday. In the firs...

Ancient Rome is often thought of as an ideal society where toga-clad men debated democracy while eating grapes. But in fact, the Roman Empire and Republic couldn't have existed without slavery. What were these enslaved people's lives like? Pretty awful, actually! Historian Emma Southon joins us to talk about slavery in Ancient Rome: what it was like, why people like to pretend it wasn't so bad, an...

NeferTV is a new TV recap podcast by Ann Foster and Gina Berry, where we talk about shows set in the ancient world. This season, we're going through every episode of SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND. Subscribe to NeferTV wherever you get podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're joined by return guest Gina Berry (previously heard on our Cleopatra, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, and Livia episodes) to talk about Syrian icon Queen Zenobia. Queen Z was maybe descended from Cleopatra, and definitely defeated the Romans (several times) - and lived to tell the tale. Want more of Gina and me in your lives? Follow our new podcast NeferTV wherever you get podcasts! You can also foll...

English accents have been evolving ever since the first people started speaking this very strange language. People in historic films often speak with a modern British accent, and when they don't, people think it's inaccurate. But what did people really sound like during Shakespearean times? Or American Revolution times? Author and linguist Valerie Fridland joins us to discuss all these questions a...

Wallis Simpson was an American divorcee who won the heart of Prince Edward. In 1935, Edward abdicated as King so that he could marry Wallis. Meanwhile, his brother Prince Albert married Scottish noblewoman Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. For most of their lives, Elizabeth and Wallis hated each other. This dramatic real-life rivalry inspired The Windsor Affair, a new novel by Melanie Benjamin. Melanie joins...

Vulgar History x Betwixt The Sheets: the collab you never knew you needed! I was so excited to chat with Dr. Kate Lister of Betwixt the Sheets about her new book: Flick: A Brief History of Female Pleasure. Flick shares the story of female sexual pleasure from ancient Mesopotamia to the 1960s so-called sexual revolution and right up to modern day. Have you heard that proper British ladies would "si...

Jane Austen remains the most famous person who lived during the Regency Era. As a finale of our Regency Era podcast series, we look at why her books (and life) are still so popular today. Our guest is June Hur, a lifelong Jane Austen fan. June's newest book, Behind Five Willows reimagines Pride & Prejudice in 18th-century Korea, and features several Easter Eggs for Austen fans. Buy a copy of June...