If It Ain't Baroque...

This month please join us in exploring the love stories of the past. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing with you our chats to various historians and we’ll be covering all the ways that Royals can come together, be it through arranged marriage, secret engagements or chance meetings.  On this episode, we’ll be talking about Royal Couples who faced revolutions and regime changes in their c...

Let’s talk about murder that was happening in Anglo-Saxon England, who was killing whom, why and what was the punishment? With kings and queens, Did primogeniture or the lack of it made any difference? What were the most gruesome cases? Annie Whitehead wrote a book on True Murder History in Anglo-Saxon England, with the tagline Justice, Wergild, Revenge , published by Amberley . Find Annie : https...

This month please join us in exploring the love stories of the past. Over the next few weeks we’ll be sharing with you our chats to various historians and we’ll be covering all the ways that Royals can come together, be it through arranged marriage, secret engagements or chance meetings.  On this, the first episode of our Valentines series of 2025, we’re focussing on the Iconic Power Couples...

Please welcome to the podcast Ada Palmer, who is talking about her new book - Inventing The Renaissance , just published with Head of Zeus . Let’s dive in and debunk some myths, shall we? Get Inventing the Renaissance : https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/inventing-the-renaissance-9781035910120/ (UK) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/I/bo246135916.html (USA) Find Ada: https://www.adapalm...

Let’s talk about women’s lives in the medieval era, did you know that they wrote books under their own names? They had a sense of humour? Let’s talk of those women who lived lives on their own terms… We’re sitting down with Hetta Howes, who has recently published her first book with Bloomsbury , called Poet Mystic Widow Wife . Welcome, Hetta! Get Poet Mystic Widow Wife : https://www.bloomsbury.com...

Today we’re sitting down with Anna Abney, who has written a historical fiction quadrilogy set in Stuart England, the first book is called The Master of Measham Hall , published by Duckworth Books . Let’s dive deep into the Restoration era with the Great Plague making its mark. As the story progresses, it will take us all the way to the Glorious Revolution, with the Christmas Prequel rewinding the...

Let’s welcome back Amy McElroy, to talk about Mary Tudor, daughter of Henry VII, sister of Henry VIII, Queen of France by first marriage and Duchess of Suffolk by second. If you remember the Showtime series The Tudors, that’s the one who marries Henry Cavill, and if you watched the recent Amazon Prime show My Lady Jane , which is awesome, by the way, it features her granddaughter as the lead chara...

Today we have a very special guest. He is an OBE and a Grammy award nominee. He has conducted Baroque music the world over, and today he joined us for a chat about his decades-long career, his love of music, the history of his family and of course, his upcoming 75th birthday. Welcome, Nic! Find Nic : https://www.nicholasmcgegan.com/ Listen to Nic : https://open.spotify.com/artist/6tW7J49UTzVDW9ns4...

Heather R Darsie is back on the podcast, this time with her upcoming new book "Katharine of Aragon: Spanish Princess: I Am Not as Simple as I May Seem", published by Amberley Books . Let's re-evaluate what we know of Katharine, as the daughter of Spain. What family drama did she leave behind? What was going on the continent when Henry was trying to divorce her? Did the change of Pope affect Kathar...

This is one of our Bonus Episodes for the Katharine of Aragon Festival which happens this weekend in Peterborough, as it does every year. In this mini episode we’re chatting to Nicola Tallis about the great Tudor Matriarch, Margaret Beaufort. Welcome, Nicola! Join the Festival: Cathedral: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/peterborough/peterborough-cathedral https://peterborough-cathedra...

This is one of our Bonus Episodes for the Katharine of Aragon Festival which happens this weekend in Peterborough, as it does every year. In this mini episode we’re chatting to Dr Elizabeth Norton as she prepares for her talk on Reigning Spanish Queens. Welcome back, Elizabeth! Join the Festival: Cathedral: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/peterborough/peterborough-cathedral https://pe...

This is one of our Bonus Episodes for the Katharine of Aragon Festival which happens this weekend in Peterborough, as it does every year. In this mini episode let’s chat to Peter Stiffel as he teases us on the topic of his upcoming talk at the festival Welcome, Peter! Join the Festival: Cathedral: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/peterborough/peterborough-cathedral https://peterborough...

This is one of our Bonus Episodes for the  Katharine of Aragon Festival which happens this weekend in Peterborough, as it does every year. In this mini episode let’s chat to Nathen Amin as he teases us on the topic of his upcoming talk at the festival Welcome back, Nathen! Get Son of Prophecy : https://www.amberley-books.com/author-community-main-page/a/nathen-amin/the-son-of-prophecy.html Ge...

This is one of our Bonus Episodes for the  Katharine of Aragon Festival which happens this weekend in Peterborough, as it does every year. Let’s talk to Jackson van Uden  - the man in charge of the festival and find out more about this celebration of Katharine of Aragon.  Please enjoy this bonus episode. Join the Festival : Cathedral : https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/peterbo...

How were people educated in the 16th century England? Did girls and boys have different curriculums? Did Henry VIII’s antics influence education at all? And what were the whipping boys? Let’s welcome Amy McElroy, and we’ll be talking about her book Educating the Tudors , published by Pen & Sword . Find Amy : https://amymcelroy.blog/ Educating the Tudors: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Educati...

Today our guest is Ashley Wood, and we’re talking about his new Amberley Published book - Henry’s Shadow , which tells us about the life and times of John Morton, a cleric who was a very important figure during the Wars of the Roses. John Morton was born during the reign of Henry V, with the memory of Henry IV still in the air, and died during the reign of Henry VII, with a future Henry VIII being...

Welcome to season SIX of our independent history podcast. Today we’re talking to Sharon Bennett Connolly, about her upcoming book “Scotland’s Medieval Queens”, soon to be published by Pen & Sword. What do you call a collection of Royal Margarets? A Crown? A Madge? In Sharon's latest book, there is a significant and above average congregation of Royal Ladies named Margaret... Let's hear about t...

It is the 7th January 1536, Katharine of Aragon dies a few weeks after her 50th birthday. She dies ignored by her husband Henry VIII and unable to see her daughter. Let's talk to Jackson van Uden and find out more about the death of this great Queen... Please enjoy this bonus episode. Find Jackson here: https://historywithjackson.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/historywithjackson/ https://www.you...

It is the 30th December 1460, the Battle of Wakefield is about to unfold...  This is one of the lesser known conflicts of the Wars of the Roses, yet its legacy is immense. Let’s talk to Jackson van Uden and find out why… Find Jackson here: https://historywithjackson.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/historywithjackson/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxXh8pNeS7gdE377kgrNOIw Dictators by Jacks...

For this #StuartSunday , Let’s talk about the habits of the Stuarts, what did they wear, what did they believe? How does the pomp and piety go together? And what makes the 17th century so great and unique?  Today we chat to Ben Norman, who’s written a book Pomp and Piety: Everyday Life of the Aristocracy in Stuart England , published by Amberley . Get Pomp & Piety : https://www.amber...

Let’s talk about Kateryn Parr - the last wife of Henry VIII. Who were her first two husbands? Was she indeed the one who survived? What was her relationship like with her step-children? She must have been quite a woman for Henry to leave her as regent when he went to fight the French. To chat all things Kateryn, we have Laura Adkins, who recently published a biography of this queen with Pen &...

It is my absolute pleasure to announce today’s guest - please welcome Elisabeth Basford to the pod, and we talk about HRH Princess Mary Windsor, the paternal aunt to the late Queen, sister to the Duke of Windsor and daughter of George V and Queen Mary. Elisabeth has published her book Princess Mary: First Modern Princess with The History Press . Get the Book : https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publica...

Ever seen medieval knights with guns?  The English Civil War of the 17th century had some of their warriors dressed in medieval armour, as they were sporting the latest gun technology… these knights were under the command of Sir Arthur Hesilrige, one of the underrated figures of this conflict. Today we’re talking to Myke Cole, as Sir Arthur and his medieval-dressed knights are the subject of...

It is 16th December 1535. Katharine of Aragon is dying at Kimbolton Castle, she just turned 50 years old, she knows she will never see her only child again, and her husband has utterly abandoned her. She would die three weeks later. The story of Katharine is one of courage, determination and stoicism.  One can only admire her. ...Today we’re talking to Jackson van Uden about Catherine’s life...

On the 16th December 1485, a little girl was born to the reigning Catholic monarchs of Castile and Aragon - the little girl was named Catalina. She grew up to be one of the most famous women in English history. Not only was she the youngest daughter of Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, she was sister to Juana la Loca, she was also mother to Mary I and the first wife of Henry VIII… Let’s t...