If It Ain't Baroque...

Join us this month and explore the love stories of the past. This February we're sharing our chats to various historians and covering all the ways that Royals can come together, be it through arranged marriage, secret engagements or chance meetings.  Strange Bedfellows.. On this episode of our Valentines Series, we’re looking at couples, where the couple didn't take to each other and in the w...

Join us this month and explore the love stories of the past. This February we're sharing our chats to various historians and covering all the ways that Royals can come together, be it through arranged marriage, secret engagements or chance meetings.  Only Love Can Hurt Like This.. On this episode of our Valentines Series, we’re looking at couples, where an arranged marriage of a monarch led t...

Join us this month and explore 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.  My Heart Flies to Your Service... On this episode of our Valentines Series, we’re looking at couples, where a mon...

Join us this month and explore 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.   I Would Not Wish Any Companion in the World but You... On this, the third episode of our Valentines series,...

Join us this month and explore 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.  We Found Love Right Where We Are On this, the second episode of our Valentines series, we’re focussing on the the...

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, we’re focussing on the Windsor Couples. To help us u...

Welcome to If It Ain't Baroque... podcast! We’re now in the second season! 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.  Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, wa...

On this episode we Gemma and Natalie interview Catherine Curzon, author of many books on the Georgians. The episode focusses on the two Georgian Queens Consort, both called Caroline - Caroline of Ansbach, wife to George II and Caroline of Brunswick, wife to Prince Regent. The two women couldn't be more different from each other - one was a wise politician in love with her husband; and the other -...

The Holiday Banter Episode is ready for your earholes...as TK would say herself. Please join Gemma, Natalie and TK as they chat about holidays, celebrations and traditions around the world... Icelandic Christmas-related cat is mentioned as a behaviour-correcting aid, as well as the recent American traditions of Elf on the Shelf and Boo Baskets...what's all that about? Also TK spills the secret on...

What part did women play in the Norman Conquest? Were they as important as the men fighting the battles? Why was Emma of Normandy crucial to the Battle of Hastings even though she was long dead by the time William the Bastard was sailing across the channel? ...Enjoy an additional bonus of Scottish medieval history and why Chris Pine matters... Find Sharon here: @sharonbennettconnolly on Instagram...

In this episode Gemma and Natalie discuss the cultural phenomenon 'The Crown', its second half - seasons four, five and six. What does the show mean, for UK and the world? Which casting choices we applaud? What does the crown and 'The Crown' mean to popular culture? Why do we love our royals? Please find our favourite books on the Windsors here: https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/the-qu...

In this second half of the two-parter, we discuss Catherine of Aragon, a.k.a. Catalina de Aragon. In this episode we cover Legacy, Geography, Edutainment and Pop Quiz segments, having done Who Are You?, Life on Stage and Screen, Fun Facts and Controversy last time. Catherine...the youngest daughter of the most Catholic monarchs ever...ended up being the eldest wife of Henry VIII. There are many my...

Gemma and Natalie are chatting to Molly Anderson of Promenades Travel. Please expect lots of fangirling about travelling around Britain in search of history, and many memories of visiting castles. Find more on the Promenades Travel here: https://www.promenadestravel.com/ Please find more history fodder on our website https://www.ifitaintbaroque.art/ and if you would like to come with me on a walki...

The mystery of the Princes in the Tower has been beguiling history fans for a very long time. Did they escape? Did they die? Were they the 'pretenders' that Henry Tudor had to defeat? Did Uncle Richard have anything to do with their disappearance? Why was their aunt Margaret of Burgundy preparing for an invasion to England after the Battle of Bosworth? Eleven years after finding Richard III's skel...

Tune in to find out all about The White Ship disaster of 1120. Why does this tragedy been dubbed 'the medieval Titanic'? Who died on this ship and why it's important to acknowledge its impact on history. Our guest Chris Riley - of The Historians Magazine - spills the nauty details of this infamous sinking. You can find Chris on @chrisrileyhistory on IG and  linktr.ee/pastandpresentmedia If yo...

In this episode Gemma and Natalie discuss the cultural phenomenon 'The Crown', its first half - seasons one, two and three. What does the show mean, for UK and the world? Which casting choices we applaud? Which season is our favourite? Please find the books on the show here, both available on Kindle at the time of writing: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B072BNXK8S?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=...

The three royal ladies are: Catherine de Medici, Elisabeth de Valois and Mary Queen of Scots: French, Scottish and Spanish Queens in the same household and on the arena of European politics….how did that go down? Why did Elisabeth de Valois never enjoyed a popular history spotlight until now? Why are people still fascinated with Mary Queen of Scots and what has her upbringing to do with her downfa...

The cosmos of the Plot reaches far and wide… which Shakespeare play was a direct result of this attack on the Scottish King? When did these religious tensions subside?  Why do people wear Guy Fawkes masks when they protest? Which famous actor is related to the ring leader of this rebellious group? Gemma and Natalie tackle the cosmos of the Gunpowder Plot and its far reaching consequences, as...

Fifteenth century England. Four women at the height of their power were accused of witchcraft. Was there some truth to the accusations or was it simply a ploy by those who wanted to discredit these women? Let's explore what dangers these royal ladies faced: Joan of Navarre, Eleanor Cobham, Jacquetta of Luxembourg and Elizabeth Woodville. Please see link to the book here: https://www.thehistorypres...

The second of our Halloween Specials features an interview with our beloved guest Chris Wood about his first book 'Famous Last Words', please find here: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Famous-Last-Words-Confessions-Humour-and-Bravery-of-the-Departing-Paperback/p/18951/aid/1238 The book boasts 20+ chapters on the last words uttered by someone before they died: from executions, to suicide, to murder...

Pondering on the pandemic, conclusions from COVID and lessons from lesions: all this and more is awaiting you on our new episode. The first of our Halloween Specials is dedicated to The Black Death, and our guest is Chris Riley of The Historians Magazine fame. Tune in to our episode to see what the OG pandemic has taught us. What can we expect in the future, given that the world has just gone...

On the birthday of this in/famous king, we delve into the myths about Richard III. What was the real Richard like? What are the lessons we can draw from his tale? What famous screen portrayals were based on his life as well as the Shakespeare version of him, and why are they different? We also explore some random and silly, questions, like what book we would recommend him, and what film he would l...

In this first half of the two-parter, we discuss Catherine of Aragon, a.k.a. Catalina de Aragon. In this episode we cover the Who Are You? , Life on Stage and Screen , Fun Facts and Controversy segments, leaving The Legacy , Geography , Edutainment and Pop Quiz for next time. Catherine...the youngest daughter of the most Catholic monarchs ever...ended up being the eldest wife of Henry VIII. There...

On this episode we interview Olga, a renowned perfume tour guide. We dive deep into the history of perfume. Come along on the journey and discover the connection between fragrance and your favourite historical persons, be it Napoleon, Catherine de Medici or Florence Nightingale! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our second episode we talk about Queen Charlotte, and why she deserves to step into the historical limelight, so many years after her death. We look at her life, her death and her relationship with her family. Was she friends with Marie Antoinette? Did she truly love George? Why is there a painting of her in North Carolina? And...was she indeed Britain's First Black Queen? We mention a few book...