Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors

Jane Seymour is often remembered as Henry VIII’s one true love, the wife who gave him a son and the queen he chose to be buried beside. But was she really unique, or was her legacy shaped by timing and myth? In this chat, we explore Henry’s love life, Jane’s brief reign, and how her early death made her the “perfect” wife in history’s eyes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

Archaeologist AJ Dair joins me to talk about Henry VIII through the lens of psychology and mental health. We discuss his upbringing, the impact of his jousting accident, and how shifting relationships reveal deeper layers of his mind. Tudorcon From Home tickets at https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choi...

In this episode, we turn from the famous princes in the Tower to their lesser-known sisters... the daughters of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. From Elizabeth of York, the Tudor queen who united two warring houses, to Cecily’s scandalous second marriage, Anne’s unhappy union with the Howards, Catherine’s children who would one day alarm Henry VIII, Bridget’s quiet life in a convent, and Mary’s...

Not every Tudor marriage ended in disaster. In this episode, we look at the rare good guys of Tudor England: from William Cecil’s partnership with Mildred Cooke to Thomas More educating his daughters, Gilbert Talbot’s affectionate letters, and Philip Sidney’s romantic poetry. Even in the sixteenth century, some women didn’t have to settle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...

Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, outlasted Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I. a feat few could match in Tudor England. In this episode, we trace how he survived plots, imprisonment, and shifting regimes to die in power instead of on the scaffold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with another This Week in YouTube where we highlight some recent content from my YouTube channel. This week: The Disturbing Fate of Katherine Parr’s Body; Tudor Body Image - How the Tudors Saw Weight Gain & Loss. Make sure you're subscribed at https://www.youtube.com/@hteysko so you don't miss all the content we put out! Support the podcast for even more exclusive content https://www.pa...

Grammy-nominated lutenist Ronn McFarlane and Richmond guitarist Andrew McEvoy join me ahead of their Tudorcon2025 concert to talk Tudor music, the surprising ties between rock, folk, and the lute, and why court musicians were sometimes accused of being spies. I could have chatted with them for hours - this was such a fun conversation. Check out Ronn McFarlane's website at https://ronnmcfarlane.com...

This episode explores the forgotten women of the Yorkist dynasty - the sisters of Edward IV and Richard III. Anne of York, Elizabeth of York (Duchess of Suffolk), and Margaret of York (Duchess of Burgundy) each lived through the turbulence of the Wars of the Roses and the rise of the Tudors, but their fates were far from simple. From disastrous marriages and confiscated inheritances to sons who de...

Lady Dorothy Jocelyn isn’t a household name, but her life sheds light on what it meant to be a Tudor courtier. From serving queens like Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard to supplying garments for Catherine Parr, she moved between ceremony, politics, and business in a world that rarely remembered women’s contributions. This episode was originally released as a members-only minicast in 2024. Hosted...

In 1568, Mary, Queen of Scots escaped her island prison at Lochleven Castle with the help of loyal supporters. Within days she was leading an army, but defeat at Langside forced her to flee into England where her freedom ended for good. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back with another This Week in YouTube where we highlight some recent content from my YouTube channel. This week: Did the Tudors Fear Friday the 13th; Why Edward IV’s Marriage to Elizabeth Woodville Shocked the English Court. Make sure you're subscribed at https://www.youtube.com/@hteysko so you don't miss all the content we put out! Support the podcast for even more exclusive content https:...

Tudor England… and Florida? In this episode, I chat with Misty Biruk about the surprising Elizabethan connections to the American Southeast; from Protestant forts near Jacksonville to the legend of a Welsh prince in Alabama. It’s a side of Tudor history you’ve probably never heard before. Grab your Tudorcon From Home ticket at https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome to enjoy all our Tudorcon...

Paris, August 1572: the bells ring before dawn, and by nightfall thousands of Huguenots are dead. The St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre shocked Europe, hardened Elizabethan England’s view of Catholic powers, and left Francis Walsingham with scars and convictions that would shape his career. Tudorcon From Home tickets: https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

The Cliffords ruled northern England for 500 years through loyalty, lawsuits, and superior castle-building skills. From the legendary "Shepherd Lord" who hid in the Lake District for 24 years to Lady Anne Clifford, who fought a 40-year legal battle to inherit four castles and rebuilt them all to prove her point. When neighbors joined rebellions, the Cliffords chose the crown, and it paid off spect...

Mary I’s household wasn’t just filled with courtiers... it was a circle of allies who had stood by her through years of disgrace, danger, and political uncertainty. In this episode, we meet the women who served England’s first queen regnant: fools, noblewomen, governesses, and lifelong companions whose loyalty came at a cost. Tudorcon From Home tickets: https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome...

We're back with another This Week in YouTube where we highlight some recent content from my YouTube channel. This week: The Mob That Hunted Anne Boleyn, Margaret Clifford - The Tudor Heiress Who Was Too Close to the Throne? Make sure you're subscribed at https://www.youtube.com/@hteysko so you don't miss all the content we put out! Support the podcast for even more exclusive content https://www.pa...

From jilting one fiancée for her aunt’s fortune, to pocketing a ring from Margaret of Austria, to arranging marriage to an eight-year-old heiress, Henry VIII’s best friend had a talent for mixing romance with ambition. This is the story of the gambles he took before his most dangerous move: secretly marrying the king’s sister. Tudorcon From Home tickets: https://www.englandcast.com/TudorconFromHom...

They were royal... sort of. From John of Gaunt’s scandalous affair to Margaret Beaufort’s political genius, the Beaufort family shaped the Wars of the Roses and put the Tudors on the throne, despite being banned from it themselves. In this episode, we follow their rise, fall, and unexpected revival - all the way to the present-day Dukes of Beaufort. Tudorcon tickets at https://www.englandcast.com/...

hey sailed to France as children with Mary, Queen of Scots, four noble girls, all named Mary. Mary Beaton, Seton, Fleming, and Livingston became her closest companions, and they stayed with her through marriages, murders, imprisonment, and rebellion. This is the story of the Four Marys, the women behind the Queen. Englandcast.com/TudorconFromHome for your Tudorcon From Home tickets, and to join th...

Today we’re looking at a royal scandal you’ve probably never heard of: in 1419, Joan of Navarre - the Dowager Queen and stepmother to Henry V - was arrested for witchcraft. Not because she was guilty, but because the king needed cash. In this video, we dug into why Henry turned on her, what the accusation actually meant, and how Joan ended up imprisoned in luxury… with silk gowns and nineteen groo...

We're back with another This Week in YouTube where we highlight some recent content from my YouTube channel. This week:What Happened to Anne Boleyn’s Mother?; Did Henry VIII Ever Regret the Executions of Anne Boleyn, Cromwell, or Thomas More? Make sure you're subscribed at https://www.youtube.com/@hteysko so you don't miss all the content we put out! Support the podcast for even more exclusive con...

In this episode, I chat with Tudorcon speaker Kendra Drown Pitts about the complex legacy of Mary I. We cover her dramatic rise to power, her marriage to Philip of Spain, the phantom pregnancies, Wyatt’s Rebellion, and yes—the burnings. But we also explore Mary as a human: shaped by trauma, driven by duty, and desperate for love and legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...

For centuries, sharing a bed with friends, family and even strangers was totally normal. From royal sleepovers to flea-bitten inn beds, this episode dives into the forgotten history of communal sleep. Tudorcon tickets will go up in price for in person spaces after tomorrow - https://www.englandcast.com/tudorcon to reserve your space and join us in Richmond this October! Hosted on Acast. See acast....

You know Lady Jane Grey, but what about her sisters? In this episode, we explore the hidden lives of Katherine and Mary Grey: two Tudor women caught between love and loyalty, royal blood and royal punishment. From secret marriages to imprisonment, childbirth in the Tower, and years of house arrest, the Grey sisters lived lives as dramatic as any queen’s; just without the crown. Remember, Tudorcon...

In the final weeks of Henry VIII’s reign, one of England’s most powerful nobles was executed (not for rebellion, but for tweaking his coat of arms). This episode tells the story of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and how Tudor paranoia, court politics, and a bit of heraldry sealed his fate. Early bird pricing on Tudorcon tickets ends Thursday: https://www.englandcast.com/tudorcon Hosted on Acast. Se...