Six Queens

To wrap up the Dynasty series, Kate and Cally are discussing the enduring legacies of our six queens and how the impacted the Tudor dynasty (and the British monarchy). In this first part, they're looking at the ways in which the queens' legacies were shaped in the immediate decades following their reigns and deaths. Using Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn as case studies, how did Henry VIII try...

Before the age of public news and media, how did the English public form opinions of our queens? How did those opinions affect queenship and political strategy? How did queens make themselves visible to their subjects? And if all else failed, how did spectacle play a key role in winning over the public? After spending a season talking about propaganda and queenly image, Kate and Cally are discussi...

What makes the "perfect" queen, not just in the Tudor period but across history? How did our Six Queens strive to meet those often unrealistic expectations? How do their experiences compare with other queens both historical and modern? In this very special episode, Kate and Cally are joined by historian, author, and broadcaster Professor Kate Williams , whose new book Regina: A New History of Wome...

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Kate, Cally, and the lovesick Henry VIII, whose ardent letters to Anne Boleyn give us a glimpse into a dangerous and history-making romance. What do these letters tell us about Henry and Anne's courtship? Can we infer anything about Anne's personality and feelings from the letters, despite the fact that her responses have not survived? And how are we even reading the...

How did political and religious factions come to dominate Tudor politics? How did these factions contribute to our queens' triumphs and downfalls, shape their legacies? In this episode, Kate and Cally continue the "Dynasty" series by delving into the complicated web of Tudor politics, the factions that arose during the "Great Matter," and how our queens were (willingly and unwillingly) made figure...

Kate and Cally are joined by author and "Tudor-adjacent" historian Heather Darsie to talk about her new book, "If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause": The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn (2025). Darsie uses her legal and research backgrounds to investigate the downfall, trial, and execution of Anne Boleyn, bringing a fresh perspective to an often-told story. How does the book contextualize Anne as...

Hang out with Kate and Cally as they celebrate the holiday season and keep up their tradition of watching Christmas films together. This time, Cally introduces Kate to the popular television show The Tudors (2007-2010), which has a rather infamous relationship with Tudor historians. The show follows the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII and features some of the most memorable depictions of our six qu...

"Honourable Mentions" is a series that honours the lives of Tudor women who knew, aided, and impacted the lives of our six queens. This season, Kate and Cally unpack the life of one of the most powerful women of fifteenth-century Europe: Isabel of Castile. In addition to being the mother of Katherine of Aragon, she was a queen in her own right, a conqueror with a complicated legacy, and the e...

How did international alliances and connections strengthen the Tudor dynasty? How did the marriages of royal women, including two of our queens, contribute to the Tudors' power? And how did those women use their family ties to influence European politics and their own queenships? Kate and Cally zoom out from Tudor England to show the complicated, interconnected web of European politics, and the wa...

How did queens use portraiture to not only capture likeness, but to demonstrate political power? What can portraits tell us about the queens they represent? Kate and Cally will discuss the importance of portraiture in understanding the political motives and legacies of our queens, especially Katherine Parr, whose surviving output is unique and impressive. Follow along by clicking these links and s...

"Dynastic portraits," showing the royal family in group scenarios, are some of the most fascinating portraits of the Tudor era. What do they tell us about the politics of the monarchs who commissioned them? How do they seek to create certain narratives and, in some cases, rewrite history? And even if they're not depicted, how did our queens influence the art? Kate and Cally will discuss four paint...

How did our six queens use feminine ideals to create their public images? How did they define their personas and politics within society's patriarchal standards for women? And what happened when they failed to meet those standards? In this episode, Kate and Cally discuss three important female archetypes and how our queens were defined by often unattainable expectations. Follow  @sixqueenspod...

How did the Tudors launch one of the best marketing campaigns in English royal history? What were the political strategies behind choosing a royal symbol? How did our queens choose their symbols, managing to stress their individual assets while also contributing to dynastic legacy? Kate and Cally break down the politics and symbolism behind some of the best-known Tudor symbols, including the famou...

Our six queens married into the Tudor Dynasty, one of the most well-known royal families in history. How did the Tudors become so famous? How did they cultivate such a lasting image for themselves? And how did our queens contribute to this dynastic success? In this Series 6 premiere, Kate and Cally introduce you to the image-building, political consciousness, and paranoia that created the Tudor Dy...

We're back! Welcome to the latest season of Six Queens: Dynasty. Get a sneak peek at some of the episodes coming your way this autumn. Premieres 14 September 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Series 5 has come to an end, so Kate and Cally are on Instagram Live chatting all things Court: what we've learned, favorite episodes, series highlights, and audience questions. You'll also get a preview of the upcoming Series 6, plus the projects happening in the "off season." Partially-edited recording of a live broadcast streamed 2 March 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inf...

How did queens use art to further their politics? What hidden meanings lurk behind every portrait of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Parr? How did foreign brides, like Katherine of Aragon, use art to display their global power and connections? Why was patronage of artists so important at the Tudor court? To conclude our Court season, Kate and Cally are speaking with art historian D...

In the twenty-first century, we all acknowledge the drama of having six queens at a court, but how did the Tudor court react to it all? Did any of our queens ever have to confront her predecessor or replacement? What courtly etiquette existed to make such a confrontation as civil as possible? For a little New Year's treat, Kate and Cally are exploring one of the most awkward encounters ever at the...

The Mirror and the Light , based on the novel by Hilary Mantel, is the sequel series to 2015's BBC drama  Wolf Hall . Kate and Cally have waited ten years for their favorite period drama to return and, so far, it has not disappointed! Join us as we unpack all the Tudor politics, courtly drama, and on-screen depictions of five of our six queens. In this last installment, Kate and Cally are dis...

The Mirror and the Light , based on the novel by Hilary Mantel, is the sequel series to 2015's BBC drama  Wolf Hall . Kate and Cally have waited ten years for their favorite period drama to return and, so far, it has not disappointed! Join us as we unpack all the Tudor politics, courtly drama, and on-screen depictions of five of our six queens. Kate and Cally watched the first few episodes an...

The Mirror and the Light , based on the novel by Hilary Mantel, is the sequel series to 2015's BBC drama Wolf Hall . Kate and Cally have waited ten years for their favorite period drama to return and, so far, it has not disappointed! Join us as we unpack all the Tudor politics, courtly drama, and on-screen depictions of five of our six queens. In this installment, Kate and Cally react to the premi...

It's an entire film about the life of Katherine Parr and it's finally here! Kate and Cally, joined by special guest Bonnie from The Queen Katherine Parr Society , are reviewing Firebrand (2023), which finally hit international cinemas this month. The film gives an intimate and harrowing look at Katherine's queenship and the Tudor court in the final years of Henry VIII's reign. What was it like to...

Come celebrate the third anniversary of Six Queens Podcast! Kate and Cally host a chat on Instagram Live, reflecting on how far the show has come in three years and answering audience questions. Partially-edited recording of a live broadcast streamed 14 September 2024. SUBSCRIBE to Six Queens on Substack  to get extra features for this episode, access to community discussions, and more! Hoste...

How did our queens use clothing and jewelry to shape their public personas? What did their fashion choices say about their political agendas? How was the Tudor court influenced by the style of a queen? And what can we learn about our queens through the jewelry collection that they all shared? In perhaps our most fun episode yet, Kate and Cally are discussing the fashion and jewelry of our six quee...

What did our six queens do for fun at the Tudor court? How did popular pastimes like dancing, singing, playing instruments, playing sports, jousting, and hunting allow courtiers to show off their political savvy? How is entertainment often tied to danger, excitement, and violence? And which came first, the fun or the politics?! In this episode, Kate and Cally will introduce you to a variety of Tud...