Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

Step back into a world of intrigue, passion, and ruthless ambition — welcome to Tudor England. Join historian and bestselling author Claire Ridgway as she uncovers the riveting stories of the Tudor dynasty. From the scandalous love affairs of King Henry VIII to the tragic fall of Anne Boleyn, the fierce reign of Elizabeth I, and the lesser-known secrets of Tudor court life, this podcast brings history to life in vivid detail. Hear dramatic tales of betrayal, execution, forbidden love, and political manoeuvring that shaped England forever. Discover daily Tudor history with fascinating “On This Day” episodes — unique insights you won’t find in typical history books. Get behind-the-scenes stories from Claire’s own research trips to historic sites like the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Hever Castle, and more. Enjoy interviews with top historians and experts in Tudor studies, plus lively Q&A sessions tackling listeners’ burning Tudor questions. 🖋 Who is Claire Ridgway? Claire is the author of the bestselling On This Day in Tudor History series and numerous other Tudor books loved by readers around the world. She founded The Tudor Society, connecting enthusiasts with experts through live online events, and runs the hugely popular history websites The Anne Boleyn Files and www.ClaireRidgway.com. Her mission: to uncover the human stories behind the crown — the hopes, fears, and triumphs of not only kings and queens but also the courtiers, rebels, and ordinary people who lived under the Tudor rose. What can you expect? - Gripping accounts of famous events like the Field of Cloth of Gold, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, or the Babington Plot. - Intimate portraits of Tudor figures: Anne Boleyn’s charm and downfall, Thomas Cromwell’s rise and brutal fall, Elizabeth I’s cunning survival. - Dark mysteries and unsolved deaths — who really killed Amy Robsart? Was Katherine Howard truly guilty? - Special episodes on Tudor fashion, food, medicine, and the day-to-day lives of Tudor men and women. Join thousands of Tudor fans worldwide Never miss an episode — subscribe now and become part of a global community that can’t get enough of Tudor drama. Explore more with Claire’s books, free resources, and live historical events at www.ClaireRidgway.com. Ready to travel back 500 years? Press play and let the adventure begin.

Episodes

October 11, 2025 8 mins
Did England’s boy-king really tear his pet falcon to pieces? In 1551, a foreign ambassador claimed that thirteen-year-old Edward VI, Henry VIII’s only son, plucked and ripped apart his own falcon, saying he was that bird “whom everyone plucked.” Some at court swore it happened. Others called it lies. Was this a violent outburst, a misunderstood symbol of royal power, or pure Tudor gossip? Join me,  historian Claire Ridgway, as I...

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On this day in Tudor history, 10 October 1530, Thomas Grey, 2nd Marquess of Dorset, died. Soldier, jouster, courtier, and grandfather of Lady Jane Grey, he lived a life that perfectly captured the dangers and rewards of Tudor ambition. Born into royalty - grandson of Elizabeth Woodville and Katherine Neville, sister of the Kingmaker - Thomas grew up in the shadow of shifting alliances and rebellion. He was imprisoned by Henry VII,...

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On this day in Tudor history, 9 October 1536, anger in Lincolnshire burst into open revolt. At Horncastle, a crowd raised their hands in agreement: “We like them very well!”, and sent a blunt list of grievances to King Henry VIII. That petition marked the birth of the Pilgrimage of Grace, the largest uprising of his reign. But how did it start? In the first week of October 1536, fear and fury spread through Lincolnshire:
  • L...
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October 7, 2025 4 mins
How Edward Seymour Went from Power to the Scaffold   On this day in Tudor history, 8 October 1549, England’s most powerful man became its newest traitor. Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and uncle to the boy-king Edward VI, had ruled England as Lord Protector since 1547.    He pushed bold reforms (the Act of Uniformity and the Book of Common Prayer) but rebellion, rivalry, and ambition brought him down. When unrest broke out in 154...
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On this day in Tudor history, 7 October 1589, the bells of Deptford tolled for William Hawkins: merchant, sea captain, three-time mayor of Plymouth, and the steadier, quieter elder of the famous Hawkins brothers. Buried at St Nicholas’s, his monument is lost, but his impact isn’t. In this episode, I trace how Hawkins turned Plymouth into a launchpad for Elizabethan sea power:
  • From Brazil voyages with his father to a Plymouth...
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On 6 October 1557, John Capon, also known as John Salcot, died, probably of influenza.    His career charts the shifting winds of Tudor religion: Benedictine monk, abbot, court preacher, reformer under Henry VIII and Edward VI, and Catholic persecutor under Mary I.    Was he a survivor, an opportunist, or both?    In today’s “On This Day” we explore how one bishop’s career became a case study in Tudor adaptability. What do you thi...
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A spring morning in 1573. A respected London merchant leaves a friend’s house near Woolwich… and ends up dead by Shooter’s Hill. The killer, Captain George Brown, is caught within days. But the real shock wasn’t the killer's identity, it was the letter that told him exactly where to strike… and who wanted George Saunders gone. I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author. In this Tudor true-crime deep dive, we follow the manhunt, the ...
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    Historian Elizabeth Norton joins me to talk about her new book Women Who Ruled the World: 5000 Years of Female Monarchy—from ancient queens to early modern powerhouses. We cover how she chose her rulers, the thorny language of “queen” vs “female king,” why so many societies accepted women only in crises, and the single pattern she kept seeing across five millennia. We also chat process: research vs writing, routines, and beating wr...

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    October 3, 2025 8 mins
    Was Mary Boleyn really “the pretty one”, or is that just fiction? I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author, and today I’m pulling apart the myths to ask what we can actually say about Mary’s appearance. In this podcast you’ll learn:
    • Where our assumptions on Mary come from.
    • How a 17th-century portrait type has been re-identified as Mary Boleyn using dendrochronology (tree-ring dating), provenance, and family inscriptions.
    • Why...
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    On this day in Tudor history, 3 October 1559, Sir William Fitzwilliam, gentleman of Prince Edward’s privy chamber, MP, court insider, and later deputy chancellor in Ireland under Mary I, died and was honoured with burial in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. He was one of those capable, steady figures who moved quietly through the Henrician, Edwardian, and Marian courts, and kept being trusted. Who was he?
    • Born to a family...
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    On this day in 1452, a boy was born at Fotheringhay Castle who would become England’s last Plantagenet king: Richard III.

    I’m Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode we trace Richard’s short, stormy road from noble son to fallen king, and the remarkable afterlife of his story, from Bosworth Field to a Leicester car park and DNA confirmation centuries later.

    In this podcast:

    • Birth & family: the House of York and Cecily Nevi...

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    On 1 October 1526, Dorothy Stafford was born, a woman of Plantagenet blood who would spend forty years at the heart of Elizabeth I’s privy chamber. In this episode, I trace Dorothy’s remarkable path:

    • Family webs: Stafford–Pole lineage (Buckingham & Clarence), and marriage to Sir William Stafford, Mary Boleyn’s widower.
    • Exile & faith: Under Mary I she fled to Geneva; in 1556 John Calvin stood godfather to her son (then...
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    On 30 September 1515, Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII’s elder sister and widow of James IV, slipped across the Scottish border into England: heavily pregnant, newly remarried, and out of power. Her dash to Harbottle Castle set up a birth with huge consequences: Lady Margaret Douglas, whose line would help unite the Tudor and Stuart claims. In this episode I set the scene:
    • The glittering 1503 marriage to James IV and the Flodden a...
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    I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author. On 29 September, the Tudors celebrated Michaelmas, the feast of St Michael the Archangel, heaven’s champion and defender of the Church. Beyond the bells and processions, Michaelmas was one of the four quarter days, the moment the Tudor year turned. In this video:

    • What Michaelmas meant in scripture & worship (Michael vs. the dragon)
    • Quarter day basics: new agricultural year, rents ...
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    Imagine standing shoulder to shoulder with Henry Tudor in exile, then riding back to win a crown at Bosworth. Today we meet Robert Willoughby, 1st Baron Willoughby de Broke: sheriff, soldier, royal fixer and one of Henry VII’s most loyal supporters, who died on 28 September 1502 at Callington, Cornwall. In this episode of On This Day in Tudor History, I, Claire Ridgway (historian & author), trace Willoughby’s journey from West...

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    Who’s the “real” Anne Boleyn—the medal, the portraits, or the version we’ve imagined? In this interview, Helene Harrison joins me to discuss her book The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception—not a biography, but a study of how Anne has been seen across centuries. We explore:

    • What readers should unlearn about Anne’s image
    • Beyond the 1534 medal: which likeness may come closest—and which is most misleadin...
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    September 25, 2025 4 mins
    The Short, Daring Life of Thomas Watson On this day in Tudor history, 26 September 1592, poet and translator Thomas Watson was buried at St Bartholomew-the-Less. You may not know his name, but in Elizabethan circles he was the rule-bender who wrote 18-line “sonnets”, carried letters for Sir Francis Walsingham, supplied lyrics for William Byrd, and once landed in prison after stepping between Christopher Marlowe and a blade. I’m C...
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    September 24, 2025 4 mins

    The Day Mary, Queen of Scots’ Fate Was Sealed On this day in Tudor history, 25 September 1586,  Mary, Queen of Scots was escorted to Fotheringhay Castle. She would never leave. That same week, Elizabeth I agreed to appoint 36 commissioners to try her cousin. The road from captive to condemned began here. I’m Claire Ridgway, historian and author. In this episode, I set the scene and trace the chain:

    • From captivity (1568) an...
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    September 23, 2025 5 mins
    On this day in Tudor history, 24 September 1561, a baby with a claim and a cloud was born inside the Tower of London. Meet Edward Seymour, Viscount Beauchamp, son of Lady Katherine Grey (Jane Grey’s sister) and Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, a couple who secretly married without Elizabeth I’s permission.    The queen refused to recognise the union, branding their Tower-born child illegitimate… yet his pedigree ran straight thro...
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    On this day in Tudor history, 23 September 1568, a tense “harbour truce” at San Juan de Ulúa (Veracruz) exploded into close-quarters battle. Spanish warships surged in; cannon roared; John Hawkins and his young kinsman Francis Drake barely escaped with the Minion and Judith as the flagship Jesus of Lübeck was wrecked. Many English sailors were captured, some facing the Inquisition. I’m Claire Ridgway. In this episode, I unpack the...

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