Madness, Melancholy, and Moonbeams: Mental Illness in Tudor Times

In today’s podcast, I’m diving into a thought-provoking—and often heartbreaking—topic: mental illness in Tudor England.

From moon-induced madness and “uterine vapours” to melancholy queens and frenzied courtiers, the Tudor understanding of mental health was a complex mix of medicine, superstition, religion, and fear.

Did you know Jane Boleyn’s breakdown led Henry VIII to change the law so she could be executed? Or that people paid to watch the inmates of Bedlam Hospital for entertainment? And what about Richard Pace, Henry VIII’s secretary, who was said to tear his clothes and rant?

I’ll explore how Tudor people defined and treated mental illness, the roles of institutions like Bedlam, beliefs about the four humours, “wandering wombs,” and how the Dissolution of the Monasteries impacted care for the mentally ill.

We’ll meet real historical figures—from Queen Mary I to court fools considered holy—and look at how the legal system, family, and Church responded to mental illness.

Inspired by my research with Clare Cherry and Amelia Sceats’ brilliant thesis, this is a deep dive into a rarely discussed but important aspect of Tudor life.

Like, subscribe, and share your thoughts in the comments—how do you think society's view of mental illness has changed?

#TudorHistory #MentalHealthHistory #JaneBoleyn #AnneBoleyn #Bedlam #HistoryVideo #ClaireRidgway #TudorMadness #HistoricalTruths #HenryVIII

Sceats, Amelia G. (2016) Rationality and reality: perspectives of mental illness in Tudor England, 1485- 1603. Masters thesis, University of Huddersfield - https://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/31474/