Not Just the Tudors
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores a wide range of historical topics, from the Aztecs to witches, Velázquez to Shakespeare, Mughal India to the Mayflower. Each episode features interviews with historians and experts, revealing incredible stories about one of the most fascinating periods in history. New episodes are released every Wednesday and Sunday. The podcast is produced by History Hit, the world's best history channel.
Episodes
James V: Scotland's Ambitious Renaissance King
Was James V of Scotland a beleaguered child king or a brilliant Renaissance ruler who mastered the performance of power?Crowned before his second birthday, James curbed powerful magnates, strengthened royal authority and secured Scotland’s place in Europe, holding together a kingdom threatened by faction, England and religious upheaval.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr Amy Blakeway to re
True Crime: Mass Murderering Artist Cellini
How did a murderous, swaggering, wildly unreliable goldsmith become one of the most celebrated artists of the 16th century? Does genius excuse monstrous behaviour?Benvenuto Cellini's story is as shocking as it is dazzling, taking him from the bloody streets of Florence to the Sack of Rome, papal prisons, accusations of sodomy, spectacular jailbreaks and timeless artistic masterpieces.Professor Suz
C.S. Lewis & Narnia: Renaissance Origins
Why does C.S. Lewis's Narnia - with its images of winter, sacrifice, kingship and renewal - continue to resonate with generations of readers? How did Lewis weave Renaissance symbolism and Christian imagination into one of literature’s best-loved fantasy worlds?Lewis’s deceptively simple children’s stories were shaped by his scholarship in classics, literature and theology. Professor Suzannah Lipsc
The Star Chamber: Murder, Witch & Libel Trials
What really happened inside England’s most feared court? Was the Star Chamber a sinister instrument of royal tyranny, or a vital route to justice for those ignored by ordinary law?From its rise under Henry VII to its abolition in 1641, the Star Chamber heard cases involving murder, witchcraft, libel, corruption, riots, political dissent and scandalous family feuds.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is jo
William Cecil: The Power Behind Elizabeth I
Who really ruled Elizabethan England?For almost four decades, William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, guided Queen Elizabeth I through religious turmoil, assassination plots, the threat of the Spanish Armada, the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the unresolved question of succession.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Jon Culverhouse to explore the life and legacy of the meticulous, fiercely
Witnesses to the French Revolution
What was the French Revolution like for those who lived through it? What can private journals reveal that speeches, pamphlets and official records cannot?From the storming of the Bastille to the Terror and the guillotine, ordinary witnesses recorded the personal impact of 1789, political violence, revolutionary identity and everyday life in Paris.In this final episode of our mini-series on the Fre
New Discovery: Who Really Wrote Elizabeth I's Letters?
Was Elizabeth I really as angry and bad tempered as history has always claimed? How did some of her most secret state letters come to be penned by a Spaniard, while England was at war with Spain?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb breaks the news of groundbreaking research that proves Elizabeth's secretaries - especially her 'spymaster' Francis Walsingham - put words into the Queen's mouth to amplify her
Robespierre & Revolutionary Terror
How did the French Revolution, built on liberty, become ruled by fear? And how did Robespierre - the man who had sent kings, nobles and priests to their deaths - himself end up beneath the blade of the guillotine?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Marisa Linton explore the rise and fall of the lawyer, revolutionary, and architect of the Reign of Terror,MORE:Marguerite de Navarre: Mother of
How Protestants Justified Slavery
Was the Protestant Reformation ever truly global? How did radical theology, empire, slavery and missionary ambition collide across the early modern world?The global spread of Christianity was marked by failure, compromise and moral evasion.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Alec Ryrie to uncover the forgotten history of Protestant missions beyond Europe: from Lapland to Chile, from Barba
French Revolution: Storming of the Bastille
What drove a hungry city to storm a fortress? How did the fall of the Bastille become the defining symbol of the French Revolution?In this second episode of our series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Marisa Linton visit Paris on the verge of revolt. Together they explore the build-up to the storming of the Bastille, one dramatic day which changed the heartbeat of the French Revolution.M
True Crime: Murder & the Popish Plot
Was a London magistrate, found dead in a ditch in 1678, the victim of a Catholic conspiracy, political convenience, or secrets too dangerous to survive? Why did Edmund Berry Godfrey's murder send England into hysteria?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Andrea McKenzie to reopen the case. Drawing on newly deciphered letters, secret correspondence and neglected archives, they uncover a mur
Who Lit the French Revolution?
How did a kingdom of palaces, privilege and powdered wigs collapse into revolution? What turned hunger into uprising?In this first episode of our series on the French Revolution, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Charles Walton discuss the slow-burning crisis that transformed frustration into revolt. Together they explore life in Paris in 1789, where soaring bread prices, royal debt and radical
Bess of Hardwick: Elizabethan England's Richest Woman
How did a Derbyshire gentlewoman become England’s richest woman after Elizabeth I? Why does she still fascinate us as her 500th anniversary approaches?From four marriages and vast wealth to Hardwick Hall, Chatsworth and the Cavendish dynasty, Bess of Hardwick turned survival into power.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Lisa Hopkins to discover a gripping story of female ambition,
Edmund Halley & His Comet
How did our understanding of the universe begin in a London coffee house? How did a man who had a comet named after him change science forever?From his youthful voyage to St Helena to chart the southern skies, to his pioneering studies of navigation, longitude, gravity, and the Earth’s atmosphere, Edmund Halley’s curiosity knew no bounds.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by David K. Love to ex
The Mayflower and its Pilgrims
Why did the Pilgrims risk everything in search of a new life and religious freedom? Why does their contested history still matter ahead of the 250th anniversary of American independence?In 1620, the Mayflower carried English religious separatists, across the Atlantic to found Plymouth Colony.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb speaks with Professor John G. Turner about their dangerous Atlantic crossing,
Jamestown: From Colony to Cannibalism
**This episode contains graphic explorations of starvation and cannibalism**What happens when a colony reaches the edge of survival?In this third episode leading up to the 250th anniversary of American independence,Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr Rachel Winchcombe examine the so-called Starving Time of 1609-1610, when Jamestown settlers faced famine, desperation and cannibalism. Together they r
True Crime: Moll Cutpurse - London's Cross-Dressing Criminal
How did one woman scandalise sixteenth century London by refusing to live by its rules?Mary Frith - aka Moll Cutpurse - rejected the expectations of respectable womanhood, wore men’s clothes, smoked a pipe, carried weapons, and frequented London’s taverns, theatres, prisons and courtrooms.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Holly Marsden explore the extraordinary life and afterlife of Moll - pickp
Pocahontas & the Virginian Venture
How did the Stuarts turn fragile American outposts into an empire? How did English settlers, Native peoples - including Pocahontas - and London investors shape 17th-century Virginia, and why do these early colonial encounters still matter as the 250th anniversary of American independence approaches?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined again by Distinguished Professor Peter C. Mancall to discuss S
How Guns Changed the World
How did the gun become a fashion item in Renaissance Italy? Why do debates over firearms, self-defence and public safety sound so familiar today?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and historian Catherine Fletcher trace the rise of guns from battlefield technology to coveted courtly accessory. Together they discover how firearms transformed warfare, society and empire-building, and why the history of gun
Elizabethans in America
How did two Indigenous men help shape Elizabethan England's dreams of empire? What do these early encounters tell us about the contested beginnings of colonial America?In the 1580s, English explorers ventured west in search of land, influence and advantage. But this was not an inevitable march toward empire.As the 250th anniversary of American independence approaches, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb a
Great Plague of London
What effect did the Great Plague have on Londoners, their society and the wider state?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Rebecca Rideal revisit the summer of 1665, as a few suspicious deaths grew into a crisis that swept through the city with devastating speed. Entire households vanished, fear curdled into suspicion, outsiders were written out of the official record - and Restoration England was resh
Anne Boleyn: Ambition or Faith?
Was Anne Boleyn a seductress, a schemer, or something far more radical? What happens when we look at Anne not through the lens of sex and scandal, but through religion?From Tudor observers to Six the Musical, Anne Boleyn has been labelled the woman who tempted, manipulated and overreached. But Professor Suzannah Lipscomb's guest Reverend Canon Martha Tatarnic, an Anglican priest, instead offers ne
Rise & Fall of James IV of Scotland
How did a teenage rebel become Scotland’s king, and rule a realm riven by feuds and shifting loyalties? James IV balanced chivalry, diplomacy, and danger, yet led his country to catastrophe.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Prof. Michael Brown explore how James transformed himself into the most remarkable Renaissance monarch.MOREHenry VIII's Sister, Margaret Queen of ScotsListen on AppleListen on Sp
True Crime: Medici Murder at the Louvre
**Warning: Contains graphic description of the mutilation of corpses**In April 1617, Concino Concini, Marshal of France, was shot dead as he entered the Louvre. But his murder was only the beginning of a terrifying chain of events.How did the assassination of this hated royal favourite unleash mob violence, propaganda and a new political order? And what fate awaited the woman blamed for bending Fr
The Tudors Abroad
What did it mean to be English when merchants, sailors, captives, diplomats, and migrants were constantly crossing borders?Pirates, a Kentish man becoming a Samurai and a king on the warpath; Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Nandini Das trace tales of reinvention, danger and belonging in this exciting, hugely changing world.MORE:England’s First Ambassador to India: Thomas RoeListen on App
Royal Favourites: Hatton, Elizabeth I's Favourite
How did Sir Christopher Hatton became one of Elizabeth I’s favourites? How true were the rumours that they were lovers?After catching the Queen's eye in 1561, Hatton was quickly promoted to the Privy Council, making a significant impact on Elizabeth's complex religious policy. Yet he has often been overshadowed by her other favourites like Dudley, Cecil and Walsingham.In the final episode o
Battle of the Eras: Medieval v. Early Modern
What if the medieval world did not end with a bang, but with a messy argument over who gets to define history itself? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb spars with Gone Medieval's host Matt Lewis over Gutenberg, the Reformation, witchcraft, plague, the Renaissance, and the Wars of the Roses to ask where medieval ends and early modern begins. The result is a lively, surprising fight over power, change, an
Royal Favourites: Queen Anne & Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough
How did Sarah Churchill become the most powerful woman in Queen Anne’s court? What happens when a royal friendship turns into a political battlefield? How did one absent set of jewels signal the beginning of the end?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb continues her series on royal favourites with biographer Ophelia Field. Together they explore the extraordinary story of Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlbor
Louis XIV: Sun King and Propagandist
How did Louis XIV use his day-to-day life, especially his marriage, to help create the mythology of the Sun King as semi-divine, radiant and unrivalled?In 17th-century France, monarchy was performed, witnessed, and widely circulated. Using portraits, medals, sculptures and official pamphlets, Louis XIV meticulously constructed his own image, appearing as Apollo, Jupiter, Hercules, Neptune, a Roman
Royal Favourites: James I and George Villiers
How did a relatively humble gentleman become the most powerful man in Stuart England?Few figures embodied the glamour and instability of the Jacobean court more completely than George Villiers, who rose to become one of the most influential men in England. To some he was charismatic, brilliant, and irresistible; to others, he was reckless, arrogant, and dangerously powerful.In the second episode o
Hoaxes and Lies in the Enlightenment
How did a ghost story bring London to a standstill? Was it a haunting, a fraud, or something even more revealing about Georgian society? Why did rational, educated people fall for elaborate hoaxes?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr.Madeleine Pelling, co-host of History Hit’s After Dark podcast, to uncover the darker side of the Age of Enlightenment. Why was this period remembered for scie
Royal Favourites: Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I's Forbidden Love
Passion, scandal, and power collided in the tumultuous relationship between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley. Rumours of secret trysts between them set the court ablaze, but their love was doomed from the start.In the first of four episodes looking at royal favourites in the Tudor and Stuart courts, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul unravel the complex tapestry of Robert Dudley's life,
Anne of Cleves: New Discoveries
What if Henry VIII’s “discarded bride” actually showed real promise as queen?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr James Taffe to discuss new discoveries about Anne of Cleves’ surviving account book, a rare 200-page record of every pound, shilling and penny that reveals Anne’s queenship through spending, patronage and household life.They discuss the “shadow” household retained after Jane Sey
Francisco de Cuéllar: Spanish Armada Captain
How did a condemned Spanish Armada captain survive shipwreck, betrayal, and war to leave behind one of the most extraordinary first-person accounts of the 16th century?Francisco de Cuéllar was a career officer shaped by the harsh realities of early modern warfare, surviving looting, imprisonment, betrayal, and a brutal overland escape through a hostile landscape. Cuéllar's journey became one of th
Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle
What was Anne Boleyn like before she became the most controversial queen in English history? Can the rooms and gardens at her childhood home reveal more about the world that shaped her?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Owen Emmerson to find out more about the magical place where Anne Boleyn grew up, how Hever shaped her early life, education, language skills, and future role at the cour
Maria Theresa, Habsburg Empress
How did a woman rise to power, and keep it, in the fiercely male-dominated Habsburg Empire?From her distrust of the Enlightenment to her religious intolerance, and from family strategy to imperial power, Maria Theresa was a remarkable ruler driven by discipline, faith, dynastic ambition, and political will.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger to discover ho
Elizabethans in India
How did England’s earliest travellers to India try to win favour in a Mughal golden age that scarcely noticed them?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb speaks with Dr Lubaaba Al-Azami about Tudor and early Stuart England’s turn to global trade after Elizabeth I’s break with Catholic Europe, and why Mughal India—vast, wealthy, and pragmatically governed—had little need for English wool or broadcloth.They tr
Lady Jane Grey
What if becoming queen was the worst thing that could happen to you? What if the crown became your death sentence?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the tragic story of Lady Jane Grey, the brilliant, devout teenager, who was proclaimed queen of England against her will, reigned for less than two weeks, and was executed before her 17th birthday.Drawing on insights from her new two-part History Hi
Grace O'Malley, Ireland's Pirate Queen
She cut off her hair to sail the seas. She divorced her husband by locking him out of his own castle. And when her son was killed by the occupying English, she sailed straight up the Thames to plead for help from Elizabeth I. Or did she?Gráinne Ní Mháille, or Grace O'Malley, the legendary "Pirate Queen" of Ireland, was the head of a seafaring dynasty, while the Tudors tightened their grip, she com
Elizabethan Boy Actresses
Why were Shakespeare’s greatest heroines played by teenage boys? How did they learn their craft? On the Elizabethan stage, highly trained young men progressed from minor parts to play some of the Bard's most famous heroines, including Juliet and Cleopatra.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Roberta Barker to uncover how these cross-dressing apprentices brought some of the Renaissanc
When the Spanish Armada Reached Ireland
What happens when a fleeing armada meets an unforgiving coast? Shipwreck, slaughter and survival collide as Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Michael B. Barry uncover the untold Irish chapter of the Spanish Armada. From shattered galleons and mass executions to lost princes and lingering myths on wild Atlantic shores, this is a storm‑lashed saga where the real battle begins after the guns fall silen
Henry Wotton: Outlaw and Royal Spy
Assassination plots, Venetian stand‑offs and a diplomat in disguise: how did one maverick change the course of history?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Carol Chillington Rutter uncovers the spy‑thriller life of Henry Wotton, the “honest man sent to lie abroad” for his country. From foiling an attempt on King James VI’s life to pulling Europe back from the brink of war during a showdown b
The Rise and Fall of Pirate Captain Kidd
Was Captain William Kidd a ruthless pirate or a pawn in a royal gamble gone wrong? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Debbie Kilroy trace his meteoric rise from privateer to pariah, backed by a secret syndicate of powerful men, including the king. Mutiny, murder, and betrayal follow as power and politics turn Kidd’s royal commission into one of history’s most dramatic downfalls.MORE:Women Pirates o
Plantagenet vs. Tudor: Who was the Rightful King?
Who had a stronger claim to the English throne than Henry VII? When Henry Tudor took the crown on the battlefield at Bosworth, his hereditary claim was fragile. Eighteen Plantagenet descendants had a more legitimate right to rule, while pretenders Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck kept the Tudor court under constant threat. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Gone Medieval host Matt Lewis
Tudor True Crime: The First Female Serial Killer?
Was there really a 17th century Italian woman who helped hundreds of wives murder their husbands, or is her story a myth born of fear and gossip?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb investigates the legend of Giulia Tofana, the so-called criminal mastermind behind a secret poison network. With historical novelist Cathryn Kemp, she uncovers the blurred line between truth and terror, reveals how the Pope hu
Plots against Elizabeth I
Who wanted Elizabeth I dead, and how close did they come to removing her? Who were the conspirators and rebels who plotted to put Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Jonathan McGovern to unravel the Northern Rebellion, the Ridolfi and Throckmorton conspiracies, the chilling Babington Plot, and the shadowy intrigues of spies, traitors, and foreign
Colonial Women of the Americas
Warning: This episode contains references to sexual abuseWhat became of the women whose worlds collapsed when the Spanish arrived in Mesoamerica? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Mexican author Sofia Robleda to uncover the lives of the women who navigated conquest, faith, and colonial law with resilience and strategy.MORE:The Caribbean, Colonisers & ChristianityListen on AppleListen on Spo
Regime Change: From Stuart to Hanover
Who would rule Britain after the childless Queen Anne died in 1714? Why was a distant German Protestant dynasty chosen over closer claimants to the throne?In the final part of our series on the Restoration monarchs, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Brent Sirota, to explore what the Hanoverian succession settled and what it left unresolved, defining modern Britain beyond just the crown.
Henry VII: Reign of Jeopardy
Was Henry Tudor a tyrant obsessed with control, or a visionary who created peace and prosperity? How did a penniless exile with a tenuous claim to the crown found a dynasty that reshaped the nation? How did he fight off pretenders to the throne?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Sean Cunningham to explore how Henry VII, from unlikely beginnings, stabilized a kingdom torn apart by decades
Queen Anne: The Last Stuart Monarch
Has history been unfair to Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch? Was she weak and easily led, or one of Britain’s most determined and underestimated monarchs?In this episode of our Restoration series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Queen Anne's biographer Lady Anne Somerset examine a queen whose reputation has long been shaped by caricature.MORE:Sister Queens: Mary II and AnneListen on AppleListen
When Elves & Fairies Lived Among Us
In the mist‑shrouded Highlands, a quiet minister dared to trespass into forbidden realms. Convinced that fairies were not mere fables but a hidden nation with laws and lives of their own, Robert Kirk set out to reveal their secrets, and paid a terrible price. When Kirk died suddenly in 1692, locals whispered he had not died at all, but been taken alive into the Fairy Commonwealth for his betrayal.
Queen Mary II & the Glorious Revolution
What does it take to rule as an equal in a man's world? How did a quiet, devout queen help reshape Britain’s monarchy forever?All this month, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is exploring the Restoration monarchs. In this episode, she focuses on Queen Mary II, England’s first and only joint sovereign, who ruled alongside her husband William of Orange. Far from being a passive partner, Mary was polit
Tudor True Crime: Lynching of the "Duke's Devil"
This episode contains discussions of sexual assault, violence and child abuse. Listener discretion is advised. How did the mob lynching of a notorious astrologer and occultist in June 1628 act as a grim prelude to the demise of King Charles I? Why did John Lambe - accused of witchcraft, sorcery, and moral corruption - become the target for popular anger at a monarchy seen as distant, corrupt, and
James II: The Restoration's Last Catholic King
A king with unyielding faith. A nation on the brink. A crown lost to revolution.King James II is often dismissed as the unfortunate monarch swept aside by William and Mary. But behind the Glorious Revolution lies a story of ambition, devotion, and downfall more dramatic than legend would suggest.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb joins Dr. Breeze Barrington to uncover the man behind the myth. Was Jam
Katherine Howard's Deadly Affairs
Was Henry VIII's fifth wife a promiscuous teenager and then heartless adulteress and schemer? Celebrated, scrutinised, and endlessly talked about at court, Katherine Howard’s reign was dazzlingly brief; within two years of marrying the king, she was accused of adultery and treason and executed.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Gareth Russell and Dr Nicola Clark to get to know the real young
Charles II: Restoration of the Monarchy
From clinging to a tree while evading capture, his face blackened with soot, to triumphantly sailing home to reclaim his crown — the story of Charles II is one of survival, spectacle, and transformation. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb guides us through the Restoration, tracing life in England from the shadow of civil war to the glittering courts of Restoration London, and discovers how intrigue,
Why Cromwell's Republic Failed
After the execution of King Charles I, England became a Republic for the only time in its history. Yet why was this revolutionary moment so short-lived? Why did Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth collapse?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores its rise and demise with a panel of expert historians: Professor Ronald Hutton, Dr. Jonathan Healey and Dr. Miranda Malins. Together they discuss what the Repu
"Bloody Mary": Debunking the Myths
Was Mary Tudor truly “Bloody Mary”? Has England’s first reigning queen been misunderstood for centuries? Determined to restore Roman Catholicism, her reign became forever associated with the burning of Protestants. But was she really a religious tyrant, or a trailblazer trapped by Europe's violent politics?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Anna Whitelock to put the record straight
Ireland Under the Brutal Tudors
What impact did the Tudors have on Ireland, not just in the councils of kings and earls, but in the rhythms of ordinary life? What were the consequences for ordinary citizens when English power was asserted through martial law, low-level coercion and the constant threat of punishment?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr David Edwards to discuss how communities were reshaped from the ground
Elizabeth I's Doctor - & Poisoner?
Why was a Portuguese-born Jewish doctor, who rose to become Elizabeth I’s chief physician, brutally executed for treason in a scandal that shocked England? Was Dr. Rodrigo Lopes truly guilty, or simply caught in the crossfire of anti-Semitism, court rivalries, and empire?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Samia Errazouki to reexamine Lopes’s fall, tracing a web of diplomacy, espionage, a
Girl With a Pearl Earring: Identity Revealed
Could one of art’s greatest mysteries at last be solved? Who was the luminous girl with a pearl earring in Vermeer's iconic painting? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Andrew Graham-Dixon who believes he's finally identified her.MORE:Shakespeare's Male Muse: A Mystery Solved?Listen on AppleListen on SpotifyA Tudor Mystery: The Girl Who Could Be QueenListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresent
Henry VIII's Reckoning: Pilgrimage of Grace
The Pilgrimage of Grace sounds calm, but was in reality a major uprising in the north of England against Henry VIII’s religious and political reforms, including the dissolution of monasteries.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Andy Wood to retell the legend of when tens of thousands of rebels risked their lives to try to restore Catholic practices and influence government policy, r
Hamnet
How much do we really know about William Shakespeare, his wife Anne Hathaway, and the family tragedies that may have shaped the bard's greatest work? This is the premise of Maggie O'Farrell's luminous novel Hamnet, now adapted into a major film starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Maggie O'Farrell about transforming Shakespearean history into unforgettable f
Tudor True Crime: Murder in Renaissance Rome
This episode contains discussions of incest and sexual assault.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by historical novelist Elizabeth Fremantle to explore the harrowing story of Beatrice Cenci, a young woman executed in Rome in 1599. They discuss how Beatrice survived an abusive upbringing and her eventual participation in the murder of her father, highlighting the brutal realities faced by women
Elizabeth I's Succession Crisis
What happens when a Queen refuses to name her heir? How does she hold her kingdom together when every courtier is secretly preparing for her death? What really unfolded in Elizabeth I’s glittering court as her long reign drew to an end?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the unspoken crisis at the heart of Elizabeth I’s rule with Dr. Tracy Borman. Together they discuss how the hidden struggle for
Christopher Marlowe: A Dangerous Life
Was Christopher Marlowe a rebel, a genius, or a heretic ahead of his time? From his plays that shocked Elizabethan England to his brutal murder, Marlowe's short, dazzling life was defined by rivalry, scandals and secrets.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Stephen Greenblatt delve into Marlowe's provocative ideas, his rumoured queerness, and the dangerous brilliance that left an indelible ma
Enchanted Realms: Fairies in the 16th Century
In the early modern period, belief in fairies was quite commonplace. But put all thoughts of Tinkerbell aside! Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Diane Purkiss to find out how these fairies were altogether more dangerous beings - troublemakers, child-snatchers, seducers and changelings.MORETransgender Fairies in Early Modern LiteratureListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPract
The Secrets Hidden In Tudor Art
Why are diamonds black, and how does a triangle show power in Tudor portraits? From Henry VII’s shrewd statecraft to the glittering reign of Elizabeth I, the Tudors projected their power not just through politics, but through visual propaganda, art and objects.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr Christina Faraday, who ventures beyond the Tudor rose and the famous faces painted by Holbein t
Princes in the Tower
The unsolved mystery of what happened to the Princes in the Tower - Edward V and Richard, Duke of York - is possibly English history’s greatest cold case. Were they murdered by their paternal uncle Richard III?Recent findings have raised new questions about the 540-year-old mystery. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the evidence with Nathen Amin and Matt Lewis.MOREHenry VII: Rise of the Medieva
Did Oliver Cromwell Ban Christmas?
In 1647 Christmas vanished by the decree of the Puritans who ruled Britain. But not everyone complied. Families lit candles behind closed doors, whispered carols, and held secret services. And protestors in Canterbury launched the infamous "plum pudding riots". This was more than a fight over festivities; it was a struggle over power and belief.Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Prof. Mark Stoyl
From Succession to Codpieces: Your Tudor Questions Answered
In this special episode, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb fields questions about the Tudors and their time that have all been suggested by you. From the hundreds of ideas for episodes and queries received from listeners all over the world, Suzannah has chosen a wide array of subjects - from Henry VIII’s illegitimate son to knitting, from atheism to codpieces! Helping her to answer them are Profess
Surviving Plague in Venice
450 years ago, Venice found itself facing a plague outbreak that would kill more than 50,000 people - a third of its population. But to manage the epidemic, the city developed pioneering measures. These included the creation of of special islands called 'lazzaretti', Europe's first quarantine institutions, which isolated people and goods suspected of carrying the plague. Professor Suzannah Lipscom
Elizabeth Boleyn: The Queen's Mother
What if the most powerful woman in Anne Boleyn’s story never spoke on the record? Elizabeth Boleyn steps out of the shadows in this revelatory Tudor deep-dive. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Sophie Bacchus-Waterman to piece together the elusive life of Anne Boleyn’s mother, from Howard girlhood to court matriarch, exploring power, silence and survival amid the dangerous glitter of Henry
Henry VIII At War
**Contains descriptions of war atrocities, including rape and infanticide**In 1544, Henry VIII led the largest army ever raised by an English monarch to capture the French port of Boulogne. It was said that the conquest would be Henry’s “perpetual monument.” Yet history has largely forgotten it.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb speaks with Professor Neil Murphy to uncover the little-known story of Henry
How Poets Spoke Truth to Power
Throughout history, the words of poets have often ignited change or unsettled those in power. In England particularly, poetry has both celebrated and criticised the country's greatest triumphs and darkest hours. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Professor Catherine Clarke dive into the radical heart of poetry, where language has given rise to courage and resistance. MORE:John Donne: E
Dark Side of the Quakers
**Contains story of a young male suicide**Out of the devastation of the English Civil Wars, a radical new religious movement was born. The early Quakers, led by fiery and charismatic preachers, believed they had been chosen by God to save souls and purify a corrupt world. But the origins of Quakerism were far darker and more complex than the peaceful faith we know today. Convinced of divine purpos
Mother of All Tudors: Margaret Beaufort
Step into the turbulent heart of the Wars of the Roses and meet one of history’s most formidable survivors: Lady Margaret Beaufort.A child bride, a teenage mother, and ultimately the mastermind behind the rise of the Tudor dynasty, Margaret navigated betrayal, bloodshed, and political chaos with nerves of steel.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb sits down with leading biographers Lauren Johnson and Dr. N
Origins of Free Speech
Free speech is today more contested than ever before. In many places, differing views about politics, sex, and religion are suppressed and punished. In the West, debates rage over its limits and meaning. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Fara Dabhoiwala to trace the roots of this conflict back to the 18th century, when America embraced the First Amendment, while most of the world adopte
Raleigh and the Lost Colony of Roanoke
What happened to the lost colony of Roanoke?In the 1580s Sir Walter Raleigh set about establishing a permanent English colony on Roanoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. But within a few years the settlement and its colonists had mysteriously vanished. Ever since, historians and archaeologists have tried to piece together what really happened to the colonists.Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is
Tudor True Crime: Who Murdered Lord Darnley?
**Contains accounts of murder and sexual violence**After an explosion rocked Edinburgh in February 1567, Lord Darnley - husband to Mary, Queen of Scots - was found strangled, alongside a servant. Who killed them? Was it Darnley's rival, and Mary's next husband, the Earl of Bothwell? Could Mary herself have been involved?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by acclaimed crime writer Denise Mina to
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