Talking Tudors
- Episodes
- 100
- Released
- weekly
- Latest episode
- Nov 7, 2026
About the podcast
Established in 2018, Talking Tudors is one of the longest-running and most popular independent interview podcasts about the Tudor era. It boasts an international listenership and has been downloaded in excess of 4 million times. In each episode, creator and host Natalie Grueninger speaks with esteemed historians and other experts about a wide range of subjects associated with Tudor England. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the Podbean app, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Episodes 100
Episode 367 - William Paget: King's Secretary & Tudor Survivor with Dr Andrew Johnston
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Andrew Johnston about the life and career of William Paget, from his humble London origins to his central role as Henry VIII’s secretary. The episode explores Paget’s …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Andrew Johnston about the life and career of William Paget, from his humble London origins to his central role as Henry VIII’s secretary. The episode explores Paget’s influence on diplomacy, the Privy Council, Henry’s will, and the fall of the Howards in the turbulent 1540s.
Listeners will learn how Paget navigated court factions, helped shape the succession plan for Edward VI, and survived through multiple reigns, making him a key but often overlooked figure in Tudor politics.
Check out the sponsor of today's episode, Simply Tudor Tours
SUPPORT TALKING TUDORS ON PATREON! https://talkingtudors.podbean.com/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your Natalie Grueninger:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 366 - Haunted London with Megan Coles
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian and author Megan Coles about the spooky side of London: Elizabeth I sightings, headless apparitions at the Tower, Catherine Howard’s ghost at Hampton Court, and …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian and author Megan Coles about the spooky side of London: Elizabeth I sightings, headless apparitions at the Tower, Catherine Howard’s ghost at Hampton Court, and Megan’s own paranormal experiences in Westminster and the Churchill War Rooms.
Learn more about Megan Coles
SUPPORT TALKING TUDORS ON PATREON! https://talkingtudors.podbean.com/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your Natalie Grueninger:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 365 - Death by Misadventure in Elizabethan England with Dr Jane Bitomsky
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Jane Bitomsky about her debut historical mystery, 'Death by Misadventure', and her PhD research into pregnancy and crime in early modern England. They discuss the real-life …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Jane Bitomsky about her debut historical mystery, 'Death by Misadventure', and her PhD research into pregnancy and crime in early modern England.
They discuss the real-life coroner John Derrick, researching Bramley in the 1580s, sources and surprises from the archives (from medicinal mouldy bread to colourful euphemisms), and the challenges of writing accurate yet readable historical fiction.
LEARN MORE ABOUT DR BITOMSKY https://www.janebitomskybooks.com/about
SUPPORT TALKING TUDORS ON PATREON! https://talkingtudors.podbean.com/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your Natalie Grueninger:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 364 - Isabella d'Este: Art Collector, Power Player & Fashionista with Sarah Dunant
Historian and novelist Sarah Dunant joins Natalie Grueninger to explore the life and legacy of Isabella d'Este. Among other things, they discuss her upbringing in Ferrara, marriage into Mantua, patronage of the …
Show notes
Historian and novelist Sarah Dunant joins Natalie Grueninger to explore the life and legacy of Isabella d'Este. Among other things, they discuss her upbringing in Ferrara, marriage into Mantua, patronage of the arts, signature fashion statements, and the extraordinary archive of over 33,000 letters that reveal her voice and political skill.
They also discuss Dunant's latest novel 'The Marquesa'.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH DUNANT
TAKEAWAYS
https://www.isabelladestearchive.org/
Explore the work of Andrea Mantegna, court artist to the Gonzaga family in Mantua.
LEARN MORE ABOUT TODAY'S SPONSOR - SIMPLY TUDOR TOURS
Visit Natalie Grueninger's official website:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 363 - The Malleus Maleficarum: Inside a Medieval Witch-Hunting Manual with Susan Millard
In this episode Natalie Grueninger interviews Susan Millard, rare books curator at the University of Melbourne, about the library’s recent acquisition of a 1494 edition of the Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of …
Show notes
In this episode Natalie Grueninger interviews Susan Millard, rare books curator at the University of Melbourne, about the library’s recent acquisition of a 1494 edition of the Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches).
They explore the book’s author Heinrich Kramer, its printing by Anton Koberger, its role in witch trials and misogyny, the physical provenance and condition of the volume, and how it will be used for teaching and research.
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about the library's collection:
https://library.unimelb.edu.au/asc
Learn more about your Natalie Grueninger:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 362 - William Tyndale & the English Bible with Dr Harry Spillane
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Harry Spillane about the life, exile, and execution of William Tyndale, focusing on his groundbreaking translation of the New Testament and the challenges he faced from …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Harry Spillane about the life, exile, and execution of William Tyndale, focusing on his groundbreaking translation of the New Testament and the challenges he faced from church and state.
The episode covers Tyndale's translation methods, the printing and smuggling of English Bibles, his clashes with figures like Thomas More and Henry VIII, and his lasting influence on English language and later Bible editions.
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about Dr Spillane
https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/people/dr-harry-spillane
TAKEAWAYS
Learn more about your Natalie Grueninger:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 361 - Women's Literacy & Education in the Middle Ages with Dr Megan J. Hall
Dr Megan J. Hall joins Talking Tudors to explore women's literacy and education in medieval England, tracing how reading and writing shifted from church-centred training to household and aristocratic learning …
Show notes
Dr Megan J. Hall joins Talking Tudors to explore women's literacy and education in medieval England, tracing how reading and writing shifted from church-centred training to household and aristocratic learning between 1100–1300 and beyond.
They discuss educational settings and curricula for girls and boys, the role of saints and literary models, and how modern research reshapes our assumptions about women's intellectual contributions.
CHECK OUT OUR SPONSOR, SIMPLY TUDOR TOURS!
SUPPORT TALKING TUDORS ON PATREON! https://talkingtudors.podbean.com/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
VISIT DR MEGAN J. HALL'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE https://www.meganjhall.com/
COULD MEDIEVAL WOMEN READ? https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/2021/04/14/could-medieval-women-read/
Learn more about your Natalie Grueninger:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 360 - The Horenbouts & Anne Boleyn: New Evidence Examined with Natalie Grueninger & Dr Owen Emmerson
Host Natalie Grueninger and guest Dr Owen Emmerson examine a tiny Tudor portrait miniature held at the Royal Ontario Museum, exploring its possible attribution to Lucas Horenbout and the tantalizing theory that …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger and guest Dr Owen Emmerson examine a tiny Tudor portrait miniature held at the Royal Ontario Museum, exploring its possible attribution to Lucas Horenbout and the tantalizing theory that it may be the earliest depiction of Anne Boleyn.
They discuss dating, costume and jewel details, related inventories and court accounts from 1527–28, comparisons with a twin miniature at and why ongoing technical research may help confirm or refute the sitter’s identity.
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about Dr Owen Emmerson:
Learn more about your Natalie Grueninger:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 359 - Rethinking Jane Seymour: The Woman Behind the Myths with Dr Elizabeth Norton
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Elizabeth Norton about her new book on Jane Seymour, exploring fresh archival discoveries that reshape our view of the queen. They discuss Jane’s likely birthdate, court …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Elizabeth Norton about her new book on Jane Seymour, exploring fresh archival discoveries that reshape our view of the queen. They discuss Jane’s likely birthdate, court career, political agency, household, material culture and wardrobe accounts, relationships with Princess Mary, and the myths about her religion and headwear.
The conversation highlights Jane’s skilful use of patronage, financial acumen, and soft power as queen during a turbulent period of the Reformation, and explains why her planned coronation never took place.
Learn more about Dr Elizabeth Norton
http://www.elizabethnorton.co.uk/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 358 - The Real 'Kat Ashley': Elizabeth I's Governess with Rosemary Griggs
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Rosemary Griggs about her new biography, 'Queen Elizabeth I's Governess: The Real Kat Ashley', which reexamines the life of Katherine Champanowne (Kat Ashley) and …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Rosemary Griggs about her new biography, 'Queen Elizabeth I's Governess: The Real Kat Ashley', which reexamines the life of Katherine Champanowne (Kat Ashley) and restores her place at the centre of Elizabeth I’s life.
Rosemary discusses her archival discoveries, the Champanowne and Carew family connections, Kat’s role in Elizabeth’s upbringing and court, her involvement in political scandals and imprisonments, and the influence and legacy she left during Elizabeth’s reign.
Learn more about Rosemary Griggs
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 357 - How Ancient Persia Shaped Elizabethan Politics with Ebrahim Joseph
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian Ebrahim Joseph about the surprising influence of ancient Persia, especially Cyrus the Great, on Elizabethan England. They explore classical and biblical sources …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian Ebrahim Joseph about the surprising influence of ancient Persia, especially Cyrus the Great, on Elizabethan England. They explore classical and biblical sources, princely education, political advice, court drama (including The Wars of Cyrus), the Mary, Queen of Scots debate, and early contacts with Safavid Persia, showing how Persian models of charismatic and ruthless kingship shaped Tudor political culture.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EBRAHIM JOSEPH https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/people/ebrahim-hanifehpour-0
Read ‘Honour and Deceit in The Warres of Cyrus, Classical Persia, and Elizabethan Politics’ by Ebrahim Joseph
https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X26101745
Learn more about today's sponsor - Simply Tudor Tours!
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 356 - How the Americas Shaped Tudor England with Dr Lauren Working
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Lauren Working about her book 'A Golden World' and how voyages to the Americas reshaped 16th‑century England. The episode traces Atlantic influences on London life, art …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Lauren Working about her book 'A Golden World' and how voyages to the Americas reshaped 16th‑century England. The episode traces Atlantic influences on London life, art, fashion and trade through objects and people brought back from the New World.
Examples include the flood of pearls and emeralds, the rise of tobacco and new fashions, live exotic animals and the crucial Indigenous knowledge behind many colonial practices. The conversation emphasises that Tudor England, even without a formal empire, was transformed by ongoing Atlantic encounters.
Learn more about Dr Working
https://www.york.ac.uk/english/people/laurenworking/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 355 - Rethinking the Battle of Wakefield with Dr David Grummitt
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr David Grummitt about the December 1460 events commonly called the Battle of Wakefield. Dr Grummitt argues the episode was a small ambush and murder of Richard, Duke of …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr David Grummitt about the December 1460 events commonly called the Battle of Wakefield. Dr Grummitt argues the episode was a small ambush and murder of Richard, Duke of York and his son rather than a large pitched battle, and explains the primary evidence behind this interpretation.
The episode also covers the immediate Lancastrian response, the march to the Palm Sunday battles of 1461, and how later Tudor chroniclers and historians transformed these events into a more dramatic mythology.
READ DR GRUMMITT & PAUL DAWSON'S ARTICLE
https://oro.open.ac.uk/105170/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 354 - Tudor Poetry with Catherine Williams
Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes Catherine Williams to the podcast to discuss Tudor poetry. Follow Catherine Williams on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/catherinevwill/ TAKEAWAY …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes Catherine Williams to the podcast to discuss Tudor poetry.
Follow Catherine Williams on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/catherinevwill/
TAKEAWAY
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR SPONSOR, SIMPLY TUDOR TOURS
https://simplytudortours.com/booking-anne-elizabeth-mother-daughter-traitors-queens/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 353 - Marie Maitland: Scotland's 16th‑Century Sappho with Dr Ashley Douglas
Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes Dr Ashley Douglas to discuss her new book, 'With My Own Hand: The Secret Life of Marie Maitland, Scotland's Sixteenth-Century Sappho'. They discuss the life and poems of Marie …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes Dr Ashley Douglas to discuss her new book, 'With My Own Hand: The Secret Life of Marie Maitland, Scotland's Sixteenth-Century Sappho'. They discuss the life and poems of Marie Maitland, a 16th-century Scottish scribe whose Maitland Quarto contains early sapphic verse.
The episode explores Marie's family and court connections, her role as her blind father's secretary, the manuscript's anonymous female poems, and the wider significance for women's and LGBT+ history in Reformation Scotland.
VISIT DR DOUGLAS' OFFICIAL WEBSITE
TAKEAWAY
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 352 - The Accounts of Thomas Boleyn: A Revealing Window into 1526 with Natalie Grueninger & Dr Owen Emmerson
Host Natalie Grueninger and Dr Owen Emmerson examine Thomas Boleyn’s November–December 1526 financial accounts, revealing the family’s substantial landholdings, household expenses, and wide social networks just …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger and Dr Owen Emmerson examine Thomas Boleyn’s November–December 1526 financial accounts, revealing the family’s substantial landholdings, household expenses, and wide social networks just before Anne Boleyn’s rise.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THR QUEEN ANNE BOLEYN MEMORIAL
https://anneboleynmemorial.co.uk/
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/qab-memorial?utm_medium=CA&utm_source=CL
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 351 - Rethinking Anne of Cleves with Dr Valerie Schutte
In this episode Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Valerie Schutte about her upcoming cultural biography of Anne of Cleves. They re-examine long-standing myths about Anne's appearance, birthdate, and role in …
Show notes
In this episode Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Valerie Schutte about her upcoming cultural biography of Anne of Cleves. They re-examine long-standing myths about Anne's appearance, birthdate, and role in Tudor politics, by returning to contemporary sources and continental perspectives.
The conversation also covers Anne's portrayal in art (including Holbein’s portraits), surviving books and dedications, the politics surrounding her divorce from Henry VIII, and how her reputation has evolved across centuries. Schutte's book is published July 3, 2026.
Visit Dr Schutte's official website
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 350 - Edmund Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene' with Cait Murphy-Hurrell
Natalie Grueninger interviews Cait Murphy-Hurrell about Edmund Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene', exploring the poem's rich allegory, its portrayal of villainous women and otherness, and how Spenser reflects …
Show notes
Natalie Grueninger interviews Cait Murphy-Hurrell about Edmund Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene', exploring the poem's rich allegory, its portrayal of villainous women and otherness, and how Spenser reflects Elizabethan politics, religion, and his experiences in Ireland.
Check out Cait's Substack!
https://caitmurphyhurrell.substack.com/
Visit 'The Renaissance Academy'
https://therenaissanceacademic.com/group-events
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 349 - The Life & Works of Erasmus with Amy McElroy
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian Amy McElroy about Desiderius Erasmus, exploring his mysterious early life, education, travels across Europe, and key works such as 'Praise of Folly' and his …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian Amy McElroy about Desiderius Erasmus, exploring his mysterious early life, education, travels across Europe, and key works such as 'Praise of Folly' and his Greek-Latin New Testament.
The conversation covers Erasmus’s influence on Tudor education and humanism, his relationships with Thomas More and Martin Luther, and his complex legacy as a Catholic reformer and leading Renaissance scholar.
This episode of Talking Tudors was made possible by 'Simply Tudor Tours'. Check out their new Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I Tour!
https://simplytudortours.com/anne-boleyn-and-elizabeth-i-tour
Visit Amy's Substack!
https://amymcelroy.substack.com/
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 348 - A New History of Tudor England with Professor Nandini Das
Professor Nandini Das explores how Tudor and Stuart England were shaped by movement, exchange, and diverse individuals—artists, scholars, missionaries, and sailors—whose lives challenge the idea of a sealed …
Show notes
Professor Nandini Das explores how Tudor and Stuart England were shaped by movement, exchange, and diverse individuals—artists, scholars, missionaries, and sailors—whose lives challenge the idea of a sealed island nation.
Through four vivid case studies (the court miniaturist Levina Teerlinc from Bruges, the roaming thinker Giordano Bruno, the missionary Thomas Stevens in Goa, and William Adams in Japan), the episode reveals how identity, belonging, and nationhood were negotiated across borders in the 16th and 17th centuries.
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 347 - Rethinking the Wives of Henry VIII with Jessica Carey-Bunning
Host Natalie Grueninger talks with historian Jessica Carey-Bunning about her book 'The Wives of Henry VIII', presenting fresh archival research and new perspectives on each queen. They discuss Catherine of …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger talks with historian Jessica Carey-Bunning about her book 'The Wives of Henry VIII', presenting fresh archival research and new perspectives on each queen.
They discuss Catherine of Aragon’s finances after annulment, Anne Boleyn’s use of dress and image, Jane Seymour’s complex reputation and faith, Anne of Cleves’ later life, Catherine Howard’s queenship, and the contested danger faced by Catherine Parr.
Carey-Bunning urges listeners to question traditional narratives and to return to primary sources to better understand the messy realities of Tudor court life.
Visit Jessica's official website
Learn more about 'Simply Tudor Tours'
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 346 - Anne Boleyn: Reputation, Revolution, Religion with Martha Tatarnic
Natalie Grueninger interviews Martha Tatarnic about her new book on Anne Boleyn, exploring how Anne shaped the English Reformation, championed the English Bible, and influenced church leadership through key …
Show notes
Natalie Grueninger interviews Martha Tatarnic about her new book on Anne Boleyn, exploring how Anne shaped the English Reformation, championed the English Bible, and influenced church leadership through key appointments.
The conversation also examines how Anne's reputation has been distorted over time, why the stories we tell about historical women matter today, and how recovering silenced voices reshapes our understanding of the past and present.
Visit Martha Tatarnic's website
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Queen Anne Boleyn's Imprisonment Through the Eyes of William Kingston with Natalie Grueninger & Dr Owen Emmerson
Natalie Grueninger is in conversation with Dr Owen Emmerson about five surviving letters written by William Kingston during Anne Boleyn’s imprisonment in May 1536. They examine Kingston’s eyewitness …
Show notes
Natalie Grueninger is in conversation with Dr Owen Emmerson about five surviving letters written by William Kingston during Anne Boleyn’s imprisonment in May 1536. They examine Kingston’s eyewitness details—Anne’s moods, her conversations with attendants, mentions of Henry Norris, Mark Smeaton and George Boleyn—and the damaged Cotton manuscripts used alongside later transcriptions.
The episode traces Anne’s shifting emotions, her religious faith, the role of her attendants as informants, the hurried preparations for execution, and why Thomas Cromwell may have avoided visiting the prisoners.
VISIT DR EMMERSON'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE https://drowenemmerson.com/
EXPLORE COTTON MS OTHO C X https://searcharchives.bl.uk/catalog/040-001102888
JOIN 365 DAYS IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND
https://www.nataliegrueninger.com/2026/05/17/365-days-in-elizabethan-england/
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 344 - Bess of Hardwick: An Elizabethan Magnate with Dr Wyn Derbyshire
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Wyn Derbyshire about the remarkable life of Bess of Hardwick — her uncertain origins, four marriages, sharp business sense, and rise to becoming the second-richest woman in …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Wyn Derbyshire about the remarkable life of Bess of Hardwick — her uncertain origins, four marriages, sharp business sense, and rise to becoming the second-richest woman in England. The episode explores her building projects (Hardwick and Chatsworth), estate management, and relationships with Queen Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots.
Learn more about Dr Derbyshire
https://spiramus.com/wyn-derbyshire
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 343 - Inside the Scriptorium: Medieval Manuscripts and their Makers with Dr Sara Charles
In this episode host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Sara Charles about the production of medieval manuscripts, her hands-on experiments with parchment, inks and pigments, and her book 'The Medieval …
Show notes
In this episode host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Sara Charles about the production of medieval manuscripts, her hands-on experiments with parchment, inks and pigments, and her book 'The Medieval Scriptorium'.
They explore the evidence for where manuscripts were made, the people and long supply chains behind their materials, the evolution of scripts and decoration, and the everyday details that bring medieval scribes to life.
Learn more about Dr Charles
https://www.teachingmanuscripts.com/about
Takeaway
'The Craftman's Handbook' by Cennino d'Andrea Cennin
Find out about 'Medieval Castles in Germany' by Kurt Fuchs
Learn more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 342 - The House of Boleyn with Professor Tracy Borman
Host Natalie Grueninger talks with historian and novelist Professor Tracy Borman about her new novel, 'The House of Boleyn', the rise and fall of the Boleyn family, and Hever Castle as the book’s intimate …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger talks with historian and novelist Professor Tracy Borman about her new novel, 'The House of Boleyn', the rise and fall of the Boleyn family, and Hever Castle as the book’s intimate setting. They explore lesser-known figures like Margaret Butler and Jane Boleyn, plus the servants and daily life that shaped the family.
The conversation also covers Borman’s research process, historical details that informed the novel and publication and tour dates (UK release 23 April; US release 4 September).
Learn more about Dr Tracy Borman
https://www.tracyborman.co.uk/
Find out more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 341 - Henry VII & the Founding of the Tudor Dynasty with Dr Sean Cunningham
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Sean Cunningham about Henry VII’s unlikely path from exile to king, the political alliances and myths he used to secure power, and the major challenges of his reign …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Sean Cunningham about Henry VII’s unlikely path from exile to king, the political alliances and myths he used to secure power, and the major challenges of his reign, including rebellions and pretenders.
They explore Henry’s strategies for legitimacy, his marriage to Elizabeth of York, the role of Margaret Beaufort, and how Tudor symbolism and governance shaped the dynasty’s future.
Find out more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 340 - The Pretender Who Shook the Throne: Jo Harkin on Lambert Simnel
Author Jo Harkin joins Talking Tudors to discuss her novel 'The Pretender', which imagines the life of Lambert Simnel — a farm boy thrust into Yorkist plots, crowned in Dublin, and swept through courts from …
Show notes
Author Jo Harkin joins Talking Tudors to discuss her novel 'The Pretender', which imagines the life of Lambert Simnel — a farm boy thrust into Yorkist plots, crowned in Dublin, and swept through courts from Oxford to Burgundy and Ireland.
Jo explains her five-year research process, the vivid locations and powerful women who inspired her, and her approach to balancing historical fact with imaginative storytelling.
She also shares reading and viewing recommendations, a glimpse of her next project set in Spain, and practical insights into writing historical fiction.
Find out more about your host:
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 339 - The Life of Margaret of Austria: Queen, Princess & Regent with Dr Natalie Donnell
In this episode of Talking Tudors, host Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Dr Natalie Donnell about the life and career of Margaret of Austria. Born in Burgundy and raised at several European courts …
Show notes
In this episode of Talking Tudors, host Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Dr Natalie Donnell about the life and career of Margaret of Austria. Born in Burgundy and raised at several European courts, Margaret was the long-serving regent of the Netherlands.
The conversation covers Margaret’s education under powerful women, her role raising and supporting Charles V, her diplomatic success in the 1529 'Ladies' Peace', her patronage of the arts, and her legacy as a capable and influential female ruler until her death in 1530.
VISIT DR DONNELL'S WEBSITE
https://www.nataliedonnell.com/
SUBSCRIBE TO FEMINIST HISTORIES https://feministhistories.substack.com/
TAKEAWAY
'The Theatre of the World' by Abraham Ortelius
Find out more about your host at
Chapters
Loading chapters …
Episode 338 - The Other Moctezuma Girls with Sofia Robleda
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Mexican author Sofia Robleda about her new novel, The Other Moctezuma Girls. They explore the life and legacy of Isabel Moctezuma, the identity of her daughters, and the …
Show notes
Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Mexican author Sofia Robleda about her new novel, The Other Moctezuma Girls. They explore the life and legacy of Isabel Moctezuma, the identity of her daughters, and the complex world of 16th‑century Mexica society before and after Spanish contact.
The conversation covers conquest, cultural exchange, women’s roles, Robleda’s research and personal connection to the history.
Visit Sofia's official website
Check out the sponsor of today's video!
Find out more about your host at
Chapters
Loading chapters …
These are the latest 40 of 100 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
Similar podcasts
More History podcasts
Is this your podcast?
Confirm it with an entry in your feed: you get a code here, add it as podcast:txt to the channel of your feed, and we check it. Your podcast is then shown as “verified” on SoundNode.