Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

Tudor history podcasts from Claire Ridgway, author of ”On This Day in Tudor History” and many other bestselling Tudor books. Claire runs the Tudor Society, The Anne Boleyn Files and can be found on her website www.ClaireRidgway.com where she runs exclusive online historical events.
Episodes
Episodes



5 days ago
Anne of Denmark: The Forgotten Queen?
5 days ago
5 days ago
On this day in history, 13th May 1619, Westminster Abbey hosted a grand and costly funeral for a queen consort who is often overshadowed in British royal history. But who was Anne of Denmark? What role did she really play at the courts of Scotland and England—and why did her relationship with King James sour so drastically in her final years?
In this podcast, I explore the intriguing life, cultural impact, and overlooked legacy of Anne of Denmark, wife of King James I of England (James VI of Scotland). From dramatic court disputes and artistic patronage to her mysterious estrangement from the king, Anne’s story is full of surprises.
Could she be one of the most underrated queen consorts in British history?
Listen now to uncover the truth behind this fascinating royal figure.
#AnneOfDenmark #TudorHistory #StuartHistory #ForgottenQueens #WomenInHistory #RoyalHistory #OnThisDay #JamesI #WestminsterAbbey #HistoricalMysteries #BritishMonarchy #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #QueenConsort #EarlyModernHistory



Saturday May 10, 2025
Saturday May 10, 2025
Why did people like Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, and Lady Jane Grey use their final words to praise the monarch who condemned them to die? Were they afraid? Following orders? Or was there something deeper at work?
In this podvast, I explore the rituals, beliefs, and expectations behind execution speeches in the Tudor period. From religious symbolism to social pressure and political theatre, the scaffold was more than a place of death—it was a stage for legacy, loyalty, and salvation.
Discover the hidden structure behind these chilling final words—and what they reveal about Tudor society.
#AnneBoleyn #LadyJaneGrey #TudorHistory #ExecutionSpeeches #TudorExecutions #Tudors #GeorgeBoleyn #CatherineHoward #TudorMonarchy #HistoricalMysteries #OnThisDay #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #GoodDeath #MedievalHistory #RoyalExecution #SixWivesOfHenryVIII



Tuesday May 06, 2025
The Mystery of Sir James Tyrell & The Princes in the Tower
Tuesday May 06, 2025
Tuesday May 06, 2025
On this day in Tudor history, 6th May 1502, Sir James Tyrell met his end on Tower Hill—remembered not just as a royal servant, but as the man accused of murdering the Princes in the Tower.But did he really confess to killing Edward V and his brother? Or was his name dragged into a Tudor-era cover-up?
In this podcast, we unravel the life, rise, and sudden fall of Sir James Tyrell—and examine the evidence (or lack of it) behind his alleged role in one of history’s most chilling unsolved mysteries.Plus, we explore a recent theory involving a gold chain and a will from 1516… Could it link Tyrell to the lost princes? Or is it just another red herring?
Watch now to uncover what we do know—and decide for yourself whether Tyrell was a murderer, or just another convenient scapegoat.
Read more here: https://medievalmatt.substack.com/p/a-damning-discovery
What’s your verdict? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
#PrincesInTheTower #JamesTyrell #TudorHistory #UnsolvedMysteries #TowerOfLondon #EdwardV #RichardIII #Yorkist #TudorCrime #HistoryMystery #TudorConspiracies #BritishHistory #OnThisDay #HistoricalWhodunnit



Thursday May 01, 2025
Witchcraft, Storms, and a Marriage
Thursday May 01, 2025
Thursday May 01, 2025
The Marriage of James VI and Anne of Denmark
A royal wedding… a stormy sea… and a witch hunt that would echo through history.
When Anne of Denmark tried to sail to Scotland to join her new husband, King James VI, disaster struck. Fierce storms battered her fleet, whispers of witchcraft spread like wildfire, and before long, women were being accused, tortured, and executed.
Was it just bad weather? Or was something more sinister at play?
In this podcast, we explore the strange and stormy beginnings of James and Anne’s marriage, the Copenhagen Witch Trials, and how this fateful voyage may have sparked one of the most notorious witch-hunting obsessions in royal history.
Join me as we untangle the myths, the accusations, and the real history behind it all.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments—were the storms just a twist of fate, or did they set the stage for a darker chapter in James VI’s reign?
#Witchcraft #TudorHistory #JamesVI #AnneOfDenmark #WitchTrials #NorthBerwickWitchTrials #ScottishHistory #HistoricalMysteries #Daemonologie #EarlyModernHistory #HistoryYouTube #OnThisDay #WitchHunt



Monday Apr 28, 2025
The Brutality Beyond Hanging, Drawing & Quartering
Monday Apr 28, 2025
Monday Apr 28, 2025
Think hanging, drawing and quartering was as bad as it got? Think again.
In this chilling follow-up, we dive into some of the lesser-known but equally gruesome methods of execution used during the Tudor period. From boiling people alive to crushing them slowly under immense weight, the Tudors certainly knew how to make a statement.
Join me as I explore these brutal punishments and the stories behind them. Some were designed to instil fear, others to send a clear political or religious message—but all are harrowing reminders of a darker side to Tudor justice.
Which of these punishments do you find the most disturbing? Share your thoughts in the comments!
#TudorHistory #TudorExecutions #AnneBoleynFiles #DarkHistory #HistoryUncovered #GruesomeHistory #MedievalPunishments #TudorCrimeAndPunishment #HistoryYouDidntKnow #ExecutionMethods



Sunday Apr 27, 2025
The Full Traitor’s Death – Hanging, Drawing & Quartering
Sunday Apr 27, 2025
Sunday Apr 27, 2025
The Tudors were infamous for their brutal punishments, but none were more terrifying than the full traitor’s death—hanging, drawing, and quartering. Reserved for those guilty of high treason, this gruesome execution was designed not just to punish but to serve as a chilling warning to all.
But what did it actually involve? Step by horrifying step, I’ll take you through the brutal process—from being dragged through the streets to the unimaginable suffering of disembowelment, and finally, the gruesome fate of the traitor’s body. This is not for the faint-hearted!
- Who suffered this terrifying fate?
- Why was it carried out in such a public spectacle?
- And what made this punishment so feared in the Tudor era?
Stay tuned until the end—because this is just the beginning. In Part 2, I’ll be covering other brutal execution methods, including beheading, boiling alive, and pressing to death.
If you found this podcast fascinating, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more gripping Tudor history!
#TudorHistory #HangingDrawingQuartering #BrutalExecutions #DarkHistory #Tudors #HistoryLovers #MedievalPunishments #GruesomeHistory #Treason #AnneBoleynFiles



Thursday Apr 24, 2025
Burnt for His Beliefs
Thursday Apr 24, 2025
Thursday Apr 24, 2025
The Execution of George van Parris under Edward VI
The reign of Edward VI is often seen as a time of Protestant reform, but it was also a period of religious persecution. On 24th or 25th April 1551, George van Parris was burned at the stake—not for being Catholic, but for holding radical Protestant beliefs.
A Flemish surgeon living in London, van Parris was condemned for Arianism, the belief that Jesus was created by God rather than being divine. His case was debated by some of the most powerful reformers of the time, including Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley. Even King Edward VI recorded his execution in his journal.
His story is one of forgotten Tudor executions, showing that even in a Protestant England, straying too far from accepted doctrine could cost you your life. Was this execution justified, or a step too far? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more Tudor history deep dives!
#TudorHistory #EdwardVI #ReligiousPersecution #GeorgeVanParris #Heretic #TudorExecutions #Cranmer #Ridley #TudorEngland #History



Saturday Apr 19, 2025
Tudor Wicked Women: Villains or Victims?
Saturday Apr 19, 2025
Saturday Apr 19, 2025
Tudor history is full of ‘wicked women’—but were they truly wicked, or simply women who refused to conform?
From Anne Boleyn, accused of adultery and treason, to Catherine Howard, condemned for her past, and Lettice Knollys, who dared to marry Robert Dudley, history has painted many Tudor women as villains. But was their greatest crime simply being outspoken, ambitious, or politically savvy in a world that feared powerful women?
Join me as I uncover the truth behind these so-called wicked women of the Tudor era. Were they villains—or victims of a world that refused to tolerate female power? Let me know what you think in the comments!
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more Tudor history deep dives!
#TudorHistory #WickedWomen #AnneBoleyn #CatherineHoward #LetticeKnollys #MaryQueenOfScots #HiddenHistories #TudorScandals #WomenInHistory #TudorQueens #TudorEngland

I'm historian Claire Ridgway
I'm the best-selling author of 13 history books and the founder of the TheAnneBoleynFiles.com, Elizabethfiles.com and The Tudor Society.
I help Tudor history lovers worldwide to gain access to experts and resources to discover the real stories behind myths and fiction, so that they grow in knowledge while connecting with like-minded people and indulging their passion for history.
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. I was a contributor for the BBC docudrama The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, and have been featured in BBC History Extra, USA Today, History of Royals Magazine, the Express, and Refinery 29, as well as on podcasts including Suzannah Lipscomb's Not Just the Tudors, Gareth Russell's Single Malt History, Natalie Grueninger's Talking Tudors, Hever Castle's Inside Hever, James Boulton's Queens of England, and many more.