Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

The Homes That Shaped Anne Boleyn

Before Anne Boleyn left England for the European courts, before Henry VIII, before scandal, drama, queenship, and tragedy... there were two places that shaped her earliest world, places that were home to her.
 
Those two places were the Boleyn seats of Blickling Hall in Norfolk and Hever Castle in Kent.In this episode, we explore:
Blickling Hall as the heart of the family’s Norfolk roots, and the probable birthplace of Anne Boleyn
The medieval origins of Hever Castle and its transformation into a refined Tudor home
How Thomas Boleyn reshaped Hever to reflect his growing power at court
Why these estates mattered to Anne’s sense of self and future
This video forms part of my ongoing series on Anne Boleyn. In the next episode, we follow Anne beyond these family estates, as she leaves England for the courts of Margaret of Austria and France.#AnneBoleyn #TudorHistory #BoleynFamily #HeverCastle #BlicklingHall#TheMakingOfAnneBoleyn #TudorEngland #HenryVIII #HistoryDocumentary#BritishHistory #WomenInHistory #TudorCourt #HistoricalPlaces#MedievalCastles #EnglishHeritage #HiddenHistory

When was Anne Boleyn born? 1501 vs 1507 and Why It Matters

Was Anne Boleyn thirty-five when she died… or just twenty-eight?Because the answer completely changes how we read her downfall in 1536.I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in this companion episode to my Anne Boleyn documentary series I’m diving into one of the most contested questions in her biography: when was Anne Boleyn actually born – 1501, 1507, or somewhere in between?In this video we’ll look at:• Thomas Boleyn’s comments about his children being born “every year”• Anne’s early service with Margaret of Austria and what her letter tells us about her age• the traditional 1501 date and why many historians still favour it• the rival 1507 date, based on William Camden and Jane Dormer• new thinking from court household records about the normal age for maids of honour• why a mid-range date around 1504–1505 now looks increasingly persuasiveDrawing on the work of historians including Eric Ives, Retha Warnicke, Sophie Bacchus Waterman, and Gareth Russell, I explore how each possible birthdate affects our understanding of:• Anne’s education in Europe• her status and suitability as queen• and, crucially, Henry VIII’s motives in 1536What do you think?Do you lean towards 1501, 1507, or the 1504–1505 middle ground? Let me know your view  in the comments.For channel members:Members can access companion resources for this video and my wider Anne Boleyn series, including transcripts, timelines, reading lists and extra notes that don’t always make it into the main episodes. If you’d like to support the channel and unlock those extras, you’ll find the Join button beneath this video or go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCioSUqeGrdFq6DEVK3-DXGQ/join, and if you’re already a member, thank you so much, your support genuinely helps me keep producing in-depth Tudor content.
 
#AnneBoleyn #TudorHistory #HenryVIII #TudorCourt #BritishHistory #HistoryYouTube #AnneBoleynSeries #TudorQueens

The Making of Anne Boleyn: Her Family, Upbringing and Early Life

Anne Boleyn is so often remembered at the height of drama, standing at the centre of Henry VIII’s court, caught in politics, passion, and tragedy. But Anne did not appear from nowhere.Before the scandals, the Reformation, and the dramatic fall, there was a child, shaped by powerful families, privilege, education, and expectation.In this episode, I explore the world that formed Anne Boleyn - her lineage, identity, upbringing, and early surroundings at Blickling and Hever. Far from the myth of a “low-born girl who rose too high”, Anne belonged to three great dynasties:• the Boleyns - wealthy, ambitious, rising through land and service• the Butlers of Ormond - one of the greatest Anglo-Irish noble houses• the Howards - ancient English aristocracy with royal bloodThrough these families we uncover:• how Anne’s status and upbringing shaped her confidence and outlook• what her childhood world looked like in elite Tudor households• the roles of Blickling and Hever in her early life• how her education prepared her for courts across Europe• why understanding her origins changes how we see her later storyThis episode traces Anne’s background up to her departure to the Continent, setting the stage for the next chapter of her life, and the making of the woman who would one day change English history.Let me know in the comments what surprised you most about Anne’s early life, and whether you think her upbringing has been misunderstood in popular history.This is part of my new deep-dive Anne Boleyn series, designed to tell her story with context, nuance, and humanity, so please make sure you're subscribed to my channel and have hit the notification bell so you don't miss my other episodes.Want more behind-the-scenes research and companion resources? Channel members receive (depending on level) extra resources like:• transcripts
• reading lists
• timelines and family-tree resources• Monthly YouTube livestreams• Monthly zoom call discussions to get deeper into these topicsYou can join via the Join button under this video, or by going to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCioSUqeGrdFq6DEVK3-DXGQ/join
 — and thank you so much to everyone who already supports the channel

When Christmas Really Ended: Twelfth Night & Epiphany in Tudor England

Christmas in Tudor England wasn’t a single day, it was a season.And Twelfth Night was its final, glittering crescendo.In this final episode of my Tudor Advent and Christmas series, I explore how Tudor people marked the end of Christmas with feasting, music, disguisings, misrule, and the famous Twelfth Night cake, complete with a hidden bean or pea to crown a King (or Lord of Misrule) for the night.I also explain:
When Twelfth Night actually was — the 5th or the 6th of January
Why Epiphany mattered both socially and spiritually
How Tudor court celebrations turned halls into living theatre
And how these traditions still survive today, including here in Spain with the Roscón de Reyes
Twelfth Night mattered because it ended Christmas properly, rather than Christmas just fading away.If you’ve missed earlier episodes, do watch “The Real Twelve Days of Christmas”, where I explain how the Tudors celebrated the entire festive season:https://youtu.be/0t61a2jATgsDo you celebrate Epiphany or Twelfth Night today? I’d love to hear your traditions in the comments.

Christmas Eve in Tudor England: Fasting, Firelight, and Midnight Mass - And a message from Claire!

Christmas Eve in Tudor England was a day of preparation, restraint, and anticipation, not feasting. It marked the final day of Advent.
In this short Christmas Eve episode, I’m sharing quick reminders of how Tudor people marked this special day, from fasting and firelight to church and tradition, before the celebrations truly began.For a deeper look at how Christmas was celebrated across the whole season, watch my video “The Real Twelve Days of Christmas” - https://youtu.be/0t61a2jATgsBefore I go, I also want to say a heartfelt thank you,  from me and Tim, and from our whole family (including the pets!), for all your support this year. Whether you watch, comment, share, or support the channel in other ways, it genuinely means so much.If you’d like to support the channel further and enjoy exclusive Tudor content, livestreams, zooms, magazines and resources, you’re very welcome to join my YouTube channel membership. Merry Christmas, and thank you for being here. 
 
#TudorChristmas #ChristmasEve #TwelveDaysofChristmas #HistoricalTraditions

Tudor Christmas Music Wasn’t Quiet: Instruments, Entertainers & Festive Noise

Tudor Christmas didn’t just sound like gentle carols, it was bold, noisy, and spectacular.In this episode of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we step beyond singing and into the vibrant world of Tudor Christmas music, the instruments, entertainers, and soundscape that filled great halls, courtyards, streets, and chambers during the festive season.This isn’t church music.This is feasting, dancing, misrule, and display.You’ll discover:- Why loud instruments like shawms and sackbuts dominated festive evenings
- How pipes, tabors, and drums drove dancing and revelry
- Which softer instruments — like viols, rebecs, and lutes — were played later in the evening
- Who provided the music, from court musicians and household minstrels to the city waits
- And why Henry VIII himself was at the heart of Tudor Christmas music-makingIf you’d like to explore Tudor music even further, I recommend my interview with historian, musician, and historical instrument maker Jane Moulder, which I’ve linked here:https://youtu.be/07xLwzchEqsQuestion for you:Which Tudor instrument would you most like to hear played live?#TudorChristmas#TudorMusic#TudorHistory#EarlyMusic#HenryVIII#ChristmasHistory#MusicHistory

Christmas on the Streets: Tudor Mystery Plays & the Origins of the Coventry Carol

Tudor Christmas wasn’t just celebrated at home or in church, it was performed.In this episode of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, we step into the vivid, noisy, emotional world of Christmas mystery plays, public dramas staged in streets, market squares, and churchyards across medieval and early Tudor England.
You’ll discover:
- What mystery plays really were — and why the word “mystery” meant craft, not confusion
- How towns like York, Chester, and Coventry brought Christmas to life with pageant wagons and street drama
- Why King Herod was played as a terrifying, shouting tyrant
- How shepherds’ humour made the Nativity relatable to Tudor audiences
-  And how one of our most haunting carols, Coventry Carol, comes directly from a Christmas mystery playThese plays didn’t just tell people the Christmas story, they made them feel it.This video is part of my Tudor Christmas Advent series.If you’ve enjoyed it, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you don’t miss tomorrow’s episode.Question for you:Would you have watched a Tudor Christmas mystery play, or found it too intense?#TudorChristmas#MysteryPlays#CoventryCarol#TudorHistory#ChristmasHistory#MedievalDrama#BritishHistory#EarlyModernEngland

Christmas Wasn’t Just Feasting

Christmas in Tudor England wasn’t only about feasting, pageantry, and celebration.It was also a season of obligation, a time when charity and almsgiving were seen as essential acts of faith.In this episode of my Tudor Christmas Advent series, I explore how medieval and Tudor people understood Christmas charity: not as a sentimental gesture, but as a moral and religious duty rooted in scripture, custom, and community.We’ll explore:- Why charity was preached so strongly at Christmas- How St Thomas’s Day set the tone for a charitable festive season- What great households were expected to give- How royal and parish charity worked before and after the ReformationFor the Tudors, to give at Christmas was to prepare the soul for Christ’s birth, and to refuse was seen as a failure of faith.I hope you enjoy this quieter, more reflective look at a Tudor Christmas tradition that mattered deeply to people living through the hardest time of the year.If you’ve enjoyed the video, please like, subscribe, and click the bell so you don’t miss the rest of my Tudor Christmas Advent series.
 
#TudorChristmas#TudorHistory#ChristmasHistory#MedievalChristmas#StThomassDay#BritishHistory#HistoryLovers#TheAnneBoleynFiles#ChristmasAdvent#EarlyModernHistory