May 20 - A cardinal’s hat for a headless man

On this day in Tudor history, 20th May 1535, Pope Paul III made John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, Cardinal-Priest of San Vitale, and arranged to have his cardinal's hat sent to him.
 
The pope hoped that this would save Fisher, who was imprisoned at the time, from further punishment, but it made the king even more determined to behead Bishop Fisher. Oh dear!
 
Find out more about what happened in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/u9C8WqwrGlM
 
Hall’s Life of Fisher - https://archive.org/details/lifeoffishe00hall/page/n11/mode/2up 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 20th May 1579, wheelwright Matthew Hamont was executed for heresy in the city of Norwich. What had led to Hamont being charged with heresy? And what exactly was so heretical about his beliefs? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/HS_Nsc0ccUE 
And on this day in 1536, Henry VIII and Jane Seymour became betrothed. https://youtu.be/nAJ19qeiw9o 
Other videos on Bishop Fisher:December 22 - Bishop Fisher begs for a shirt - https://youtu.be/9EwSBKVB16E May 7 - John Fisher is tricked - https://youtu.be/vmgMvS_JZlw 

May 14 - Henry VIII's leg problems

On this day in Tudor history, 14th May 1538, the French ambassador, Louis de Perreau, Sieur de Castillon, wrote a dispatch regarding King Henry VIII having been dangerously ill due to a problem with one of his legs.
 
Henry VIII was plagued with problems from his legs, leg uclers, from at least 1528 right up until his death. But what do we know about his problems and what are the theories regarding the cause?
 
Find out in today's talk from historian Claire Ridgway.
https://youtu.be/toBE-1ppOJ4
 
Also on this day in history, 14th May 1635, Helena Gorges (née Snakenborg), Lady Gorges, was buried in Salisbury Cathedral. But who was this lady and how did a Swedish royal maid-of-honour end up being buried in England? Find out in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/BzKXyFiHb6w
And on this day in 1536, while her predecessor and former mistress was in the Tower of London waiting for her trial, Jane Seymour was moved to be closer to the king and was treated like a queen. Hmmm… Find out more in the 14th may 1536 video - https://youtu.be/2efPMyXd14E

April 30 - Thomas Audley, Lord Chancellor

On this day in Tudor history, 30th April 1544, in the reign of King Henry VIII, Thomas Audley, Baron Audley of Walden and Lord Chancellor, died at his home in London.
 
Audley was Thomas Cromwell's right-hand man in 1536, during the fall of Anne Boleyn, and became even more important after Cromwell's fall.
 
Find out more about Thomas Audley, an important Tudor statesman, and how he served King Henry VIII, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/nK9NMs255B4
 

April 11 - Victory for Anne Boleyn, finally!

On this day in Tudor history, 11th April 1533, Good Friday, King Henry VIII informed his council that Anne Boleyn, the woman he'd married in January 1533, was his rightful wife and queen, and should be accorded royal honours.
 
Finally, things were going right for the couple, who had been waiting for this moment since 1527.
 
Find out more about what had led Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to this point, and why they thought that the Great Matter would be sorted out much quicker, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of The Anne Boleyn Files website.
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 11th April 1534, Sir Thomas Wyatt the Younger was beheaded for treason. Why? What had led him to this sticky end? Find out in last year's video - https://youtu.be/HCKNH7_NFsU
 
Timeline - https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/a-timeline-of-anne-boleyns-relationship-with-henry-viii-from-1528-1533/ 
 
Series of articles on Holbein's The Ambassadors:https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/holbeins-the-ambassadors-a-renaissance-puzzle-part-one-context/6516/ https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/holbeins-the-ambassadors-a-renaissance-puzzle-part-two-symbols/6532/ https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/holbeins-the-ambassadors-a-renaissance-puzzle-part-three-jupiter-and-change/6600/ 
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/3m9MnNczwzY

April 2 - The death of Prince Arthur

On this day in Tudor history, 2nd April 1502, Arthur, Prince of Wales, son and heir of King Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, died at Ludlow Castle. He was just fifteen years old, and had only been married to the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon for four and a half months.
 
In today's talk, Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History", discusses his death and the theories regarding Arthur's cause of death, which include sweating sickness, consumption, testicular cancer and Atypical Cystic Fibrosis.
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/eEanoR-aHRs
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 2nd April 1552, King Edward VI fell ill with measles and smallpox. Find out more in last year's video - https://youtu.be/165sCxJn3KQ

April 1 - William Harvey, his experiments and blood circulation

On this day in Tudor history, 1st April 1578, English physician William Harvey, was born in Folkestone, Kent. Harvey has gone down in history as being the man who discovered the circulation of blood, and he was also physician extraordinary to King James I and King Charles I.
 
How did Harvey work out that the heart pumped the blood around the body and how was his challenge of Galen's work received?
 
Find out more about William Harvey's work, and also his role in the pardoning of women accused of witchcraft, in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
 
Harvey’s work “On the motion of the heart and blood in animals” can be found at https://archive.org/details/onmotionheartan00harvgoog/page/n7/mode/2up 
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/xxMha0DQle4
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 1st April 1536, imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys recorded King Henry VIII courting a woman who wasn’t his wife, the woman was Jane Seymour. Find out more in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/MORzUuPS8ec 

March 30 - Thomas Cranmer and his protestation

On this day in Tudor history, 30th March 1533, at the Passion Sunday service, Thomas Cranmer, Archdeacon of Taunton, was consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury.
 
His consecration was not like those of others before him, however, because as well as making the usual oath promising to be faithful to the papacy and to denounce heretics, he also made a protestation to show that his oath would not conflict with his loyalty to King Henry VIII and his commitment to reforming the church. Hmmmm.... complicated.
 
Find out more in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, founder of the Tudor Society.
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/P78Iz-2dLVA
 
Other videos on Thomas Cranmer:
 
July 2 - 13 things you probably didn't know about Thomas Cranmer - https://youtu.be/hsz09DoX9oU September 12 - Thomas Cranmer is in big trouble! - https://youtu.be/GaDQduKl0nA December 4 - The beginning of the end for Thomas Cranmer - https://youtu.be/KRuycWXw1Jo March 21 - This unworthy right hand - The end of Thomas Cranmer - https://youtu.be/7P-aGWg92qk 
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, 30th March 1558, Queen Mary I wrote her will. She did it because she believed that she was just about to give birth, and, obviously, childbirth was a risky process. Find out more about her will, and what happened with this “pregnancy”, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/LWrcLR61Kbo 

March 28 - The amazing Raphael

This day in history, 28th March 1483, is one of the dates out forward as the birthdate of Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, or Raphael as he is known, the Italian Renaissance artist and architect. 
 
Did you know that Henry VII owned a piece of art by Raphael and that Henry VIII admired his work?
 
Find out a bit more about Raphael and see some of his beautiful works of art in today's talk from Claire Ridgway, author of "On This Day in Tudor History".
 
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/S7eQEQttjWs
 
Also on this day in Tudor history, John Skip, Bishop of Hereford, and a man who’d served Anne Boleyn as her chaplain and almoner, died. Find out more about his time serving Queen Anne Boleyn and a controversial sermon he preached in 1536, in last year’s video - https://youtu.be/yk_TxLMtiPM