Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

Katherine Willoughby: Duchess, Exile, Survivor

On this day in Tudor history, 19 September 1580, Katherine Willoughby (Katherine Brandon, later Katherine Bertie), Duchess of Suffolk, died after a long illness and was laid to rest at Spilsby, Lincolnshire.I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today I’m telling the story of one of my favourite Tudor women, a brilliant, resilient figure who moved from court glitter to deepest grief, from duchess to exile and back again, guided by a sharp mind and a fiercer faith.In this episode:
Heiress & child-bride: ward of Charles Brandon and Duchess at 14
Court & conscience: official mourner at Catherine of Aragon’s funeral; hiring Hugh Latimer to preach
Tragedy in 1551: losing both sons to the sweating sickness the same day
Love & exile: marriage to Richard Bertie, flight under Mary I, return under Elizabeth I
Legacy: patronage of reform, Miles Coverdale in her household, and that famous little dog named “Gardiner”
If you enjoy deep dives into remarkable Tudor women, please like, subscribe, and share your thoughts below.#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #KatherineWilloughby #DuchessOfSuffolk #CharlesBrandon #Reformation #SweatingSickness #ElizabethI

Heir, Hostage, Court Favourite… Dead at 15 - Henry Brandon’s Story

On this day in Tudor history, 18 September 1535, Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk, was born at Chartley in Staffordshire. The eldest son of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and Catherine Willoughby, Henry’s life was full of promise, until it was heartbreakingly cut short.
Educated alongside Prince Edward (the future Edward VI), Henry thrived at court: he carried the orb at Edward’s coronation, ran at the ring, and studied at Cambridge under some of the greatest humanist tutors of the day. He was a young noble who seemed destined for greatness.But in the summer of 1551, the dreaded sweating sickness struck. Within hours, Henry and his younger brother Charles were dead, snuffing out the Brandon male line in one cruel blow.In this podcast, I share Henry’s brief but brilliant story, his education, his role at court, and the tragedy that ended his family’s hopes.
If you enjoy daily Tudor stories, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell. And let me know in the comments: which Tudor “might-have-been” do you wish had lived to fulfil their promise?#TudorHistory #OnThisDay #HenryBrandon #EdwardVI #TudorTragedy #ClaireRidgway
 

The Quiet Power Behind the Reformation: Bullinger

On 17 September 1575, Zurich lost one of its great reformers: Heinrich (Henry) Bullinger.While Luther thundered, Calvin systematised, and Zwingli fought and died, Bullinger quietly anchored the Swiss Reformation, and his writings reached far beyond Switzerland, shaping the faith of Tudor England.In this episode, I explore:
Bullinger’s rise from Bremgarten priest’s son to Zurich’s leading pastor
His household with Anna Adlischweiler—marriage, 11 children, orphans, and refugees
His leadership after Zwingli’s death in 1531, keeping Zurich’s church steady
The Decades - sermons that became required reading in Elizabethan England
His covenant theology - grace freely offered, faith shown through conduct
His role as a bridge-builder: the First and Second Helvetic Confessions, and a vast correspondence that reached Edward VI and Elizabeth I
Bullinger’s death on this day in 1575 marked the end of an era, but his influence endured - quiet, steady, and lasting.Had you heard of Bullinger before today? And which Reformation voice - Luther, Zwingli, Bullinger, or Calvin - do you find most compelling? Tell me in the comments.If you enjoy these daily glimpses into Tudor history, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell. For exclusive extras—zoom calls, behind-the-scenes content, and my monthly magazine—consider joining my channel membership.\#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #Reformation #Bullinger #ChurchHistory #ProtestantReformers #ClaireRidgway #ElizabethanEngland

Walter Devereux: Poison Plot or Tragic Misfortune

On 16 September 1539, Walter Devereux was born at Chartley in Staffordshire. Nobleman, soldier, coloniser—and father to Robert Devereux, Elizabeth I’s brilliant but doomed favourite—Walter’s life was full of ambition, controversy, and whispers that outlived him.
From his meteoric rise at Elizabeth’s court to his brutal and ill-fated campaign in Ireland, Walter seemed destined for greatness. But at just 37, he died suddenly in Dublin in 1576. Official cause? Dysentery. The rumours? Poison… perhaps even at the hands of Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester—who later married Walter’s widow, Lettice Knollys.
In this episode, I trace Walter’s journey from Chartley heir to Irish commander, explore his marriage into the Boleyn-Knollys family, and ask:
Why did his Irish venture turn so grim?
Was his death really natural—or the result of a Tudor plot?
How did his early end shape the fate of his son, the tragic Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex?
Poison or misfortune? You decide in the comments.
If you enjoyed this Tudor true-crime style tale, please like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you don’t miss tomorrow’s story from Tudor history.
#TudorHistory #OnThisDay #ElizabethI #Essex #WalterDevereux #HistoryTok #ClaireRidgway  

What did Henry VIII REALLY look like?

When you picture Henry VIII, do you see Holbein’s towering figure in furs and jewels—broad, bearded, and imposing?That image is iconic... but it’s not the full story.In this video, I’m going back to the start of Henry’s reign to ask:What did Henry VIII really look like when he took the throne in 1509?
Before the tyranny, before the weight gain, before the codpieces and propaganda, Henry was something else entirely.Discover how contemporary eyewitnesses described himWhat portraits and armour tell us about his build and featuresAnd why our mental image of Henry is shaped more by politics than portraitsWho would you cast as young Henry in a film or series? Let me know in the comments!
Watch next: Tracking Henry VIII’s Weight Gain… Through His Armour - https://youtu.be/sesuSTxpXMs?si=rZ1_jWVl1l-jQ8FZDon’t forget to like, subscribe, and tap the bell for more myth-busting Tudor history from The Anne Boleyn Files.#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #YoungHenryVIII #AnneBoleynFiles #TudorMonarchy #HolbeinMyth #TudorPortraits #EarlyModernHistory

Tudor Quiz - 75 THOUSAND Youtube Subscribers - Play Along!

I can't believe that I've got over 75,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel, and to celebrate it, my lovely husband, Tim, put together a "mastermind" style expert round quiz to test my knowledge on the Tudors and especially the Boleyn family.There's a quick-fire round of two minutes where I have to answer as many questions correctly as I can, and then a slightly more leisurely round where I get some bonus questions.Let me know how many questions you got right by playing along now...THANK YOU to every single one of my subscribers, I really appreciate your support and I read every comment you leave.

Was Henry VIII Really Protestant?

The Truth About His Faith and the English Reformation
 
He broke from Rome. He dissolved the monasteries. He declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England…So that makes Henry VIII Protestant, right?Not quite.In this video, we explore:
Why Henry VIII broke with the Pope (spoiler: it wasn’t about theology)
His 1521 book defending the Catholic sacraments against Martin Luther
The Act of Supremacy and what it really meant
The Six Articles and the continued persecution of Protestants
What changed under Henry—and what stayed Catholic
The king’s final days and the beliefs he clung to on his deathbed
Tell me in the comments:Do you think Henry ever intended to spark a Reformation?Or was it all about control?Like, subscribe, and tap the bell for more daily Tudor history from the Anne Boleyn Files.Watch next: 
July 30 - Reformers and Catholics executed on the same day - https://youtu.be/ZUvIWF51n_Q#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #Reformation #EnglishReformation #WasHenryVIIIProtestant #ClaireRidgway #OnThisDay #TudorChurch #CatholicWithoutThePope #HistoryDebunked

Who was Marten Micron?

We rarely hear about Marten Micron, a young Dutch pastor who came to London as a refugee, and helped organise one of the most radical experiments of Edward VI’s reign: the Stranger Church at Austin Friars.
I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video I’ll be sharing the remarkable story of Marten Micron: his ministry among London’s refugees, his influential writings on church order and catechism, his exile under Mary I, and his enduring legacy in the Reformation.
In this episode:
- Who Marten Micron was and how he came to London.
- Why the Stranger Churches were so significant in Edward VI’s England.
- Micron’s role in shaping worship, discipline, and teaching.
- His exile, death, and why his writings still mattered across Europe.
Join me as we uncover the story of a reformer too often forgotten, yet whose influence rippled far beyond Tudor England.
 
What do you think—should Marten Micron be remembered alongside figures like Cranmer and Calvin? Tell me in the comments!
Like, subscribe, and tap the bell so you don’t miss more daily deep dives into Tudor and Reformation history.
And if you’d like even more Tudor content—including my monthly digital magazine The Privy Chronicle—consider becoming a channel member and stepping into my Tudor court!
#TudorHistory #Reformation #MartenMicron #StrangerChurch #ClaireRidgway