Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

19 May - Anne Boleyn's execution

On this day in Tudor history, 19th May 1536, Henry VIII's second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, was executed at the Tower of London.
 
Find out more, and hear some of her final words, in this #TudorHistoryShorts from Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/RdI0GS_C35w
 
For a more detailed video on Anne Boleyn's execution, see https://youtu.be/Gpum3gzc3CU 

18 May - I have a little neck

On this day in Tudor history, 18th May 1536, Queen Anne Boleyn's execution was postponed.
Sir William Kingston, the Constable of the Tower of London, was surprised by the queen's reaction when he informed her of the delay - why? How did Anne react? What did she say?
Find out exactly what Anne Boleyn said in this #TudorHistoryShorts talk from Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/_69kA8P9rnE

17 May - Around the throne the thunder rolls

On 17th May 1536, poet, courtier and diplomat Sir Thomas Wyatt the Elder, who was imprisoned in the Tower of London, witnessed the executions of his fellow courtiers, George Boleyn, Henry Norris, Sir Francis Weston, William Brereton and Mark Smeaton.
 
Hear some of what he wrote about that awful day. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/FhNRo3Ecy70
 
For more details on the men's executions, see https://youtu.be/X7b1BLEpu9w 

16 May - Thomas More resigns

On this day in Tudor history, 16th May 1532, Sir Thomas More resigned as Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor.
But what led to More's resignation when he had been such a loyal servant to King Henry VIII?
Find out from historian Claire Ridgway.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:https://youtu.be/CS_9ms0ubmA

20 Interesting Facts about the Wars of the Rose

In this edition of her Facts About series, historian Claire Ridhway takes us back to the Wars of the Roses, that period of civil war between 1455 and 1487.
Find out about the background to the Wars of the Roses, who was involved, what happened and how they came to an end, as well as some Wars of the Roses trivia.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:https://youtu.be/En8iu6VZ8eM

15 May - Henry VIII’s problems in the bedroom become public

On this day in Tudor history, 15th May 1536, Henry VIII's second wife, Queen Anne Boleyn, and her brother, George Boleyn, Lord Rochford, were tried one after the other in the King's Hall of the Tower of London.
It was during George's trial that problems the king was experiencing with his wife became public, something which must have been rather embarrassing for the king.
Find out what happened on that day in 1536 from Claire Ridgway, author of The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:https://youtu.be/l-h1cA977k0
 

14 May - The Creeping Parliament

On this day in Tudor history, 14th May 1571, the "Creeping Parliament" was held in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Why was it called the "Creeping Parliament" and why were there actually two Parliaments meeting? What was going on and what happened next?
Find out more from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:https://youtu.be/Qg_XhizMzKY

Fan Q&A - Did Anne Boleyn bring down Cardinal Wolsey?

Thank you to Kristian from Bulgaria for his question about Anne Boleyn and her role in the fall of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Henry VIII's Lord Chancellor and chief advisor.
What role did Anne Boleyn have in Cardinal Wolsey's fall and his eventual arrest? Did Anne and her family work to bring Wolsey down?  Was Wolsey's fall Anne Boleyn's revenge for him breaking up her romance with Henry Percy?
Find out in this latest Fan Q&A talk from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:https://youtu.be/RjePQyNINFo
Book recommendation: The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives