Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

Step back into a world of intrigue, passion, and ruthless ambition — welcome to Tudor England. Join historian and bestselling author Claire Ridgway as she uncovers the riveting stories of the Tudor dynasty. From the scandalous love affairs of King Henry VIII to the tragic fall of Anne Boleyn, the fierce reign of Elizabeth I, and the lesser-known secrets of Tudor court life, this podcast brings history to life in vivid detail. Hear dramatic tales of betrayal, execution, forbidden love, and political manoeuvring that shaped England forever. Discover daily Tudor history with fascinating “On This Day” episodes — unique insights you won’t find in typical history books. Get behind-the-scenes stories from Claire’s own research trips to historic sites like the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Hever Castle, and more. Enjoy interviews with top historians and experts in Tudor studies, plus lively Q&A sessions tackling listeners’ burning Tudor questions. 🖋 Who is Claire Ridgway? Claire is the author of the bestselling On This Day in Tudor History series and numerous other Tudor books loved by readers around the world. She founded The Tudor Society, connecting enthusiasts with experts through live online events, and runs the hugely popular history websites The Anne Boleyn Files and www.ClaireRidgway.com. Her mission: to uncover the human stories behind the crown — the hopes, fears, and triumphs of not only kings and queens but also the courtiers, rebels, and ordinary people who lived under the Tudor rose. What can you expect? - Gripping accounts of famous events like the Field of Cloth of Gold, the Dissolution of the Monasteries, or the Babington Plot. - Intimate portraits of Tudor figures: Anne Boleyn’s charm and downfall, Thomas Cromwell’s rise and brutal fall, Elizabeth I’s cunning survival. - Dark mysteries and unsolved deaths — who really killed Amy Robsart? Was Katherine Howard truly guilty? - Special episodes on Tudor fashion, food, medicine, and the day-to-day lives of Tudor men and women. Join thousands of Tudor fans worldwide Never miss an episode — subscribe now and become part of a global community that can’t get enough of Tudor drama. Explore more with Claire’s books, free resources, and live historical events at www.ClaireRidgway.com. Ready to travel back 500 years? Press play and let the adventure begin.
Episodes
Episodes



Thursday Apr 01, 2021
Thursday Apr 01, 2021
In this second part of This Week in Tudor history, which covers 1st to 4th April, historian and author Claire Ridgway talks about Thomas Churchyard, a poet and soldier who kept being imprisoned; Sir Ambrose Cave, a man who joined the Order of St John as early as he possibly could, but survived its dissolution and ended his days serving Elizabeth I; before moving on to the death of Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire, mother of Queen Anne Boleyn and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth I, and finishing with the knighting of explorer Francis Drake.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/nFGnnMXqZw0
1st April 1604 - Death of poet and soldier Thomas Churchyard at Westminster in London.
2nd April 1568 - Death of Member of Parliament, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Knight of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem, Sir Ambrose Cave, at the Savoy.
3rd April 1538 - Death of Elizabeth Boleyn, Countess of Wiltshire, at Baynard's Castle in London.
4th April 1581 - The knighting of explorer, sea captain and pirate, Francis Drake, on board the Golden Hind at Deptford.
Elizabeth Boleyn is laid to rest - https://youtu.be/GyWTdjzHrK4
10 Facts about Elizabeth Boleyn - https://youtu.be/CMX89l5Io9o
December 13 - Sir Francis Drake sets off - https://youtu.be/k7xmAqIGWUw
September 26 - Sir Francis Drake, the Golden Hind and a whole lot of treasure - https://youtu.be/j8aQfsG7Zik
April 19 - Sir Francis Drake singes the King of Spain's beard - https://youtu.be/cGRGABOd_ss
January 27 - Sir Francis Drake - https://youtu.be/LCgBJbxsDds
Other Tudor history events for these dates:
April 1 - Henry VIII courts Jane Seymour - https://youtu.be/MORzUuPS8ec
April 1 - William Harvey, his experiments and blood circulation - https://youtu.be/xxMha0DQle4
April 2 - April 2 - Edward VI catches smallpox and measles - https://youtu.be/165sCxJn3KQ
April 2 - The death of Prince Arthur - https://youtu.be/eEanoR-aHRs
April 3 - Peace between Elizabeth I, France and the Empire - https://youtu.be/-ay-k25_ZBs
April 3 - The burial of Lady Margaret Douglas, "a lady of most pious character" - https://youtu.be/fuWfShWK-rY
April 4 - William Strachey and Shakespeare's The Tempest - https://youtu.be/BgGZyY6g2TI
April 4 - Mildred Cecil, Lady Burghley - far beyond the race of womankind - https://youtu.be/Jaap4Mj2Jbg
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Claire RidgwayHistorian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Societywww.theanneboleynfiles.comwww.tudorsociety.comhttps://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFileshttp://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles
https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/https://twitter.com/thetudorsocietyhttps://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/
https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/



Monday Mar 29, 2021
Monday Mar 29, 2021
In this first part of This Week in Tudor History for week beginning 29th March, historian Claire Ridgway talks about William Wager, a playwright and clergyman who picked wonderful titles for his works; the interesting life and career of Sir Ralph Sadler, who started out working for Thomas Cromwell and who went on to serve Henry VIII, Edward VI, Queen Jane (Lady Jane Grey) and Elizabeth I - oh, and Claire will tell us about his bigamous marriage! Then, finally, Claire will leave us with the dying King Henry VIII making his last will and testament.
29th March 1591 - The burial of playwright and Church of England clergyman, William Wager, at his church, St Benet Gracechurch. His plays included “Enough is as Good as a Feast” and “The Longer thou Livest the More Fool thou art”.
30th March 1587 - The death of diplomat and administrator, Sir Ralph Sadler, in his 80th year. He was laid to rest in St Mary’s Church, Standon.
31st March 1509 - The dying Henry VII made his last will and testament at Richmond Palace. He died three weeks later.
Sir Ralph Sadler's letters and speeches can be read at https://archive.org/details/statepaperslette01sadluoft/page/n3/mode/2up?view=theater
and https://archive.org/details/statepapers02sadl/page/n9/mode/2up?view=theater
Other Tudor history events for these dates:
March 29 - As foul a lady as the smallpox could make her - https://youtu.be/OkBlboV2G8o
March 29 - Children encourage John Laurence at his sad end - https://youtu.be/ToYVgj9hQqI
March 30 - Thomas Cranmer and his protestation - https://youtu.be/P78Iz-2dLVA
March 30 - A "pregnant" Mary I makes her will - https://youtu.be/LWrcLR61Kbo
March 31 - John Donne, the bell tolls for thee - https://youtu.be/w7Gv5Dw8EJQ
March 31 - King Henry VIII as King Ahab, Anne Boleyn as Jezebel - https://youtu.be/fm1xJmzIyIA



Sunday Mar 28, 2021
16 Interesting facts about Catherine of Aragon
Sunday Mar 28, 2021
Sunday Mar 28, 2021
Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of King Henry VIII, the mother of Queen Mary I and the aunt of Emperor Charles V, but there are lots more interesting facts about this Tudor woman.
In this talk, historian Claire Ridgway shares 16 interesting facts about this Tudor queen consort. How many of them do you already know?
Here is the link to the video Claire mentioned, “September 9 - Catherine of Aragon and the mystery of James IV's body” - https://youtu.be/scoxeEPvLk4



Thursday Mar 25, 2021
Thursday Mar 25, 2021
In part two of this week in Tudor history, historian Claire Ridgway talks about Walter Ralegh (Raleigh) being given permission to colonise foreign lands in 1584; a disagreement over the wearing of vestments in 1566 which led to a pamphlet war, protests and ministers losing their parishes; a Tudor earl who saved the day for Henry VIII during the 1536 Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion, and the burnings of three Protestant martyrs in Essex in 1555.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/rxdS2f7jpXI
25th March 1584 - Queen Elizabeth I granted letters patent to explorer Walter Ralegh giving him permission to colonise lands owned by indigenous people and those previously taken by Spain. This led to the founding of the colony on Roanoke Island, also known as the Lost Colony.
26th March 1566 - Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Edmund Grindal, Bishop of London, summon 110 ministers to Lambeth Palace to get them to pledge their willingness to wear vestments. 37 of those ministers refused and a pamphlet war broke out.
27th March 1539 - The burial of George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, at St Peter's, Sheffield. He served as a soldier under Henry VII and Henry VIII, and it appears that his actions and influence in late 1536, during the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion, led to the failure of the rebellion.
28th March 1555 - Protestants Stephen Knight and William Ptgot were burnt at the stake for heresy in Maldon and Braintree, Essex, and William Dighel was burnt at the stake in either Banbury, Oxfordshire, or Danbury, Essex.
The Lost Colony - https://youtu.be/DQdSpeYbMvg
Walter Ralegh - https://youtu.be/ISexLsnGKug
Other Tudor events for these dates:
March 25 - Margaret Clitherow, the Pearl of York, and her awful end - https://youtu.be/8RKxaGc4sHE
March 25 - Happy New Year - https://youtu.be/73k_gqClpFQ
March 26 - Robert Carey and his eventful ride to King James - https://youtu.be/dTyL66lKqMo
March 26 - Alchemy, astrology and angels This man was involved with them all! - https://youtu.be/A5hy__pKZuQ
March 27 - Arrangements are made for Prince Arthur to marry Catherine of Aragon - https://youtu.be/ivJa_K_8dh0
March 27 - Reading the Bible in church could get you into trouble - https://youtu.be/nItFisCuqFU
March 28 - The amazing Raphael - https://youtu.be/S7eQEQttjWs
March 28 - Anne Boleyn's chaplain and almoner John Skip - https://youtu.be/yk_TxLMtiPM
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Claire RidgwayHistorian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Societywww.theanneboleynfiles.comwww.tudorsociety.comhttps://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFileshttp://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles
https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/https://twitter.com/thetudorsocietyhttps://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/
https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/



Wednesday Mar 24, 2021
Was Anne Boleyn treated as queen in the Tower of London?
Wednesday Mar 24, 2021
Wednesday Mar 24, 2021
Thank you so much to Edith and Lucy the dog for their excellent question regarding Anne Boleyn's imprisonment in the Tower of London in May 1536.
In series like The Tudors, Anne Boleyn is shown being treated like a queen even though she's a prisoner, and she's shown being attended by ladies-in-waiting? But is this true? That's what Edith and Lucy want to know.
In this talk, Claire Ridgway, author of "The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown", talks about where in the Tower Anne Boleyn was imprisoned and who attended her during that time. Claire also considers whether Anne was forced to watch the executions of the men, and who accompanied her to the scaffold on 19th May 1536.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link: https://youtu.be/zr-wy1DJsac
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Claire RidgwayHistorian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Societywww.theanneboleynfiles.comwww.tudorsociety.comhttps://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFileshttp://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles
https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/https://twitter.com/thetudorsocietyhttps://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/
https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/



Monday Mar 22, 2021
Monday Mar 22, 2021
In this first part of This Week in Tudor History, historian Claire Ridgway talks about Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey’s loss of royal favour after the English defeat in France, but his children’s joy at the news of him returning home; ambassador Sir Henry Unton (or Umpton) who was killed in France by the "purple fever", and Sir James Dyer, a Chief Justice who has gone down in history as the first law reporter.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/9fV6-17YkJA
22nd March 1546 - Edward Seymour, Earl of Hertford, lands at Calais to relieve Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, as King Henry VIII's lieutenant general. Find out what had happened, why Surrey had fallen out of favour and what happened next.
23rd March 1596 - The death of Sir Henry Unton, resident ambassador in France, from "a violent, burning fever" which was described as the "purple fever". Find out about Unton's life and career.
24th March 1582 - Death of judge, law reporter, Member of Parliament and Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir James Dyer, at the age of 72.
Book recommendation: Henry VIII's Last Victim: The Life and Times of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey by Jessie Childs.
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Claire RidgwayHistorian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Societywww.theanneboleynfiles.comwww.tudorsociety.comhttps://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFileshttp://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles
https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/https://twitter.com/thetudorsocietyhttps://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/
https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/



Thursday Mar 18, 2021
Thursday Mar 18, 2021
in this second part of This Week in Tudor History, historian Claire Ridgway introduces Sir Christopher Blount, a secret agent and rebel who married his master’s widow and whose stepson, the Earl of Essex was his undoing; Edmund Harman, the man who trimmed and washed King Henry VIII’s hair and beard, and who was rewarded for it; Mary Bassett, Sir Thomas More's granddaughter, who was a highly educated Tudor woman and gifted translator; and Sir John Leveson (pronounced Looson), a Puritan and soldier whose later life was marred by a falling out over money.
You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/YD9Fxxn3MLI
18th March 1601 - The execution of Sir Christopher Blount, husband of Lettice Knollys (other married names: Devereux and Dudley), and stepfather of Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex. He was executed for treason after support the 1601 Essex's Rebellion.
19th March 1577 - Death of Edmund Harman, former barber to King Henry VIII and a man who is depicted in Hans Holbein the Younger’s painting, Henry VIII and the Barber Surgeons.
20th March 1572 - Death of Mary Bassett (née Roper), granddaughter of Sir Thomas More and a gifted translator.
21st March 1555 - Birth of Puritan Sir John Leveson, Kent landowner and Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, at Whornes Place in Cuxton in Kent.
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Claire RidgwayHistorian and author, founder of the Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Societywww.theanneboleynfiles.comwww.tudorsociety.comhttps://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFileshttp://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles
https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/https://twitter.com/thetudorsocietyhttps://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/
https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/



Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Cromwell, Wolsey and Wolf Hall
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Wednesday Mar 17, 2021
Thank you so much to Emilie and the super cute Nathaniel the dog for asking about the real relationship between Thomas Cromwell and his master, Cardinal Thomas Wolsey.
Were the two men as close as they were shown in Wolf Hall? How did Cromwell feel about Wolsey's fall? You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBeAEJHvDNs
Historian Claire Ridgway answers these questions and also explains the history behind a scene in Hilary Mantel's second novel in the series, Bring Up the Bodies, in which Cromwell vows revenge on those involved in Wolsey's fall and in mocking him.
Here are links to read Cavendish’s two volume biography of Wolsey:Volume 1 - https://archive.org/details/lifecardinalwol01presgoog/ Volume 2 - https://archive.org/details/dli.granth.37226

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.