Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

The Mind Behind the Videos: An Interview with Claire Ridgway

What inspired me to dedicate my life to Anne Boleyn and the Tudors? Why did I move to Spain? And yes — what do my tattoos mean?
In this special behind-the-scenes interview, my husband Tim takes the interviewer’s seat and asks me questions submitted by our amazing YouTube members. From my early fascination with Tudor history to the unexpected journey that led to The Anne Boleyn Files and The Tudor Society, we chat about how a lifelong passion turned into a full-time career sharing history with the world.
You’ll also hear about our move to Spain, what village life is really like, how we started our publishing business, and how I balance research, writing, and running online events with everyday life.
Expect laughter, honesty, and a few surprises — including stories I’ve never shared publicly before.
Member shout-outs: @emilykmichaelwriter, @NYCEllieMonster, @kathrynwicklund5880, @lpatter5440, @carmeloreilly5908, @petricat666, @Elvertaw, @kimcarlisle1510, @Odanti
#TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTuber #Interview #BehindTheScenes #TudorSociety #TheAnneBoleynFiles

Did Henry VIII Really Sacrifice Jane Seymour? The Truth Behind the Caesarean Myth

When Queen Jane Seymour gave birth to Prince Edward on 12th October 1537, and sadly died on 24th October. From celebrations to tragedy in just 12 days.For centuries, a dark rumour has followed this story: that Henry VIII ordered surgeons to cut Jane open to deliver their son, sacrificing his queen for an heir.It’s a tale that fits Henry’s reputation for ruthlessness perfectly… but did it ever happen?In this episode, I dive into the real Tudor evidence — from Nicholas Sander’s anti-Henry propaganda to 17th-century historians and historic ballads — to uncover how this myth was born and why it still persists today.We’ll look at what the contemporary sources actually say, how the story evolved, and why it just can't be true.
 
If you enjoy uncovering myths, scandals, and true stories from Tudor history, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell, it really helps more people find the channel. And if you missed my podcast, Jane Seymour’s Death – A Deep Dive into the Causes, watch that next for the full medical picture - https://youtu.be/S6pFV6l6Vxg
 
#TudorHistory #JaneSeymour #HenryVIII #TudorEngland #AnneBoleynFiles #HistoryUncovered #TudorMyths #BritishHistory #TrueHistory

What Halloween Was Really Like in Tudor England

Forget pumpkins and plastic skeletons, in Tudor England, Halloween was sacred.
 
On 31st October, All Hallows’ Eve marked the start of Hallowtide, a three-day festival blending pagan Samhain customs with Christian devotion:- All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) – ringing bells, lighting bonfires, wearing masks to ward off spirits, and “souling” for cakes to pray for the dead.- All Saints’ Day (1 November) – honouring every saint and martyr in heaven.- All Souls’ Day (2 November) – remembering all the departed, especially those in Purgatory.In this episode, I step back into Tudor England to uncover:- The origins of apple bobbing and “Nutcrack Night”- How souling became the forerunner of trick-or-treating- Why Hallowtide was both festive and deeply spiritual, a time to bridge the worlds of the living and the deadSo if you’ve ever wondered what Halloween meant before horror films and sweets, this is the story of how the Tudors honoured the dead, celebrated life, and kept the darkness at bay.#Halloween #TudorHistory #HalloweenHistory #Hallowtide #OnThisDay #AllHallowsEve #AllSaintsDay #AllSoulsDay #AnneBoleynFiles

Did Elizabeth I Have a Secret Baby? Roger Ascham’s 1566 Letter Examined

On this day in Tudor history, 30th October 1566, Queen Elizabeth I’s former tutor, Roger Ascham, wrote her a long, heartfelt letter of praise and moral guidance.Centuries later, this same letter would be twisted into something sensational, supposed proof that Elizabeth secretly married Robert Dudley and bore a child… the future philosopher Francis Bacon.But what did Ascham actually write?And how did a pious letter about kingship, learning, and virtue become “evidence” for a royal scandal?In this episode, I uncover:- Who Roger Ascham really was — Elizabeth’s beloved tutor and humanist scholar- What his 1566 letter truly says (and doesn’t say)- How Victorian writers and Baconian theorists turned scripture into scandal- Why the so-called “secret pregnancy” theory falls apart when you read the textAscham’s Divae Elizabethae isn’t confession or gossip, it’s devotion: a dying scholar’s tribute to the queen he’d once taught. So let’s separate Tudor truth from centuries of speculation.Listen now to discover why this misunderstood letter reveals more about our obsession with the Virgin Queen’s image than about her real life.#TudorHistory #ElizabethI #RogerAscham #RobertDudley #FrancisBacon #TudorMyths #HistoryDebunked #AnneBoleynFiles

Mary, Queen of Scots: Martyr, Heroine… or Traitor?

On this day in Tudor history, 29 October 1586, Parliament met to decide the fate of Mary, Queen of Scots, just days after she was found guilty of conspiring to assassinate Queen Elizabeth I.Their verdict was clear: the queen’s own cousin and fellow sovereign must die.But more than four centuries later, the question still burns: was Mary a martyr, a tragic heroine, or a traitor?I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode we’ll revisit the tense weeks between Mary’s trial at Fotheringhay and her execution in February 1587. Elizabeth hesitated, torn between mercy and survival, while her councillors pressed for action.Meanwhile, Mary, an anointed queen held captive for nineteen years, insisted she was dying for her faith, not her crimes.So who was she really?A dangerous conspirator caught by her own hand… or a doomed queen sacrificed to politics, religion, and fear?
#MaryQueenOfScots #ElizabethI #OnThisDay #TudorHistory #Tudors #QueenOfScots #TrueHistory #BritishHistory #TheAnneBoleynFiles

The Man Who Survived Them All: Sir John Gage and the Tudor Thrones

On this day in Tudor history, 28 October 1479, a man was born who would rise to the highest offices of state, and somehow survive the reigns of four Tudor monarchs.I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today I’m talking about Sir John Gage: soldier, administrator, and courtier to Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I.Gage’s life was a masterclass in cautious loyalty.He held the keys to the Tower of London, helped dissolve the monasteries, investigated conspiracies, and stood at the heart of Tudor power through decades of religious and political upheaval.But what was he really: a man of faith and duty, or a shrewd survivor in a dangerous age?Join me as we explore the extraordinary life of Sir John Gage, the Tudor who managed to keep his head while those around him lost theirs.
Tell me in the comments:Was Gage’s careful loyalty wisdom… or opportunism?#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #SirJohnGage #TowerofLondon #HenryVIII #MaryI #EdwardVI #HenryVII #Tudors #TudorCourt#TheAnneBoleynFiles

The Bonfire That Helped Spread the English Bible

Imagine trying to stop a book so hard… you end up funding its next edition.On this day, 27 October 1526, Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall ordered copies of William Tyndale’s English New Testament to be burned at St Paul’s Cathedral. The goal: to stop heresy and control what the people could read.But Tunstall’s crackdown had an unexpected twist. To destroy the books, he had to buy them first, money that reportedly paid for Tyndale’s next, improved edition.I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s On This Day in Tudor History, we’ll explore how one bishop’s bonfire turned into the best publicity Tyndale could have asked for, and how, just a decade later, English Bibles would appear in every church by royal order.Was Tunstall defending the faith, or did he help spread the very thing he feared?#TudorHistory #Tyndale #Reformation #OnThisDay #PrintingPress #HenryVIII #History #EnglishBible

Did Henry VIII Cover Up a Violent Crime for Thomas Culpeper?

He was handsome, charming, and one of Henry VIII’s most trusted courtiers, until he fell from grace with Queen Catherine Howard.But whispers survive of a darker story: an accusation of violence, a royal pardon, and a crime that seemed to vanish from the record.
Was Thomas Culpeper guilty of a shocking offence, and did Henry VIII himself protect him from justice?
 
Or was this just dangerous Tudor gossip, muddled by the existence of two Thomas Culpepers at court?
Join me as I investigate one of Tudor England’s most disturbing mysteries — where power, privilege, and silence could decide a man’s fate.
 
Sources:
- Letter from Richard Hilles to Heinrich Bullinger, Original letters relative to the English Reformation: written during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and Queen Mary, chiefly from the archives of Zurich, ed. Rev. Hastings Robinson, https://archive.org/details/originallettersr01robiuoft/page/226/mode/2up?
- New Insight on the Accusation Against Thomas Culpeper, Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, Jonathan McGovern, Notes and Queries, gjaf112, https://doi.org/10.1093/notesj/gjaf112Published: 17 October 2025.
- "Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII's Fifth Queen" by Josephine Wilkinson- "Young and Damned and Fair" by Gareth Russell- “Catherine Howard: The Queen whose adulteries made a fool of Henry VIII” by Lacey Baldwin Smith