The Tudor Chest Podcast

Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter with Sylvia Barbara Soberton.

One of the most powerful and influential women at the court of Henry VIII is someone you’ve probably never heard of, or perhaps only heard of fleetingly - Gertrude Courtenay, Marchioness of Exeter. As the wife of Henry VIII’s cousin, Henry Courtenay, Gertrude was a central figure at King Henry’s court, and would find herself on the wrong side of the law a couple of times, but most prominently when she became embroiled in a period known as the Exeter conspiracy, which would eventually lead to her husband's execution and her and her sons imprisonment. To discuss this fascinating figure with me today, I am pleased to welcome historian and author Sylvia Barbara Soberton onto the podcast. Sylvia Barbara’s book “The forgotten Tudor women - Gertrude Courtenay, wife and mother of the last Plantagenets” is the basis for our discussion today.

Cecily, Anne and Catherine - The Lost Princesses of York

Elizabeth Woodville and her second husband, King Edward IV were incredibly fortunate when it came to the production of healthy heirs. Elizabeth would give her husband a total of ten children - three boys and seven girls, with the most well known being Elizabeth of York, the wife of King Henry VII and mother to king Henry VIII. However, three of these seven daughters, Cecily, Anne and Catherine would lead lives just as fascinating and dramatic as their eldest sister, and would eventually discover life under the rule of the Tudor’s had its challenges, so who were these forgotten York princesses? What were their lives like and why are they all but forgotten by history?

The Missing Tudor Palaces

In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn with Dr Sarah Morris

Sarah Morris is a historian, author and also my colleague as co-director of our historic tour company, Simply Tudor Tours. She joins me today for a fascinating discussion based around the book she wrote alongside Natalie Grueninger, In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn. This book charts the many locations both in England but across Europe which are closely associated with Anne Boleyn, and thanks to Sarah’s encyclopaedic knowledge of what happened and where, she is able to recreate and reimagine spaces that no longer exist or look very different and place us in the 16th century. Whether it’s the room at Windsor Castle in which Anne Boleyn was made Marquess of Pembroke to the sadly lost parts of the Tower of London that Anne Boleyn knew well, Sarah knows it all, and can help us all imagine what is now lost.

The House of Dudley with Dr Joanne Paul

Dr Joanne Paul is a historian, author, broadcaster and former lecturer at Sussex University. She joins me today for a fascinating and at times amusing discussion all about the house of Dudley, the famous family for whom the tower of London and execution would loom large, from the hated Edmund Dudley, to John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, to the charismatic great love of Queen Elizabeth I’s life, Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester. This was a family who came from very humble stock, but who would rise to the very top of the Tudor nobility, witnessing up close all of the drama associated to this most infamous of royal dynasties.

A Gentleman from Japan with Tom Lockley

In September 1588 Sir Thomas Cavendish, an English explorer and pirate arrived back into London following a lengthy trip around the world, but Thomas did not arrive back in England alone, for within his party were two men, Christopher and Cosmos, from Japan. To tell this amazing story, I am pleased to welcome Tom Lockley onto the podcast. Tom is based in Japan and has spent the past eight years researching the story of Christopher, with his book, A Gentleman from Japan, the Untold Story of an Incredible Journey from Asia to Queen Elizabeth’s Court, acting as the basis for our discussion. Join me as we uncover the fascinating and surprising story of the moment when the last Tudor monarch was introduced to the very first person from Japan to ever set foot on British soil.

Who were the Tudors?

They are Britain's most famous royal dynasty, and yet the House of Tudor was one which should never have sat on the throne of England in the first place. Their lineage was noble, but by no means as grand as many other families in England, and yet they managed to eventually succeed in displacing the house of Plantagenet, who had ruled England for over 300 years. So what actually was their lineage? How did they descend from King Edward III, did this give them the right to wear the crown? How did the name of "Tudor" actually make it's way into English history?

Margaret of Anjou - The "She Wolf" of France

Margaret of Anjou was queen of England via her marriage to perhaps England's most inept king, Henry VI. She has become famous as the "she wolf" of France, a spiteful aggressive woman who cut down her enemies and revelled in causing pain, but how accurate is this assessment? Has Shakespeare done the dirty on this fascinating medieval queen, or was she truly the evil shrew we've all been taught?

Anna and the House of Cleves with Dr Heather Darsie

Dr Heather Darsie is an American attorney and historian who specialises in German medieival and Tudor history. She has written extensively on the subject and has released two books, Anna, Duchess of Cleves: The Kings Beloved Sister and Children of the House of Cleves, Anna and her Siblings. She joins me today for a fascinating discussion about the Cleves family, including of course, it’s most famous member, Anna, the fourth wife of Henry VIII known to history as the ugly flanders mare, or was she? Heather’s incredible research has led her to many significant conclusions which entirely re-write the accepted reasons for the breakdown in the marriage between Henry VIII and Anna of Cleves, she is even firmly of the belief that their marriage was fully consummated and that ultimately the one person who is to blame for the breakdown of the couples relationship was neither party, but Anna’s brother, Duke Wilhelm of Julich-Cleves-Berge. Prepare to re-think everything you thought you knew about this fascinating family!

Henry VIII and Hollywood

He's the most famous king in all of British history and has been a staple of Hollywood since the dawn of film, being played by some of the greatest actors to ever walk the earth, including Richard Burton, Keith Michell and Damien Lewis, but which of the many interpretations of Henry VIII are the closest to the real man? Which leave much to be desired? Well I cover it all, with unapologetic frankness in my opinions! Happy listening!