The Tudor Chest - The Podcast

Henry VIII by Ralph Sheldon, a Portrait Re-discovery by Dr Adam Busiakiewicz

Dr Adam Busiakiewicz is an art historian who has taken the Tudor world by storm in the past few weeks, thanks to his discovery of a portrait of King Henry VIII that was thought to be long lost! Like most big discoveries, it was hiding in plain sight all along! The piece was part of a 22 portrait set by Ralph Sheldon, and painted during the reign of Henry VIII’s daughter, Queen Elizabeth I. Adam joins me today to discuss how he found the portrait, details about its origins, details within the portrait itself and much more!

The Thistle and the Rose: The Extraordinary life of Margaret Tudor with Dr Linda Porter.

Dr Linda Porter is a historian and author who has just released her sixth book, the thistle and the rose - the extraordinary life of Margaret Tudor. She joins me today for a discussion all about King Henry VIII’s older sister, who reigned as Queen of Scotland beside her husband King James IV. Margaret weathered many storms, including the difficulty of her first husband going to war against her native homeland, and then the disaster of her second and third marriages respectively. Margaret does however have a major legacy, one still extremely present in the British identity today, and in Linda’s book she explores this fascinating character who for too long has been all but overlooked.

Six Lives, the stories of Henry VIII’s queens with Dr Charlotte Bolland

Dr. Charlotte Bolland is Senior Curator of Research and 16th Century Collections at the National Portrait Gallery. Today, she joins me for a discussion all about the remarkable new exhibition at the national portrait gallery which Charlotte organised and curated. Featuring an incredible array of portraits and artefacts, Charlotte has brought together a cohesive and fascinating tale which tells the story of the six queens of Henry VIII, both in literal terms, and in the way society has shaped their individual iconography.

Serving the Tudors with Dr James Taffe

Dr James Taffe is a Tudor historian, who specialises in exploring the activities of those above and below stairs at this time in history, and so in this episode I chat to James all about the different aspects of service in the 16th century, from helping the monarch dress, to gatekeeping unwanted guests, and of course, exploring what was actually involved in that oh so glamorous sounding job of groom of the stool!

Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I - Mother, Daughter, Traitors, Queens

Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I, mother and daughter, both viewed as traitors for a time, Anne Boleyn lost her life, but Elizabeth got her liberty and went on to become perhaps England’s most iconic queen. Their relationship is one seldom explored, and yet both Anne and Elizabeth showed quiet signs of support for each other, even though mother and daughter were ripped apart following Anne’s execution. Today, Dr Sarah Morris joins me for an informal chat all about the relationship between mother and daughter, and we share some of our own feelings and opinions on these two mega stars of British history!

Anne of the Thousand Days - The Story behind the Masterpiece

For many the greatest depiction of Anne Boleyn on screen came at the end of 1969, when Anne of the Thousand Days was released in cinemas across the world. An epic historical drama based on the life of Queen Anne Boleyn starring Genevieve Bujold in the titular role alongside Richard Burton, as King Henry VIII. In this weeks bonus episode I will be taking a look back on Anne of the Thousand Days, looking at how it was made, behind the scenes dramas and why, I believe, it retains such a beloved place in the hearts of Anne Boleyn devotees.

Wriothesley and Rich - Henry VIII's Evil Councillors

With Wolf Hall Series 2 having completed filming and hopefully on our screens soon, I thought the time would be right to explore the lives of two of the men who owed much of their success to Cromwell, but would eventually go on to turn against him, these men being Thomas Wriothesley and Richard Rich. Both would become infamous for their unscrupulous and frankly cruel behaviour, using whatever means possible to reach their goals, both famously turned the wheel of the rack when Anne Askew was subjected to torture, but who were these two men, what were their early lifes like, how did they come to Cromwells service and why are they viewed as such major Tudor villains?

Re-evaluating Holbein's sketch of Anne Boleyn with Emma Demerath.

There are two sketches by Hans Holbein which are said to depict Anne Boleyn. One is in the British Museum, while the other is in the royal collection. The latter sketch is the more controversial, as the sitter is in a state of undress, has what appears to be blonde hair and a decidedly full double chin, and yet, the inscription labelling the sketch as her, is believed to have been added by Sir John Cheke, a man who personally knew Anne Boleyn, or did he? In todays episode of the Tudor Chest podcast, I am chatting to Emma Demerath who recently graduated from John Cabot University in Massachusetts, with a degree in Art History. Emma has discovered holes in many of the conclusions historians have made in relation to this sketch, but moreover, has examined the imagery on its reverse, which may very well hold the key to identifying the actual sitter of the piece.

Anne Boleyn's Household with Dr Nikki Clark

Dr Nikki Clark is a historian and lecturer at Chichester University. Sher joins me today for a fascinating discussion about Anne Boleyn’s household, from who made up Anne’s retinue, what roles they played, how these came about, and how things changed as Anne ascended through the court of King Henry VIII, before her momentous fall in May 1536. We discuss specific members of the court who served Anne, some of which are well known to us, like Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, while others are all but forgotten by history, but all played a role in serving the woman who the late Eric Ives described as the most influential queen consort in English history.

Thorns, Lust and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn with Dr Estelle Paranque

Dr Estelle Paranque is a historian and Associate Professor at Northeastern University London. She joins me today for a discussion all about her latest book, Thorns, Lust and Glory - The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn. In this book, we see that Anne’s destruction was not so entirely determined by the machinations of Thomas Cromwell, but in part owing to the huge shifts in European power politics at the time. It is this, which Estelle discusses, that tells us how much greater the storm around Anne Boleyn actually was, and that in the end, she was betrayed not only by her husband, but by people from across Europe who had once been firm and trusted allies.