The Tudor Chest - The Podcast

Who was the love of King Henry VIII’s life?

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. The six wives of Henry VIII are amongst the most famous women in English history, but a question we seldom ask is who was the true love of King Henry VIII's life? Was it the pious and loyal Catherine of Aragon, the tempestuous and exciting Anne Boleyn, or the dutiful but dull Jane Seymour? In this episode, historian and author Adam Pennington attempts to answer this question.

Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford: Villain or Victim?

Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford served the first five queens of King Henry VIII and counted Anne Boleyn as her sister-in-law. Unfortunately, she has been perpetually vilified as the chief source of her husband and sister-in-laws demise, and yet what is the evidence to support this theory? And how did Jane become so embroiled in the scandal of Katheryn Howard's love affairs that she also lost her head to the axeman in 1542? 

Game of Thrones - The History behind the hit!

Game of Thrones aired between 2011 and 2019, becoming the biggest and most successful television series of all time. What is not so well known however, is that many of the most iconic characters, storylines and locations from Game of Thrones took direct inspiration from real history. In this weeks episode of The Tudor Chest - The Podcast, I explore these inspirations, examining the Game of Thrones characters inspired by Henry VIII, Margaret of Anjou, Richard III and Anne Boleyn, plus many more! Listen in, to discover the history behind the hit!

The Life and Death of Lady Jane Grey

Known to history as the "nine days queen", Lady Jane Grey is one of the most tragic figures from British history. Executed at the age of just sixteen on the orders of her cousin, Queen Mary I, just had briefly ruled as queen herself, but how did this come to be, and why was a distant cousin of King Edward VI given the throne in place of the Tudor Princesses, Mary and Elizabeth?

Working Royals, Royal Titles, and two Pampered Princesses

In this weeks episode of The Tudor Chest - The Podcast, Historian and Author Adam Pennington steps away from the 16th century, and into the modern day machinations of the royal family to explore what it means to be a working royal, how and why titles work within the royal family, and why, he believes, that Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie are the most misunderstood members of the entire royal family..

Anne Boleyn on Screen - A Review

In episode four of The Tudor Chest - The Podcast, Historian and Author Adam Pennington examines the many depictions of Anne Boleyn seen on screen, and reviews their accuracy and overall quality, as well as sharing his own personal takes, highs and lows. He also examines why Anne Boleyn remains such a fascinating figure for historical drama.

Queen Mary I on Screen: Victim or Villain?

In episode 2 of The Tudor Chest - The Podcast, Historian and Author Adam Pennington examines the cultural depictions of Queen Mary I seen on screen in film and television, and attempts to break down why Mary is so perpetually viewed as a villain.

The Exhumation of Queen Anne Boleyn

In the very first episode of The Tudor Chest - The Podcast, Historian and Author Adam Pennington revisits the time in 1876 when the remains of Queen Anne Boleyn, and several other notable Tudors who lost their heads, were unearthed and examined for the first time.