Queen Consort of France and mother to three successive Kings, Catherine de’ Medici's legacy could have been one of intelligence, fortitude, artistic patronage and religious moderation. But instead, as with so many women in positions of power, Catherine's life and actions have been almost entirely vilified. Deemed a witch and a callous spendthrift, she is perhaps best remembered as a dangerous instigator of extreme violence, because of her contested part in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572.

In this fourth and final episode of our mini-series exploring the lives and legacy of the House of Medici, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Mary Hollingsworth, whose new book Catherine de’ Medici: The Life and Times of the Serpent Queen, tries to get to the heart of one of history's most remarkable women.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Ella Blaxill and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

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In July 1596, Fynes Moryson - a Lincolnshire gentleman and travel writer - was struck down with grief when his younger brother died as they crossed the desert on their return from Jerusalem. Moryson described his journeys and devastating experiences two decades later in an account titled Itinerary, at once a personal memoir and a huge manual of travel advice.  

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, first released in September 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Eva Johanna Holmberg, whose study of Moryson sheds light on the lives and emotions of people in the early modern period.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

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The tempestuous and passionate Barbara Villiers captured the hearts of many in Stuart-era Britain, including King Charles II. But she had a dark side, humiliating her husband for decades, plotting the ruin of her enemies, and gambling away vast sums of money.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Andrea Zuvich who reveals the true story of Barbara and her insatiable appetite for life, love, riches, amusement, and power. 

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, the audio editor is Ella Blaxill and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

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One of Early Modern Europe’s most powerful families, the Hapsburgs shared a physical trait so distinctive that it came to be regarded as a badge of honour - the large, jutting jaw that was a result of family inbreeding. But that was only part of their physiological challenges.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks genetics, inbreeding and the sad fate of the Hapsburgs with Dr. Adam Rutherford, author of A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived: The Stories in Our Genes.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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At 31, Michelangelo was considered the finest artist in Italy, perhaps the world. Long before he died at almost 90, he was widely believed to be the greatest sculptor or painter who had ever lived. Few of his works - including the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, David and The Last Judgment - were small or easy to accomplish. Like a hero of classical mythology, Michelangelo was subject to constant trials and labours. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Martin Gayford, author of Michelangelo: His Epic Life, about the life and work of Michelangelo and how he transformed forever our notion of what an artist could be.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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The Safawid Dynasty, which ruled Iran from 1501 to 1736, marked the beginning of modern Iranian history. At its height, it controlled all of what is now Iran, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Armenia, eastern Georgia, parts of the North Caucasus including Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, as well as parts of Turkey, Syria, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The period was extensively documented by scholars, western travellers, in literary works and commercial and political records. There are surviving buildings, monuments, coins, pottery, carpets, paintings, metalwork, and illustrations.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb meets Professor Andrew Newman to find out more about this fascinating history.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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On the morning of 12 October 1654, in the Dutch city of Delft, a sudden explosion was followed by a thunderclap that could be heard more than 70 miles away. Carel Fabritius - now known across the world for his exquisite painting ’The Goldfinch’ - had been at work in his studio. He, along with many others, would not survive the day.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to The Observer’s art critic Laura Cumming whose new book, Thunderclap: A memoir of art and life & sudden death, reveals her passion for the art of the Dutch Golden Age and her determination to lift up the reputation of Fabritius. 

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Henry VIII was described as the 'best dressed sovereign in the world' by the Venetian ambassador Sebastian Giustinian. The Tudor King spent the equivalent of £2 million a year on clothes.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, first released in April 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Maria Hayward to get to grips with the sumptuous garments, the fabrics — and exaggerated codpieces — that made up Henry VIII’s wondrous wardrobe.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Contrary to the idea that the early modern stage was male-dominated, girls actually played an active part in religious dramas, civic pageants, Elizabethan country house entertainments, and Stuart court and household masques. Girls also excelled as singers, translators and authors whose power was evoked in the plays of Shakespeare. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Deanne Williams, author of Girl Culture in the Middle Ages and Renaissance,

which shows how the active presence and participation of girls shaped Renaissance culture.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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In 1671, an Anglo-Irish officer, the self-styled Colonel Blood attempted to steal the Crown Jewels from the Tower of London. The thwarted crime brought him face-to-face with King Charles II. This incredible story is the subject of a riotous new stage comedy, The Crown Jewels, starring Al Murray and Mel Giedroyc.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Al Murray as well as the play’s author Simon Nye and its director Sean Foley.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Did King James VI of Scotland plot to assassinate Elizabeth I? Did she name him as her successor? For centuries, dozens of pasted-over passages in the original manuscript of William Camden’s Annals have been inaccessible. But now, technology has made them visible for the first time, offering new insights into the political machinations of Elizabeth’s court.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from researcher Helena Rutkowska and Calum Cockburn from the British Library. 

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Best known for St. Paul’s Cathedral, Christopher Wren was the greatest architect Britain has ever known. But he was so much more: he applied his mind to astronomy, meteorology and anatomy. How did he achieve so much while running the nation's biggest architectural office with all its petty jealousies and political challenges? 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about this extraordinary figure from Professor Adrian Tinniswood, author of His Invention So Fertile: A Life of Christopher Wren.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Books belonging to Henry VIII, Richard III, Mary I and Edward VI are among the treasures in the historic library of the Archbishops of Canterbury, one of the oldest public libraries in England. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes a tour of just a few items from Lambeth Palace Library’s priceless collection with the librarian archivist Giles Mandelbrote.

There are pictures of all of the items featured in this podcast on Suzannah’s social media accounts - @sixteenthCgirl - on Facebook, Twitter, Threads, and Instagram. 

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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At the end of the 17th century, a small clan - the Akan - in West Africa began growing into what would later become the powerful Ashanti Empire.  The state grew rapidly in both wealth and land until it spanned most of modern day Ghana, the Ivory Coast, and Togo. 

Luke Pepera joins Professor Suzannah Lipscomb to discuss this incredible Empire, which fiercely resisted British colonialism and fought violent wars to protect and expand its territory.

Luke Pepera's documentary Africa: Written Out of History is available now on History Hit TV.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

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Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’.

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Seymour, Dudley and Parr are all well-known Tudor names. But often, behind the more famous men in those families, there were women who had a much greater influence than has previously been acknowledged.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by historian and researcher Sylvia Barbara Soberton to discover more about three such women - Ann Seymour, Jane Dudley and Elizabeth Parr - who galvanized their husbands, shaped power relations, and helped orchestrate events that we usually assume were driven by men. 

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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How did an enslaved East African man become Japan’s first foreign samurai, and the only ever samurai of African descent? How did Yasuke catch the attention of Japan’s most powerful warlord Oda Nobunaga, to become the most unlikely of national heroes?

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to author Craig Shreve who, in his new novel The African Samurai: The incredible story of Yasuke, magnificently reconstructs the story of this fascinating lost historical figure.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Artemisia Gentileschi was the most celebrated female painter of the 17th century, as famous in her lifetime as Reubens or Van Dyke. But the events of her life were as savage as the events depicted in her paintings.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Elizabeth Freemantle, whose new novel Disobedient imagines Gentileschi’s life and the pivotal events that may have fuelled the energy and fury of her paintings.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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How meaningful can a gift - especially of a book - be? In the fickle world of the Tudor court, the strategic gifting of books was a common practice, bound up in relationships of power, politics and protest. A new exhibition exploring this subject at the Bodleian Library, Oxford, includes a stunning book made by a young Elizabeth I which she gave to Katherine Parr as a New Year’s gift in 1544. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb visits the exhibition to find out more from curator Dr Nicholas Perkins and historian Dr. Felicity Heal.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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In the sixteenth century, religious beliefs underwent a dramatic change. As differences between the late medieval Roman Catholic Church and the nature of Luther's Protestantism spread across Western Europe, where you stood on points of theology could literally mean life or death. For example, what did you have to do to attain salvation? And what happened in the most holy moment of a church service, the Mass? 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the complex and fascinating ideas that people believed with Professor Alec Ryrie.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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The name Ivan the Terrible is synonymous with brutality and ruthlessness. While Western scholars insist that the first crowned Tsar of all Russia did create a policy of mass repression and execution, others claim Ivan’s name has been tarnished by Western travellers and writers. How then should his complex and fascinating personality be understood?  

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb examines the evidence with Dr. Charles Halperin, one of the world's foremost historians of Ivan the Terrible.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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From the mid-15th century to the mid-16th century, there were 10 Queens Consort of England, from Margaret of Anjou to Katherine Parr. For each of these Queens, jewellery was a way she could signify her status and her legitimacy, display familial and cultural ties, and chart life events - from courtship and marriage, through motherhood, to death. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Nicola Tallis, whose book All the Queen's Jewels 1445-1548: Power, Majesty and Display examines the personal and political connections of Queens through the lens of their jewellery.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg and Elena Guthrie.

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As Queen Elizabeth I lays dying, King James VI of Scotland is waiting to accede to the throne of England. But who will thrive and who will fall under the new King? Will it be the scholar Francis Bacon, whose brilliant mind is the envy of the court? Or his hated rival Edward Cook, the greatest lawyer of his generation?

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors — recorded at the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts —

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Jesse Norman MP about his new novel The Winding Stair, an epic tale of jealousy and intrigue in Elizabethan and Jacobean England, which, in its lowest moments, holds a darkened mirror to our own contemporary politics.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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In the summer of 1579, Francis Drake had to land in a ‘fair and good bay’ on the western coast of the New World when his ship - The Golden Hind - needed repairs. A sign was put up, naming it Nova Albion (‘New England’) for Queen Elizabeth I. But the question of exactly where Drake landed has continued to vex historians to this day.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Melissa Darby, whose meticulous and painstaking work has uncovered all manner of evidence to finally resolve the controversy.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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What do you get when you bring together five top historians to debate depictions of Thomas More on film and TV? History with the gloves off - our third special episode of Not Just the Tudors Lates! This time, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes as her starting point the life of the scholar who wrote Utopia, the Lord Chancellor who became a Roman Catholic martyr and saint.

Suzannah is joined again by Dr Joanne Paul, Jessie Childs, Alex von Tunzelmann and Professor Sarah Churchwell to compare the various film versions of Thomas More’s story, where they have got it right - and often wildly wrong.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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The 16th and 17th centuries were a crucial time for spycraft, full of political intrigue and diplomatic subterfuge. Walsingham was known as a 'Spy Master', but there were many, all vying for attention from the Crown.

But how did they and their spies operate? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb welcomes Pete Langman and Professor Nadine Akkerman to delve into the practices of espionage and reveal how the line between spy and criminal was easily blurred depending on who was in favour, and who was betrayed.

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editors are Tean Stewart-Murray and Ella Blaxill. The producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscription

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The most admired and influential composer during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I, William Byrd died exactly 400 years ago on 4 July 1623. Byrd’s music ranks among the most unique and inspired works of the late Renaissance. Remarkably, Byrd was a practicing Catholic in Anglican England who persistently faced threats of religious persecution.

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more to Byrd’s award-winning biographer Dr. Kerry McCarthy. 

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

The following musical extracts are used with the kind permission of the performers:

Clarifica Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXqpCaVnYfQ&t=29s

Performed by Léon Berben

Domines quis habitat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1zrywqZfyQ

Performed by the Byrd Ensemble

Similles Illes Fiant (In Exitu Israel) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jM8N8JlgnJA

Ad Dominum Cum Tribulare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6KHWQ5OzWQ

Performed by The Cardinall's Musick directed by Andrew Carwood

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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When we think of Shakespeare, we mostly think of language. But what about gesture and other forms of nonverbal communication - from thumb-biting in Romeo and Juliet to Pistol giving “the fig of Spain” in Henry V? Do gestures say something specific about the gendering of guilt and shame?

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, rounding up her series for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes a look at this fascinating topic with theatre scholar Dr. Miranda Faye Thomas.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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Today we think of fairies on the stage and in stories as often cute, ultra-feminine and unthreatening. But in Early Modern literature, fairies were supernatural often gender-fluid beings - just think of Ariel in The Tempest.

In this special episode of Not Just the Tudors for Pride Month, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Ezra Horbury, lecturer in Renaissance literature at the University of York.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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In this third special episode of Not Just the Tudors celebrating the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb investigates the nature of theatre-going in Elizabethan London with Dr. Eoin Price. How were theatres built? What was the experience for the audience? Who went to plays and how did they choose what plays to see, in which theatre? Did they even care if Shakespeare’s name was on the programme?

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Every spring and summer of her 44 year reign, Queen Elizabeth I insisted that her court go "on progress" — royal visits to towns and aristocratic homes. These trips provided the only direct contact most people had with their monarch.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb meets Dr. Mary Hill Cole, whose research examines the effects of these visits on the Queen's household and government, the individual and civic hosts, and the impact of her authority. 

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here: http://access.historyhit.com/checkout?code=tudors&plan=monthly 

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Experts at Hever Castle - the childhood home of Anne Boleyn - have made an extraordinary discovery. They’ve established that an ornate 1527 prayer book — kept in a Cambridge library for more than 350 years — belonged to Henry VIII’s Chief Minister Thomas Cromwell and appears in Holbein’s portrait of him. Identical books were also owned by Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn.

In today’s episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb goes to Hever Castle to find out more.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here.

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Shakespeare’s First Folio — the first book to contain 36 of his plays, 18 of which had not been in print before — was published in 1623.

In the second of her special series marking its 400th anniversary, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into the political and social story behind its printing. It's a story of royal families, foreign affairs, industry, commerce and religion. Suzannah’s guest is Dr. Chris Laoutaris, whose most recent work is Shakespeare's Book: The Intertwined Lives Behind the First Folio.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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In 1567, a sailor named David Ingram sailed from Plymouth with 400 others on a slaving expedition. The ensuing events read like a fantastic adventure story: shipwrecked in a hurricane off Mexico, a battle with - and imprisonment by - the Spanish, escape and a 3000 mile trek to Canada. Ingram was one of only three who survived to tell the tale. And what a tale he told.

For four centuries, it has been thought that Ingram may have made it all up. But in this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out from Professor Dean Snow, the truth about the extraordinary journey of David Ingram.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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Three powerful Renaissance queens all lived together at the French court for many years. They were bound together through blood and marriage, alliance and friendship — bonds that were tested when they were forced to scatter to different kingdoms. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Leah Redmond Chang — author of Young Queens: The gripping, intertwined story of Catherine de' Medici, Elisabeth de Valois and Mary, Queen of Scots — to find out more about these three women who lived their lives at the mercy of the state.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians including Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code TUDORS. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up here >

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Four hundred years ago in 1623, the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays was printed. Known as the First Folio, the book was integral to establishing Shakespeare's posthumous reputation just seven years after his death.

In the first of four special episodes of Not Just the Tudors celebrating this anniversary, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Emma Smith about the story behind Shakespeare’s First Folio, how it collected together and preserved his works as we know them today, and its lasting legacy. 

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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On 28 January 1547, King Henry VIII died at the age of 55. Just hours before his passing, his last will and testament had been read, stamped, and sealed. Historians have disagreed ever since about its authenticity and validity, and the circumstances of its creation, making Henry's will one of English history's most contested documents.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, first released in January 2022, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb offers her own illuminating interpretation of the aftermath of Henry VIII's death, the mystery of his will and how misplaced trust can undermine the best-laid plans of a powerful monarch.

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Ella Blaxill and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

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Why do we call the Great Fire of London in 1666 “great”? Was it because of the significant challenge it posed to authorities and residents as they sought to bring it under control? Was it because of the extent of its devastation? Or was it because it occurred during an eventful couple of years where plague and war also threatened lives?

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to historian Rebecca Rideal, author of 1666: Plague, War and Hellfire, whose research has drawn on little known sources to set the Great Fire of London in the broader context of the political, social and economic events of the time. 

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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King Henry VII and his Tudor heirs knew very little about Ireland, over which they ruled in name at least. During the 118 years of Tudor rule, not one of its monarchs ever set foot in the Emerald Isle. Yet the history of the Tudor monarchy cannot fully be told without understanding its relations with Ireland. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discovers more with Professor Christopher McGinn.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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In the 16th Century, rude jokes and scatological humour were just as much a feature of life as they are today. Between 1529 and 1539, a Swiss linen trader called Johannes Rütiner included many jokes and humorous anecdotes in his personal notebooks. They offer an amazing insight into both the jokes that were told and the context in which they were passed on. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr. Carla Roth.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

**WARNING: This episode contains examples of 16th century humour which some listeners may find offensive or shocking**

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History has painted Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn in two very different hues: one wife, one mistress; one Spanish, one French; one committed Catholic, one radical reformer. But a new exhibition at Hever Castle examines one curious moment of confluence, right in the midst of the crucial year of 1527. It's a moment that suggests that Katherine and Anne had more in common than we normally imagine.

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb goes to Hever Castle to find out more, with curators Dr. Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Following the Second Granada War (1568-70), thousands of Moriscos in Spain were exiled, imprisoned or enslaved. Moriscos were former Muslims who had been compelled to convert to Roman Catholicism. But in 1572, Spanish King Philip II made the enslavement of Morisco children illegal. Yet they were still separated from their parents and put to work in Christian households. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb delves into this fascinating episode with Dr. Stephanie Kavanaugh, to find out why the enslavement of children was banned, how the slave owners reacted, and what became of them.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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In March 1582, a number of women from the small Essex village of St Osyth, were hanged for the crime of witchcraft. Several others, including one man, died in prison, in what was a shocking and highly localised witch-hunt. 

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Marion Gibson, who offers revelatory new insights into the personal histories of those who were denied the chance to speak for themselves.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Louis XIV ruled France for more than 72 years, the longest recorded reign of any monarch of any sovereign country in history. Despite the devotion of his wife Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis took a series of mistresses, a number of them "official", with whom he had numerous illegitimate children. Yet, for the last three decades of his life, after Maria Theresa's death, he settled down more loyally with the Marquise de Maintenon. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, first released in June 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about the powerful and fascinating women behind the throne of the Sun King, with Dr Linda Kiernan Knowles.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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What could be more topical this week than looking back at the coronations of the first two Kings Charles. Charles I’s reign is best remembered for the events of the English Civil War, a conflict over the balance of power between parliament and royal supremacy which resulted in his execution and the establishment of Oliver Cromwell’s short-lived Commonwealth. After the restoration of the monarchy, Charles II was crowned in a momentous celebration, designed to reassure the nation of its stability and security.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more from Dr Clare Jackson, author of Devil-Land: England Under Siege, 1588-1688.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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On a cold February morning in 1554, Lady Jane Grey was beheaded for high treason. Named by King Edward VI as his successor, Queen Jane had reigned for just 13 tumultuous days before being imprisoned in the Tower, condemned and executed.

In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, first released in October 2021, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to author and historian Dr. Nicola Tallis who reveals the moving, human story of an intelligent, independent and courageous young woman, forced on to the English throne by the great power players in the Tudor court.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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When Thomas Roe arrived in India in 1616 as James I's first ambassador to the Mughal Empire, the English barely had a toehold in the subcontinent. Roe was representing a kingdom that was beset by financial woes and deeply conflicted about its identity. Meanwhile, the court Roe entered was wealthy and cultured, its dominion one of the greatest and richest empires of the world.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Nandini Das, about Roe's four years in India, a turning point in history, which offers a rich and radical challenge to our understanding of Britain and its early empire.

This episode was produced by Rob Weinberg.

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In November 1588, a 21-year-old Japanese man called Christopher met Queen Elizabeth I. On the way, he had already become the first recorded Japanese person in North America. His story has been almost totally forgotten until now.

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about Christopher from Professor Thomas Lockley, author of A Gentleman from Japan which recovers Christopher’s remarkable story. 

Presented by Professor Susannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor Ella Blaxill and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original TV documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Sign up HERE for 50% off your first 3 months using code ‘TUDORS’ https://historyhit.com/subscription

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In the 16th century, “strangers” was the name used in England for people who were born in territories not controlled by the Tudor monarchy. Thinking about Henry VIII’s armed forces, we might not expect to find “strangers” among them - but there were. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Catherine Fletcher and Samantha Nelson. Their research into the crew of the Mary Rose - the Tudor warship that sank in the Solent on 19 July 1545 - has revealed some fascinating insights into the origins of the men who served on board.

This episode was edited by Stuart Beckwith and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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Hardwick Hall is a triumph of Elizabethan architecture. Built in the late sixteenth century, its halls, corridors and staircases embody the magnificence of the Renaissance period in England. But they also tell the story of the remarkable woman who built it in a patriarchal age - the four-times-married Bess of Hardwick, England’s wealthiest woman after Queen Elizabeth I.

In this episode of Not Just The Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes us on a tour of Hardwick Hall. Roaming its tapestry-lined oak corridors, she recounts it’s rich history, uncovers a connection with Mary, Queen of Scots and seeks to rehabilitate Bess’s rapacious reputation.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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John Donne was a scholar of law, a sea adventurer, an MP, a priest, the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral - and perhaps the greatest love poet in the history of the English language. He converted from Catholicism to Protestantism, was jailed for marrying a high-born girl without her father's consent, struggled to feed a family of ten children and was often ill and in pain. 

In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb meets Katherine Rundell, author of the acclaimed book Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Donne, which won the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non-Fiction 2022. Together they explore the life and work of a man who, despite a life of extreme challenges, expressed in his verse electric joy and love.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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