The Tudor Chest - The Podcast

Alex Walsh is the author behind the hit historical fiction book series, the Marquess House Saga. In Alex’s books, she has built what I consider to be the historians dream, with a compelling and fascinating story in which a pair of sisters find their lives overturned and directly tied to significant periods of history. Consisting of dual timelines, Alex’s series has reimagined the stories of some of histories most infamous women, te...

When we think of the Tudors, one of the first things that springs to mind is the fashion! From Henry VIII’s codpieces to Anne Boleyn's French hoods and Elizabeth i’s voluminous gowns, Tudor fashion is a huge part of the wider Tudor story and was incredibly important to the Tudors themselves, so much so that king henry viii famously introduced laws which mandated who could wear what and where! To discuss all things Tudor fashion wit...

David Smith is King Henry VIII reborn! He is now a full time impersonator of a young King Henry VIII. With a perfect replica of one of King Henry VIII’s most iconic outfits from hat to codpiece, David certainly looks the part, but goes a level deeper and looks to recreate how the king himself would have behaved. David is committed to educating people on the young king henry, before the bloated tyrant of memory, a young king famed f...

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 k...

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 a...

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 wha...

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. ...

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,...

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 Edwa...

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...

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!

She's one the lesser known Tudor's, but has a story as dramatic and shocking as many of her more famous relatives. The direct descendant of Henry VII, Lady Arbella Stuart was a one time candidate to succeed Queen Elizabeth I, and yet her story is one seldom explored or discussed at any length. To help me unpack the story of this lost Tudor Princess I am thrilled to welcome Historian, Author and Broadcaster Sarah Gristwood onto The ...