Tudor History with Claire Ridgway

Sir Walter Ralegh may get the credit, but tobacco’s story in England started long before he lit up — and it’s far more surprising than you might think.

In this video, we explore how tobacco travelled from sacred Native American ceremonies to Tudor England’s courtly circles. From its use in healing rituals to its rise as a fashionable trend—and finally to King James I’s fiery condemnation in A Counterblaste to Tobacco—this is the f...

On this day in Tudor-Stuart history, 19th June 1566, King James VI of Scotland and I of England was born at Edinburgh Castle—an infant who would one day unite two crowns and leave a lasting legacy on British history.

The only son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and Lord Darnley, James became King of Scotland at just 13 months old following his father’s murder and his mother’s forced abdication. Raised as a Protestant in a volatile Scotla...

On this day in history, Anne Boleyn reached the pinnacle of her triumph. After six years of struggle, scandal, and seismic political and religious change, Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England in a glittering ceremony at Westminster Abbey. Dressed in purple velvet, barefoot and crowned with the Crown of St Edward—a crown usually reserved for monarchs—Anne processed through a sea of blue cloth, surrounded by nobles, clergy, and ...

On 24th May 1612, one of the most powerful men of the Elizabethan and early Stuart courts—Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury—died on his way home from taking the waters at Bath. He was just 48, but his political career was nothing short of extraordinary. The son of William Cecil, Lord Burghley, Robert Cecil overcame physical disability, courtly mockery, and fierce political rivalries to become Secretary of State, Lord High Treasu...

Why did people like Anne Boleyn, George Boleyn, and Lady Jane Grey use their final words to praise the monarch who condemned them to die? Were they afraid? Following orders? Or was there something deeper at work?

In this podvast, I explore the rituals, beliefs, and expectations behind execution speeches in the Tudor period. From religious symbolism to social pressure and political theatre, the scaffold was more than a place of deat...

On this day in Tudor history, 6th May 1502, Sir James Tyrell met his end on Tower Hill—remembered not just as a royal servant, but as the man accused of murdering the Princes in the Tower. But did he really confess to killing Edward V and his brother? Or was his name dragged into a Tudor-era cover-up?

In this podcast, we unravel the life, rise, and sudden fall of Sir James Tyrell—and examine the evidence (or lack of it) behind his ...