Tudor History with Claire Ridgway
On this day in Tudor history podcasts from Claire Ridgway.
- Update frequency
- every 2 days
- Average duration
- 6 minutes
- Episodes
- 1040
- Years Active
- 2019 - 2025
Charles Brandon: A Tudor Survivor with a Tangled Love-life
On 22nd August 1545, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, died — ending the life of one of the most colourful and daring figures of Henry VIII’s reign.
He was the king’s jousting companion, his most lo…
Tudor Survivor You've Never Heard of
What does it take to survive the deadly world of Tudor politics?
Sir Thomas Heneage seems to have known the answer.
He began his career in Cardinal Wolsey’s household, slipped seamlessly into Henry…
The Loyal Knight Who Defended Barnard Castle
On this day in Tudor history, 20th August 1580, Sir George Bowes—a loyal soldier, …
The Reluctant Martyr: Thomas Bilney’s Tragic End at the Stake
What happens when one of England’s earliest reformers loses his nerve—yet dies for it anyway?
On this day in Tudor history, 19th August 1531, Thomas Bilney, priest and preacher from Norfolk, was bur…
A Wedding and a Massacre
On 18th August 1572, Henry of Navarre—leader of the French Huguenots and future King Henry …
Meet the 13-Year-Old Bringing Henry VIII to YouTube
Meet Mason Thomas, the brilliant young creator of "King Henry’s Royal Court", a channel blending comedy, satire,…
Murder Behind Bars in Tudor England – A Shocking True Story
In 1590, Catholic gentleman John Hocknell — imprisoned in Chester Castle for his faith — didn’t die of plague, hunger, or age.
He was murdered… by his own gaoler.
The weapon? A pitchfork.
The killer?…
The Forgotten Genius Behind the Spanish Tragedy and Hamlet
Before Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there may have been another…
Written by a man history almost erased.
On this day in Tudor history—15th August 1594—playwright Thomas Kyd was buried in London, aged just …
The Princess Who Lived in the Shadows of Kings
Today I’m telling the often forgotten story of Katherine of York, daughter of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville, sister to Elizabeth of York and the Princes in the Tower, and aunt to Henry VIII.
Kat…
The Knight Who Wept for a Princess
He was knighted at Henry VIII’s third wedding, carried Queen Jane Seymour’s coffin, and greeted Anne of Cleves on her arrival in England.
He fought in France, jousted at Edward VI’s coronation, serv…
The Sheep Farmer’s Son Who Helped Shape Tudor England
He reformed how we pronounce Greek, helped dissolve the old Church, negotiated for Elizabeth I… and somehow survived every Tudor monarch from Henry VIII’s reign onward.
On this day in Tudor history,…
From Cromwell’s Ally to Mary’s Pardon
Richard III Like You’ve Never Seen Him – Behind the Scenes of "A Taste of Loyalty"
Was Richard III really the monster Shakespeare painted him to be? Or have centuries of myth and propaganda hidden the man he truly was?
In this exclusive interview, I (Claire Ridgway, historian and …
Poisoned Cakes, Flea Traps… and Dead Hedgehogs?! Pest Control Tudor-style
No, it’s not a dark fairy tale—it’s real Tudor pest control.
In a world without bug spray or exterminators, how did the Tudors tack…
She Was 13. He Was 30. This Royal Wedding Changed British History Forever
A teenage English princess.
A powerful Scottish king nearly two decades older.
A lavish wedding that would shape the future of the British Isles.
On this day in Tudor history, 8th August 1503, Princ…
Lovechild and bigamist – Sir Robert Dudley, son of Elizabeth I’s favourite
On this day in Tudor history, 7th Augu…
Tudor True Crime: The Baron, the Grudge, and the Double Murder
Welcome to another chilling instalment of Tudor True Crime with me, historian and author Claire Ridgway. Today, we uncover the dark story of Charles Stourton, 8th Baron Stourton—a nobleman whose prid…
The Man Who Helped Make Henry VII King
Sir Reginald Bray may not be a household name, but this quiet powerhouse of the Tudor court knew Henry VII from boyh…
Blown to Bits in Battle: The Tudor Rogue Who Might’ve Been Henry VIII’s Son
Instead, he died in a Moroccan ditch, his legs blown off by cannon fire.
This is the incredible, tragic, and chaotic story of Thom…