British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics

Latest Episodes:

Crown Divided: Richard II and Henry IV with Helen Castor (ep 230) Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

Two cousins, both descended from Edward III. Both would become King of England. Helen Castor explores the epic battle between Richard II and Henry IV--the causes and the implications.
Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
Helen Castor
helencastor.substack.com
@hrcastor
The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV
Elizabeth I: A Study in Insecurity (Penguin Monarchs)
Joan of Arc: A History
She Wolves: The Women Who Ruled Before Elizabeth
Blood and Roses

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Mary of Modena and The Graces with Breeze Barrington (ep 229) Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Taken from the letters of Mary of Modena, this is the story of the Queen Consort and the women in her court who reshaped the culture and conventions of her time.

Show Notes:

Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen

Breeze Barrington
www.breezebarrington.com
https://allthingsseventeenthcentury.substack.com/
@breeze_barrington
The Graces: The Extraordinary Untold Lives of Women at the Restoration Court
Available from Blackwell’s: Blackwells.co.uk

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History reveals what's possible.

Making Space for More Stories in History with Carol Ann (ep 228) Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

My motto is "History shows us what's possible." But what does that mean? I turn to the terrific book What is History Now?, edited by Helen Carr and Suzannah Lipscomb to explore what history can be when open our minds and make room for more.
Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
What is History Now
Helen H Carr
https://www.helenhcarr.com
@helenhcarr Twitter
@helencarr_author Instagram
Suzannah Lipscomb
https://suzannahlipscomb.com/
@SixteenthCGirl

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History reveals what's possible.

Murder Mystery in Elizabethan England, Times Two (ep 227) Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

For our final Royals, Rebels, and Romantics Summer Special, I'm sharing a couple of fun reads: Elizabethan murder mysteries! Set in the times of two Elizabeths--Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II.
Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
Suzanne Wolfe, Elizabethan Spy Mysteries series
https://suzannemwolfe.com/
A Murder by Any Name
The Course of All Treasons
S J Bennett, Her Majesty The Queen Investigates series
https://www.sjbennettbooks.com/
Windsor Knot
A Three Dog Problem
And more!

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History reveals what's possible.

Radical Jane: A New Look at Austen's Novels with Helena Kelly (ep 226) Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

As we celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday, her novels are more beloved than ever. But do we see them as she intended? Dr Helena Kelly joins us to discuss the radical nature of Austen and her novels.
Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
Dr Helena Kelly
@msashtondennis
Jane Austen, The Secret Radical
The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens
The Worlds of Jane Austen (coming Sept 23, 2025)

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History reveals what's possible.

Cecily and Other Royal Mothers with Annie Garthwaite (ep 225) Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

At the heart of the Hundred Years War to the Wars of the Roses, women worked behind the scenes. As men struggle for power, women work to protect their families. What will and won't they do to promote the cause of the people they love?
Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
Annie Garthwaite
https://www.anniegarthwaite.com/
@anniegarthwaite
@anniegarthwaitewriter
Cecily
The King's Mother
(Books available from blackwells.co.uk)

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History reveals what's possible.

How We See Anne Boleyn: Image and Perception with Helene Harrison ( ep 224) Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Who was Anne Boleyn? Helene Harrison reviews documents, images, letters, biographies, and more to consider the various ways Anne Boleyn's image has been created.

Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
Helene Harrison
tudorblogger.com
@tudorblogger
The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn: Interpreting Image and Perception
Tudor Executions: From Nobility to the Block
Elizabethan Rebellions: Conspiracy, Intrigue, and Treason

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History reveals what's possible.

Sceptered Isle: The Story of the Fourteenth Century with Dr Helen Carr (ep 223) Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Fourteenth century England was a time of upheaval, extended war, political turmoil, and overall chaos. Dr Helen Carr joins us to talk about her new book that covers the life of the famous and lesser-known people of a time that changed power structures and the monarchy forever.
Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
Dr Helen Carr
helencarr.com
@helenhcarr
History Hit, Intelligence Squared, BBC, The New Statesman, etc.
The Red Prince: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster
What is History, Now? (co-author and editor)
Sceptered Isle: A New History of the Fourteenth Century

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History reveals what's possible.

Anne Boleyn: Days of Glory and Betrayal with Estelle Paranque (ep 222) May 21, 2025

Show notes

For hundreds of years, the stories of Anne Boleyn have fascinated us. Her stunning rise to the role of Queen of England, the birth of the future Elizabeth I, and the catastrophic fall from favor that led to a swordsman from Calais is a story we can't stop telling. But where did it all begin? Estelle Paranque traces Anne's story to its origin in the glamorous kingdom of France.

Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd

www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen

Estelle Paranque

Associate Professor Northeastern University London
Insta: @estellrprnq; Twitter: @drestelleprnq
Thorns, Lust, and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn
Blood, Fire, and Gold: The Story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici
Elizabeth I of England Through Valois Eyes

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History reveals what's possible.

Anne Boleyn & Women Around Her with Sophie Bacchus-Waterman (ep 221) May 07, 2025

Show notes

We often associate Anne Boleyn with men: her husband, her father, her brother, and others. What about the women? Sophie Bacchus-Waterman discusses the women around Anne, including her mother.
Show Notes:
Carol Ann Lloyd
www.carolannlloyd.com
@shakeuphistory
patreon.com/carolannlloyd
The Tudors by Numbers
Courting the Virgin Queen
Sophie Bacchus-Waterman
@sophiebwaterman
Special Collections, St John's College, Oxford
Elizabeth Boleyn: The Life of the Queen's Mother (coming 2025)

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History reveals what's possible.

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British History: Royals, Rebels, and Romantics

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