Not Just the Tudors

Latest Episodes:

Jane Boleyn with Philippa Gregory Oct 27, 2025

Show notes

Jane Boleyn has long been called the most hated woman in Tudor history. Wife to Anne Boleyn's brother George, Jane served as lady-in-waiting to five of Henry VIII's six wives, and when Anne Boleyn fell from grace, George was accused of incest with his sister. For centuries, historians claimed Jane sealed their fates with malicious lies. But was she truly a villain or just fighting for her own life? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb welcomes bestselling author Philippa Gregory to discuss Jane Boleyn, examine historical records and explore the steps women had to take to survive in the Tudor court.

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Normal Women with Philippa Gregory

Catherine Howard: Henry VIII's Fifth Wife

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

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When Europe met Islam Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

In the Early Modern period the boundaries between Christian and Islamic civilisations were far more porous than we imagine: Isaac Newton’s library included Arabic biographies of the Prophet Muhammad; the Tudors dressed in Ottoman fashion; and Europe’s scientific revolution and cultural identity were deeply entwined with Islamic thought.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Drayson who reveals a Europe built on eight centuries of Islamic achievements.

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Islam and the Elizabethans

Elizabeth I & the Sultan of Morocco

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

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How to Stay Alive in Renaissance England Oct 20, 2025

Show notes

In 16th and 17th century England, the plague and pox, disease and injury were a daily presence. At at time when medicine was a complex interplay of tradition, faith and observation, survival depended not only on doctors and their remedies but also on resilience and community support. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Alanna Skuse to explore how ordinary people navigated the perils of sickness and the diverse healers who sought to preserve life in an age where outcomes were always uncertain.

More:

Surgery in the Early Modern Age

3 Ways to Die in Early Modern Europe

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Windle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

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Ballads of Magic & Mystery Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

Songs have always carried stories of love, loss, rebellion and hope. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by author Amy Jeffs, illustrator Gwen Burns and composer Natalie Brice to explore the magical, mythical, and mysterious world of traditional ballads from the Early Modern period.

Together, they uncover how centuries-old songs captured human experience, challenged authority and gave voice to universal themes of love, death, female agency, and survival. With live performances woven in, they reveal how these songs have endured through oral tradition, shaped cultural memory, and continue to inspire modern audiences with their themes of transformation, resilience, and empowerment.

More:

Dancing Plague of 1518

The Witch

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

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Voices of Thunder: Radical Women of the 17th Century Oct 13, 2025

Show notes

In 17th-century England, women weren’t asked what they believed, they were generally told to obey. But amid civil war, revolution, and religious upheaval, a remarkable group of women risked everything to speak out. They preached, prophesied and published their defiance, surviving imprisonment, and even the Inquisition.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Naomi Baker to reveal how radical women of the English Revolution reshaped faith, gender, and political power. Together, they explore a forgotten movement of women who refused to be silenced.

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Heretic or Martyr? Tudor Poet Anne Askew

Normal Women with Philippa Gregory

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

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Henry VIII on Screen: The Historians' Verdict Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

King Henry VIII is best known for his tempestuous marriages and his penchant for cutting off people’s heads. But where does fiction meet fact?

In this special episode, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by a panel of experts to discuss Henry on screen and what those portrayals got right or wrong. Who gave the most convincing performance? Was it Damien Lewis in Wolf Hall, Robert Shaw in A Man for All Seasons, Jude Law in Firebrand, or Charles Laughton in The Private Life of Henry VIII?

Dr Joanne Paul, Jessie Childs and Alex von Tunzelmann join Suzannah to explore why this towering figure continues to fascinate us more than 500 years after he came to the throne.

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Thomas More on Film: The Historians' Verdict

Mary Queen of Scots on Film: The Historians' Verdict

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The audio editors are Alex Elkins and Amy Haddow and the producers are Fiona Turnock and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit to see Suzannah and her guests debate Henry VIII on film, and for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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The Last Plantagenets in Tudor England Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

Direct descendants of the Plantagenets were once at the very heart of Tudor politics, yet their story is often overlooked. From Margaret Pole, niece of Edward IV and Richard III, to her son Cardinal Reginald Pole, the family’s fortunes mirrored the turbulent shift from Plantagenet to Tudor rule.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Adam Pennington to uncover the dynasty’s dramatic journey from survival after the Wars of the Roses to Margaret Pole’s shocking execution in the Tower of London.

More:

Henry VIII's Nemesis, Cardinal Pole

Henry VII: Rise of the Medieval Tudors

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fig Leaves & A Grumpy Jesus: Renaissance to Baroque Art Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

Have you ever wandered through a museum and thought: Why is the Virgin Mary always dressed in blue? Did they really use eggs in egg tempera—and did it make those paintings smell weird? And why, for some reason, does baby Jesus sometimes look like a tiny grumpy old man?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Verity Babbs, art historian and comedian, who is on a mission to shake the dust off art history. They take a whirlwind tour from the Renaissance through to the Baroque, taking in fig leaves, duels and murder.

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Durer: The Great Renaissance Artist

The Tudors' Portrait Artist: Holbein

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

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Rudolf II, the "Mad Habsburg Emperor" Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

In the final episode of her short series on the Habsburg dynasty, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb turns to one of the most fascinating and misunderstood rulers of early modern Europe: Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor. Often remembered—if at all—as the "mad emperor" who withdrew from politics and lost his grip on power, Rudolf’s story is far richer than the stereotype. Instead of governing from Vienna or Madrid, he relocated his imperial court to Prague, transforming it into a dazzling hub of art, science, alchemy, and astrology. Was he truly unfit to rule, or has history been unfair? Suzannah is joined by Professor Thomas Kaufmann to re-examine Rudolf II's reign not as decline, but as a bold, eccentric vision of imperial rule during a turbulent age of religious wars, Protestant uprisings, Ottoman expansion, and dynastic rivalries.

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Rise of the Habsburgs

Chales V, Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

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Marlowe & Shakespeare: Rivals or Collaborators? Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb engages in a captivating conversation with award-winning dramatist Liz Duffy Adams about the new Royal Shakespeare production of her play Born With Teeth, which imagines a thrilling collaboration between William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Suzannah and Liz delve into the fiery dynamics of the two men's relationship and the influence of politics on their works.

Shakespeare and Marlowe existed under a time of oppressive royal censorship, when displeasing the crown would mean a trip to the Tower, or worse. How did they balance this struggle for truth and creativity amid the palpable danger?

Extracts from Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, performed by Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel, courtesy of Royal Shakespeare Company

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Murder of Christopher Marlowe

Shakespeare's Son Hamnet with Maggie O'Farrell

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

You can take part in our listener survey here:

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.