Talking Tudors - talkingtudors

Latest Episodes:

Episode 364 - Isabella d'Este: Art Collector, Power Player & Fashionista with Sarah Dunant Oct 16, 2026

Show notes

Historian and novelist Sarah Dunant joins Natalie Grueninger to explore the life and legacy of Isabella d'Este. Among other things, they discuss her upbringing in Ferrara, marriage into Mantua, patronage of the arts, signature fashion statements, and the extraordinary archive of over 33,000 letters that reveal her voice and political skill.

They also discuss Dunant's latest novel 'The Marquesa'.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH DUNANT

https://www.sarahdunant.com

TAKEAWAYS

https://www.isabelladestearchive.org/

Explore the work of Andrea Mantegna, court artist to the Gonzaga family in Mantua.

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Visit Natalie Grueninger's official website:

https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Episode 363 - The Malleus Maleficarum: Inside a Medieval Witch-Hunting Manual with Susan Millard Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode Natalie Grueninger interviews Susan Millard, rare books curator at the University of Melbourne, about the library’s recent acquisition of a 1494 edition of the Malleus Maleficarum (Hammer of Witches).

They explore the book’s author Heinrich Kramer, its printing by Anton Koberger, its role in witch trials and misogyny, the physical provenance and condition of the volume, and how it will be used for teaching and research.

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Learn more about the library's collection:

https://library.unimelb.edu.au/asc

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Episode 362 - William Tyndale & the English Bible with Dr Harry Spillane Sep 30, 2026

Show notes

Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Harry Spillane about the life, exile, and execution of William Tyndale, focusing on his groundbreaking translation of the New Testament and the challenges he faced from church and state.

The episode covers Tyndale's translation methods, the printing and smuggling of English Bibles, his clashes with figures like Thomas More and Henry VIII, and his lasting influence on English language and later Bible editions.

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Learn more about Dr Spillane

https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/people/dr-harry-spillane

TAKEAWAYS

https://tyndale.org/

https://datb.cerl.org/estc/

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Episode 361 - Women's Literacy & Education in the Middle Ages with Dr Megan J. Hall Sep 24, 2026

Show notes

Dr Megan J. Hall joins Talking Tudors to explore women's literacy and education in medieval England, tracing how reading and writing shifted from church-centred training to household and aristocratic learning between 1100–1300 and beyond.

They discuss educational settings and curricula for girls and boys, the role of saints and literary models, and how modern research reshapes our assumptions about women's intellectual contributions.

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VISIT DR MEGAN J. HALL'S OFFICIAL WEBSITE https://www.meganjhall.com/

COULD MEDIEVAL WOMEN READ? https://sites.nd.edu/manuscript-studies/2021/04/14/could-medieval-women-read/

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Episode 360 - The Horenbouts & Anne Boleyn: New Evidence Examined with Natalie Grueninger & Dr Owen Emmerson Sep 16, 2026

Show notes

Host Natalie Grueninger and guest Dr Owen Emmerson examine a tiny Tudor portrait miniature held at the Royal Ontario Museum, exploring its possible attribution to Lucas Horenbout and the tantalizing theory that it may be the earliest depiction of Anne Boleyn.

They discuss dating, costume and jewel details, related inventories and court accounts from 1527–28, comparisons with a twin miniature at and why ongoing technical research may help confirm or refute the sitter’s identity.

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https://drowenemmerson.com/

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Episode 359 - Rethinking Jane Seymour: The Woman Behind the Myths with Dr Elizabeth Norton Sep 06, 2026

Show notes

Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Elizabeth Norton about her new book on Jane Seymour, exploring fresh archival discoveries that reshape our view of the queen. They discuss Jane’s likely birthdate, court career, political agency, household, material culture and wardrobe accounts, relationships with Princess Mary, and the myths about her religion and headwear.

The conversation highlights Jane’s skilful use of patronage, financial acumen, and soft power as queen during a turbulent period of the Reformation, and explains why her planned coronation never took place.

Learn more about Dr Elizabeth Norton

http://www.elizabethnorton.co.uk/

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Episode 358 - The Real 'Kat Ashley': Elizabeth I's Governess with Rosemary Griggs Aug 30, 2026

Show notes

Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Rosemary Griggs about her new biography, 'Queen Elizabeth I's Governess: The Real Kat Ashley', which reexamines the life of Katherine Champanowne (Kat Ashley) and restores her place at the centre of Elizabeth I’s life.

Rosemary discusses her archival discoveries, the Champanowne and Carew family connections, Kat’s role in Elizabeth’s upbringing and court, her involvement in political scandals and imprisonments, and the influence and legacy she left during Elizabeth’s reign.

Learn more about Rosemary Griggs

https://rosemarygriggs.co.uk/

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Episode 357 - How Ancient Persia Shaped Elizabethan Politics with Ebrahim Joseph Aug 17, 2026

Show notes

Host Natalie Grueninger interviews historian Ebrahim Joseph about the surprising influence of ancient Persia, especially Cyrus the Great, on Elizabethan England. They explore classical and biblical sources, princely education, political advice, court drama (including The Wars of Cyrus), the Mary, Queen of Scots debate, and early contacts with Safavid Persia, showing how Persian models of charismatic and ruthless kingship shaped Tudor political culture.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EBRAHIM JOSEPH https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/people/ebrahim-hanifehpour-0

Read ‘Honour and Deceit in The Warres of Cyrus, Classical Persia, and Elizabethan Politics’ by Ebrahim Joseph

https://doi.org/10.1017/S0018246X26101745

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Episode 356 - How the Americas Shaped Tudor England with Dr Lauren Working Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Lauren Working about her book 'A Golden World' and how voyages to the Americas reshaped 16th‑century England. The episode traces Atlantic influences on London life, art, fashion and trade through objects and people brought back from the New World.

Examples include the flood of pearls and emeralds, the rise of tobacco and new fashions, live exotic animals and the crucial Indigenous knowledge behind many colonial practices. The conversation emphasises that Tudor England, even without a formal empire, was transformed by ongoing Atlantic encounters.

Learn more about Dr Working

https://www.york.ac.uk/english/people/laurenworking/

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Episode 355 - Rethinking the Battle of Wakefield with Dr David Grummitt Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr David Grummitt about the December 1460 events commonly called the Battle of Wakefield. Dr Grummitt argues the episode was a small ambush and murder of Richard, Duke of York and his son rather than a large pitched battle, and explains the primary evidence behind this interpretation.

The episode also covers the immediate Lancastrian response, the march to the Palm Sunday battles of 1461, and how later Tudor chroniclers and historians transformed these events into a more dramatic mythology.

READ DR GRUMMITT & PAUL DAWSON'S ARTICLE

https://oro.open.ac.uk/105170/

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