Isabella of France: A Reign of Power and Intr...

In this episode, we go beyond the fairytale image to uncover the real expectations placed on royal daughters. Princesses were far more than ornaments of the court - they were political assets, diplomatic bridges, and the key to securing dynastic futures. As daughters, they forged ...  Show more

Today I’m joined again (Part Two) by historian and friend Sylvia Barbara Soberton to dig into some of the most famous - and widely repeated - myths about the six wives (Anne of Cleves, Katheryn Howard, and Kateryn Parr) of Henry VIII. From long-standing misconceptions to stories ...  Show more

In preparation for International Women's Day this Wednesday, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb takes a look at a Queen whose reputation has largely been shaped by her husband's midlife crisis. History does not see much further than Katherine of Aragon's so-called failure to provide ...

Eleanor of Castile married King Edward I of England as part of a political deal to affirm English sovereignty over Gascony. But the marriage was a very close one. Eleanor travelled extensively with Edward, including on the Ninth Crusade. When she died in Notting ...

King Edward VIII gave up the throne to marry the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson. Their relationship has long been lauded as a royal fairytale. But there was a lot more going on. Wallis never really liked Edward but became trapped by her own ambition. And Edward, desperate to find ...  Show more

Catherine Howard was Queen Consort - and fifth wife - to Henry VIII for just 16 months before he had her executed for treason for committing adultery. Since Victorian times, historians have labelled her as lewd and promiscuous, but there was an altogether more complex you ...