Best Daily Elizabethan Podcasts (2026)

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The One Choice That Could Have Changed Tudor England Forever 28:38

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2h ago28:38

28:38

What if Catherine of Aragon had agreed to an annulment in 1527? Today we explore a Tudor what-if with enormous consequences. If Catherine had stepped aside quietly, Henry VIII might never have broken with Rome, Anne Boleyn might have had time to secure her position, Mary Tudor’s future could have been settled early, and England might have remained …

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[YouTube Drop] A Day in the life of a Yeoman Farmer 9:56

1h ago9:56

9:56

In this minicast, we spend twenty-four hours with a yeoman farmer and his family, the solid middle of Tudor society. From waking before dawn to fieldwork, food, spinning, neighborly chatter, and falling asleep by firelight, this is an ordinary working day in rural England. No court, no kings, just the daily rhythm that fed the country and kept Tudo…

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A Tudorcon 2025 Talk: The Magic of Holbein 37:58

4m ago37:58

37:58

This talk was recorded live at Tudorcon 2025. In this lecture, Mallory Jackson explores the work of Hans Holbein the Younger, the artist whose portraits defined how we visualize the Tudor court. Focusing on key paintings from Holbein’s years in England, she looks at how symbolism, material culture, and political change shaped portraits of figures s…

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Juana of Castile: The Queen Who Was Never Allowed to Rule 19:44

35m ago19:44

19:44

Juana of Castile is remembered by history as “Juana the Mad,” but that label explains far less than it hides. In this episode, we step away from biography and diagnosis to look instead at power: who held it, who wanted it, and who benefited when Juana was declared unfit to rule. Drawing on recent scholarship and the comparison with her sister Cathe…

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[YouTube Drop] Henry Beaufort 9:00

43m ago9:00

9:00

Henry Beaufort is rarely the most famous Beaufort, but he may have been the most influential. A son of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford, Beaufort took a different path from his more rebellious relatives. As Bishop of Winchester and later a cardinal, he became the wealthiest churchman in England and a crucial financial backer of the Lancastrian …

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[YouTube Drop] Three Twelfth Nights at the Tudor Court (1512–1582) 9:19

11h ago9:19

9:19

At the Tudor court, Twelfth Night was more than the end of Christmas. Using specific recorded celebrations from across the sixteenth century, this minicast explores how plays, masques, tournaments, dancing, and banquets were used to perform power at court. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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[YouTube Drop] Henry VIII Did Pardon People. 8:18

3d ago8:18

8:18

Henry VIII is famous for executions, but he did issue pardons; rarely, strategically, and always on his own terms. Starting with the pardon of Geoffrey Pole in 1539, this minicast explores who Henry spared, who he didn’t, and what mercy really meant under the Tudors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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[YouTube Drop] Henry's Abraham Tapestries 8:48

6d ago8:48

8:48

When you step into the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace, the walls tell a story. In this minicast, we explore Henry VIII’s Abraham tapestries: vast, expensive works of art that doubled as political messaging. Woven in the 1540s, these biblical scenes weren’t just decoration. They reinforced Henry’s claims to religious authority, dynastic legitima…

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A Tour of Tudor York 9:30

8d ago9:30

9:30

This tour of Tudor York was originally a Members Only video from two years ago. I’m making it public today so everyone can explore it. Patrons and channel members still get the good stuff first, including extra episodes, and content that never appears on the public channel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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Christmas Eve with the Tudors | Winter Traditions, Feasting & Faith 1:13:47

13d ago1:13:47

1:13:47

Because it’s Christmas Eve, I’m taking the day to be with family. In place of something new, this episode brings together several Christmas and wintertime Tudor stories from past years in one long, easy listen. These episodes explore how Christmas was celebrated in Tudor England - the traditions, food, faith, music, and rhythms of the season. Perfe…

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[YouTube Drop] Terms of Adornment with Terry Jones 50:06

13d ago50:06

50:06

This episode features a live Tudorcon talk by Terry Jones, longtime docent at Agecroft Hall, exploring how jewelry functioned in Tudor and early Stuart England. From pearls and signet rings to portrait jewels and the Order of the Garter, this talk looks at how men and women used jewelry to signal power, identity, loyalty, and belief. Recorded live,…

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[YouTube Drop] The Letter That Took 383 Years 7:14

20d ago7:14

7:14

In 1602, Elizabeth I wrote a formal letter to the Emperor of China, hoping to open peaceful trade between their two realms. The letter was sent with an English explorer attempting to reach China via the Northwest Passage. He never made it. The minicast stayed in England for centuries, was once used to line a farm’s bran bin, and was not finally del…

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[YouTube Drop] Tudor Justice After the Verdict 11:44

18d ago11:44

11:44

Yesterday we chatted about how crimes were solved. Today, we look at convictions. What happened after conviction in Tudor England? This minicast looks at how punishment worked through shame, visibility, and public order, from the stocks and church penance to execution and royal mercy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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[YouTube Drop] Who Solved Crimes in Tudor England? 11:47

19d ago11:47

11:47

How did Tudor England solve crimes without police or forensic science? This episode explores how murder and suspicion were investigated through community testimony, coroners’ inquests, confession, and local justice, and why the world of Matthew Shardlake feels surprisingly accurate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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Episode 321: The Tudor Body: Health, Illness, and Balance in Tudor England 26:27

20d ago26:27

26:27

The Christmas Character quiz is here: https://www.englandcast.com/christmas-character-quiz/ - I'd love to see what you got! And the ecard site is here: https://www.englandcast.com/tudor-tidings/ How did the Tudors understand the human body, and why does their approach feel so strange to us today? In this episode, I explore how people in Tudor Engla…

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[YouTube Drop] A “Lady Jane Grey” Portrait That Isn’t Jane Grey at All 9:07

21d ago9:07

9:07

For more than three centuries, a restrained Tudor portrait was confidently labeled as Lady Jane Grey. But the woman in the painting is almost certainly not Jane at all. In this episode, we explore the evidence that the famous Wrest Park portrait actually depicts Mary Neville, Lady Dacre, a young widow navigating disgrace, poverty, and political sur…

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[YouTube Drop] Bad meat, or poison? 10:59

22d ago10:59

10:59

Poison was the rumor that never died in Tudor England. In this episode, we look at the deaths that Tudor contemporaries believed were “too convenient” to be natural: the Scottish commissioners who fell ill during Mary, Queen of Scots’ marriage negotiations in France, the sudden collapse of Ferdinando Stanley, and the suspicions surrounding Darnley …

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Episode 320: Lady Margaret Douglas 23:57

1M ago23:57

23:57

Margaret Douglas, niece of Henry VIII, spent her entire life at the center of Tudor politics. In this episode I look at her childhood in the royal nursery, the scandal that sent her to the Tower, her influential marriage into the Lennox family, and the choices that helped place her grandson James VI on the English throne. A detailed look at the wom…

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More Tudor True Crime 12:09

1M ago12:09

12:09

Tudor England loved true crime just as much as we do today. In this episode, we look at a few cases that gripped 16th-century audiences: the 1551 murder of Thomas Arden of Faversham, and the 1592 killing of John Brewen, preserved in a sensational printed pamphlet. These stories reveal how early printers, ballad sellers, and public executions shaped…

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[YouTube Drop] The Tudor Advent Fast 12:26

1M ago12:26

12:26

Intermittent fasting might feel like a modern idea, but Tudor England practiced a full winter fast during Advent. People cut out meat and dairy, relied on fish and simple grains, and often waited until evening prayers for their main meal. In this episode we look at what the Advent fast involved, how it shaped daily life in December, and why it ends…

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[YouTube Drop] What did the Privy Council actually do? 12:06

1M ago12:06

12:06

Today we’re looking at the Privy Council and the work it handled behind the scenes in Tudor England. This small group managed intelligence, arrests, foreign diplomacy, religious enforcement, and the constant flow of problems from every corner of the kingdom. It’s a closer look at how the Tudors actually governed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv…

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Episode 319: The Vaux Family 24:33

1M ago24:33

24:33

In this episode, we trace the Vaux family from their Lancastrian beginnings in the fifteenth century to their role in the Catholic underground during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I. We follow the line from Katherine Peniston and her loyalty to Margaret of Anjou, through Nicholas Vaux’s rise under Henry VII and Henry VIII, and into the recusa…

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[YouTube Drop] The Story of Mabel Bagenal 8:45

1M ago8:45

8:45

In 1591, Mabel Bagenal defied her powerful English family and secretly married Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Their relationship became one of the most controversial matches in Tudor Ireland, fueling tensions that were already pushing the country toward war. In this minicast, we explore who Mabel was, why she chose O’Neill, and how her decision shap…

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[YouTube Drop] Tudor Lady Knights 8:57

1M ago8:57

8:57

Today we’re looking at the Tudor-era women who stepped into roles normally reserved for knights, from Grace O’Malley leading a fleet on the Irish coast to Bess of Hardwick managing the Shrewsbury power base during rebellion, Mary of Guise governing a kingdom at war, Elizabeth I claiming her authority at Tilbury, and more. They were never formally k…

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[YouTube Drop] True Crime, Tudor-Style 10:08

1M ago10:08

10:08

Today we’re looking at the closest thing Tudor England had to newspapers: the crime pamphlets that reported real murders, scandals, and witchcraft cases in the sixteenth century. We’ll dig into the 1573 killing of George Saunders, the 1592 murder of John Brewen, and a witchcraft case printed that same year, and explore how these pamphlets shaped pu…

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[YouTube Drop] Mummers, Mischief, and Twelve Days of Tudor Christmas 24:10

1M ago24:10

24:10

In this session from Tudorcon 2025 Sarah Pixley Papandrea from Agecroft Hall breaks down the real twelve-day Christmas season of Tudor England, from mumming and wassailing to role-reversal games, feast days, and the Lord of Misrule. It’s a lively look at the traditions that shaped winter celebrations across the Tudor world. Yuletide with the Tudors…

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Episode 318: Jane Lumley: The Tudor Woman Who Translated Euripides and Shaped Two Great Families 19:50

2M ago19:50

19:50

In this episode, we explore the life of Jane Lumley, a Tudor noblewoman whose translations made her one of the earliest female scholars in English literature. Through her, we trace the intertwined stories of the FitzAlan and Lumley families, the politics that shaped their world, and the remarkable library that preserved her work. From Nonsuch to th…

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[YouTube Drop] The Black Prince & the Fair Maid of Kent 22:09

2M ago22:09

22:09

Edward the Black Prince was Europe’s most celebrated warrior. Joan of Kent was already notorious for one secret marriage and an accidental second one that sparked a papal court battle. When the two married in secret in 1361, it created a royal crisis that threatened the legitimacy of England’s future heir. In this minicast, we follow Joan from her …

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[YouTube Drop] The Bonkers Plot to Blow Up Elizabeth I’s Bed 8:25

2M ago8:25

8:25

In 1586, William Stafford proposed one of the strangest assassination ideas of Elizabeth I’s reign: blowing up the queen’s bed while she slept, even though his own mother served in that room. This minicast unpacks the Stafford Plot, the French connection, and Walsingham’s likely role in turning the whole thing into an intelligence trap. A bizarre s…

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Episode 317: The Clinton Family of Baddesley Clinton 20:51

2M ago20:51

20:51

Baddesley Clinton looks calm today, but the families who lived there left behind a long trail of drama. This episode follows the Clintons, the fiery Bromes, and the Catholic Ferrers through murder, duels, hidden priest holes, and the Jesuit network that operated out of the house during Elizabeth I’s reign. It’s a full narrative journey through 500 …

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Forget the Deathbed Myth: Tracy Borman on Elizabeth I, James VI, and The Stolen Crown 28:29

2M ago28:29

28:29

Did Elizabeth I actually name James VI of Scotland as her heir? Historian Dr. Tracy Borman joins me to talk about her new book, The Stolen Crown, and the newly uncovered evidence showing that the deathbed scene we’ve all heard was rewritten after the fact. We talk about the real contenders for the throne, the political panic around Elizabeth’s refu…

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[YouTube Drop] The Tudor Vagabond with the Forged Passport 12:55

2M ago12:55

12:55

In 1596, a young man crossed England with a passport so convincing that constables let him pass from county to county without a second glance. The problem? The document was entirely fake. When Justice Edward Hext finally examined it, he realized it had fooled officials from one end of the kingdom to the other. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy…

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[YouTube Drop] Tudor Hygiene Myths 6:53

2M ago6:53

6:53

Today we’re looking at what Tudor people actually did to stay clean. From linen “dry baths” and herbal wash water to tooth powders made from salt, sage, and charcoal, this episode walks through the real routines behind Tudor bathing and daily mouth care. It’s a closer look at how people washed, groomed, and kept themselves presentable in a world wi…

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[YouTube Drop] License to Travel 5:04

2M ago5:04

5:04

Today we’re looking at what a “passport” meant in Tudor England. There were no little booklets, but anyone leaving the kingdom needed royal permission in the form of licences and safe-conducts. Let's do a quick dive into how these documents worked and why the Privy Council watched foreign travel so closely. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo…

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[YouTube Drop] What Did the Tudor Gentry Actually Do? 12:12

2M ago12:12

12:12

The other day we looked at the nobility and what they did - today, a look at the gentry, the thousands of families who handled the everyday work of running the kingdom. From managing estates to serving as Justices of the Peace, they kept local government functioning while pursuing their own ambitions. It’s a quick tour of the people who made Tudor …

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Episode 316: The Blounts of Mountjoy 26:05

2M ago26:05

26:05

The Blounts of Mountjoy were everywhere in Tudor England, from Bessie Blount, Henry VIII’s mistress and mother of his only acknowledged son, to Charles Blount, Elizabeth I’s trusted commander and scandalous lover of Penelope Rich. This episode looks at how one family quietly threaded through a century of royal power, war, and intrigue. Hosted on Ac…

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[YouTube Drop] The Secret Marriage That Sent Walter Raleigh to the Tower 6:54

2M ago6:54

6:54

In 1592, Queen Elizabeth’s favorite, Sir Walter Raleigh, and her maid of honour, Bess Throckmorton, were sent to the Tower - not for treason, but for love. Their secret marriage scandalized the court and cost them everything. This is the story of their forbidden romance, their fall from favor, and the loyalty that lasted long after the Queen’s ange…

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[YouTube Drop] What Did the Nobility Actually Do in Tudor England? 12:02

2M ago12:02

12:02

Ever wonder what a Tudor duke actually did all day? In this minicast, we dig into the real jobs of England’s nobles, landlords, courtiers, commanders, and sometimes survivors of royal politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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[YouTube Drop] The Woman Who Escaped the Tower of London 8:11

2M ago8:11

8:11

In 1533, a woman named Alice Tankerville pulled off one of the boldest acts in Tudor history, escaping from the Tower of London. Accused of piracy and murder, Alice used her wit, charm, and the affection of a lovestruck guard to slip out of her chains and nearly make it to freedom. This is the real story of love, betrayal, and a desperate flight un…

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Episode 315: The Russell Dukes of Bedford 29:27

2M ago29:27

29:27

The Russell family - future Dukes of Bedford - rose from obscure West Country gentry to the heights of Tudor power. Starting with John Russell, a trusted courtier of Henry VIII, they built their fortune from the lands of dissolved monasteries and turned Woburn Abbey into one of England’s grandest estates. In this episode, we trace how the Russells …

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Minicast: Six Myths about Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot 6:06

2M ago6:06

6:06

Think you know the story of Guy Fawkes? Think again. In this mini episode, we’re uncovering six myths about the Gunpowder Plot, from who really led it to whether the barrels could have actually blown up Parliament. Check out the full episode on the Gunpowder Plot here: https://www.englandcast.com/2018/11/episode-113-remember-remember/ Hosted on Aca…

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[YouTube Drop] The Faces of Power 16:29

2M ago16:29

16:29

In Tudor England, portraits became more than decoration, they were tools of influence. This minicast explores how Renaissance humanism brought individuality and ambition to English art, from Holbein’s lifelike studies of Henry VIII’s court to Elizabeth I’s carefully crafted royal image. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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[YouTube Drop] Richard Topcliffe 14:14

2M ago14:14

14:14

Richard Topcliffe was one of Elizabeth I’s most feared servants - a gentleman who became England’s chief interrogator, hunting Catholic priests in the name of loyalty and faith. Today we'll look at his rise, his notorious torture methods, the scandal that nearly ended him, and his grim legacy as the man who turned service to the Crown into cruelty.…

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[YouTube Drop] Medieval and Tudor Witches 15:10

2M ago15:10

15:10

This episode looks at the changing face of witchcraft from the Middle Ages through the Tudor and early Stuart eras. We’ll start with royal women accused of sorcery, like Joan of Navarre and Eleanor Cobham - and trace how superstition turned into state policy under Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and finally King James I. https://www.englandcast.com/haunte…

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Episode 314: The Queen’s Favorite 20:28

2M ago20:28

20:28

He was handsome, ambitious, and despised... accused of being Queen Margaret’s lover and blamed for losing England’s empire in France. When Edmund Beaufort fell at St. Albans, the prophecy of his death came true, and England tumbled into civil war. Sources: The Reign of King Henry VI by Ralph Griffiths AJ Pollard - The Wars of the Roses Tudor London…

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[YouTube Drop] Tudor Love Potions and Deadly Brews 8:29

3M ago8:29

8:29

In Tudor England, potions promised power, whether to spark desire or to silence rivals. In this spooky Halloween Spooky Week minicast, we’re diving into real Tudor recipes for love and poison, pulled straight from 16th-century sources like The Good Huswifes Jewell and early herbals. Here's the link to the Haunted Tudor London halloween tour: https:…

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[YouTube Drop] 👻 Haunted East Anglia 1:01:19

3M ago1:01:19

1:01:19

We’re kicking off spooky week with a talk from Tudorcon 2024! Victoria Thompson takes us deep into the haunted landscape of East Anglia; a place of ghostly monks, witchcraft, and eerie folklore that has lingered since the Tudor period. Hear stories of drowned towns, spectral hounds, and strange rituals hidden inside old Suffolk homes. It’s the perf…

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]YouTube Drop] Elizabeth Sydenham 6:12

3M ago6:12

6:12

Elizabeth Sydenham was the Somerset heiress who married Sir Francis Drake, but only after a meteor crashed through the roof of the church on her first wedding day. That fiery omen ended her engagement and changed her fate. This is the story of the woman who became Lady Drake and then vanished from history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for…

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[YouTube Drop] Love, Poison, and Witchcraft 11:22

3M ago11:22

11:22

A countess, a court favorite, and a corpse in the Tower. Frances Howard and Robert Carr’s forbidden love became England’s first celebrity crime, complete with potions, poison, and accusations of witchcraft. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 313: The Dudley's 23:49

3M ago23:49

23:49

They served every Tudor monarch, and often paid dearly for it. From their medieval stronghold at Dudley Castle to the heart of the Tudor court, the Dudley family shaped English history for five hundred years. They raised money for Henry VII, ruled the realm under Edward VI, tried to make Lady Jane Grey queen, and stood beside Elizabeth I as she fac…