Not Just the Tudors

Beauty Ideals in the 16th Century

What was the 16th century ideal of beauty for women? Fat or thin? Blonde or brunette? Pale or tanned? How did women keep clean? Did they remove their body hair?In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb gets the lowdown from Jill Burke - Professor of Renaissance Visual and Material Cultures at the University of Edinburgh - on all the tips to become an authentic Renaissance Woman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

38 min

Bloody Mary vs. The Virgin Queen

Queen Mary I has had a bad press over the centuries, her five-years on the throne overshadowed by her half-sister Elizabeth's 45-year reign. While Elizabeth I is often hailed as "Gloriana" - and one of the greatest ever Britons - "Bloody Mary" more often finds her way onto charts of the most evil women in history. Both childless, Mary is reviled as "barren" while Elizabeth is lauded as the "Virgin Queen".In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Anna Whitelock who puts the case for a more balanced assessment of Mary I as a Queen who pioneered what female rule could look like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

44 min

Alessandro de' Medici, Black Prince of Florence

In the cut-throat world of Renaissance Florence, Alessandro - the illegitimate son of a Duke and a mixed-race servant - attempts to reassert the Medicis’ faltering grip on the city state. But after just six years in power, Alessandro is murdered by his cousin while anticipating an adulterous liaison.In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Catherine Fletcher, author of The Black Prince of Florence, about one man's spectacular rise to power against the odds, and his violent demise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

46 min

Henry VIII: Defender of the Faith

Five hundred years ago in 1521, the title 'Defender of the Faith' was bestowed by Pope Leo X upon King Henry VIII for his defence of the Catholic Church against the threat of Martin Luther. Why did he then break away from Rome and create religious divisions for centuries to come? A new online exhibition - drawn from the colletion of the Society of Antiquaries in London - offers a new perspective on the power Henry wielded, his personality and passions.In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about this fascinating resource from its curator Dr. John Cooper. View the objects while listening to the podcast here: https://stories.sal.org.uk/henryviii/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

49 min

The Witches of Lorraine

Between 1570 and 1630, there was intense persecution and thousands of executions of suspected witches in Lorraine, a small duchy on the borders of France and the Holy Roman Empire. In some cases, suspicious citizens waited decades to report their neighbours as witches. But why did they take so long to use the law to eliminate the supposedly dangerous figures who lived amongst them?Robin Briggs - Emeritus Fellow at All Souls College Oxford - has delved into perhaps the richest surviving archive of witchcraft trials to be found in Europe. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, he talks to Professor Suzannah Lipscomb about his conclusion that witchcraft was actually perceived as having strong therapeutic possibilities: once a person was identified as the cause of a sickness, they could be induced to take it off again.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

42 min

Beards

For the Tudors and Elizabethans, a beard denoted masculinity while beardlessness indicated boyhood or effeminacy. How a man wore his beard - or not - said a lot about his power and position in society. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to theatre historian Dr. Eleanor Rycroft about her hirsute pursuits, analysing the depiction of beards in portraits and on stage, what their various colours, shapes and sizes meant, and what they tell us about gender attitudes in early modern England. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

36 min

Sor Juana: Poet, Nun, Martyr

Though she is relatively unknown outside of Mexico, Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz - poet, playwright and nun - is an icon and national hero in her homeland. She even features on the 200 peso banknote. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Amy Fuller Morgan about the real Sor Juana - misrepresented and mythologised as a subversive upstart, even a martyr - who in fact had a privileged life and the support of the Church and court, and who carefully cultivated her own image and saintly reputation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

41 min

Catherine Howard

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 young woman behind the rumours.In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Gareth Russell, author of Young and Damned and Fair, a riveting account of Catherine's tragic marriage to an unstable King, and the tragedy of her life in a dangerous hothouse where the odds were stacked against her.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

52 min

Martin Luther

A controversial figure during his lifetime, Martin Luther set in motion a revolution that split Christianity in the West and left an indelible mark on the world today. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to renowned Luther biographer Lyndal Roper to explore the man behind the carefully crafted image - misogynistic, anti-Semitic, occasionally self-doubting, religiously devout yet with a crude, scatological sense of humour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

49 min

Elizabeth I and Catherine de' Medici

The relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de' Medici - the two most powerful Queens of their time - is one of the most intriguing and captivating stories of the 16th century. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Estelle Paranque about her new book Blood, Fire and Gold, which explores how these two formidable women wielded and negotiated power, and were united only in their dislike of Mary, Queen of Scots. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

46 min

16th Century Feminists

In this edition of Not Just The Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Hannah Dawson, editor of The Penguin Book of Feminist Writing who draws upon poems, novels and memoirs to show that even in Tudor times, and earlier, there was not only insight that sexism existed, but women were articulating their struggle against patriarchal oppression. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

38 min

Sodomy & Sex Crimes in France

In the 16th and 17th centuries and beyond, certain sexual acts were made capital crimes in England, France and other countries. The offence of "sodomy" embraced a wide range of acts including rape, child abuse and bestiality.  In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Tom Hamilton who has deeply researched the subject, shedding light on what the authorities and ordinary people at the time thought about sex. (This podcast contains some explicit language and descriptions.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

54 min

The Death of Anne Boleyn

The Story of the Death of Anne Boleyn is a long narrative poem written by the secretary to the French ambassador in London within two weeks of the Queen's execution. It was intended as a diplomatic dispatch, relating the astonishing news - in verse - of her demise, along with that of five alleged lovers. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor JoAnn DellaNeva, who has been researching a previously unstudied manuscript of the poem. Her translation sheds new light on a work which straddles the domains of literature and history, of chronicle and fiction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

41 min

10 Treasures from the National Trust

Dr Tarnya Cooper is the Curatorial and Collections Director at the National Trust. For her recent book, 125 Treasures from the Collections of the National Trust, she and 60 curators brought together the most extraordinary objects that can be found in National Trust properties around the country.In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Tarnya joins Suzannah Lipscomb with her pick of her 12 favourite items, from Cardinal Wolsey’s purse to a "spangled bed." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

52 min

Coffee & Tobacco

When tobacco arrived in Britain in the 1560s, it was hailed as a "holy herb", a miracle cure to improve health and a catalyst for wit and creativity. The coming of coffee - "black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love" - in the mid-17th century, led to the establishment of coffee houses where debates flourished and innovations were born that helped to shape the modern world.In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Matthew Green - author of London: A Travel Guide Through Time - about how nicotine and caffeine changed the British way of life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

42 min

Heywood: The Catholic Satirist who Kept his Head

Playwright and musician John Heywood was a devout Catholic humanist and biting satirist - married to Sir Thomas Moore's niece - who managed to survive life as a courtier through the Catholic and Protestant regimes of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about this fascinating figure with Professor Greg Walker, author of the first full scholarly biography of John Heywood, whose life was a case study of the role of comedy in a period of religious and political extremism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

57 min

Hampton Court: Gold & Glory

On 7 June 1520, Henry VIII of England and François I of France met at the Field of Cloth of Gold. For three weeks on English soil in Northern France, the two Kings - and the 12,000 who accompanied them - feasted, jousted, and made merry. This party without parallel was a peace summit between the two countries, arranged by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. A new exhibition at Hampton Court, called Gold and Glory, explores this seminal event through paintings, objects, and manuscripts. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb takes a tour around the exhibition with one of its curators, Dr. Alden Gregory. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

47 min

Charles V: Holy Roman Emperor

Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Geoffrey Parker to explore the extraordinary life and career of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (1500–1558), who ruled Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and much of Italy and Central and South America,Prof. Parker has examined countless surviving written sources, interrogating every dimension of Charles’s long reign, to produce an epic, detailed and vivid life of a complex man and his rule over the world's first transatlantic empire. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

48 min

Louis XIV and his Mistresses

Louis XIV ruled France for more than 72 years, the longest recorded reign of any monarch of any sovereign country in history. Despite the devotion of his wife Maria Theresa of Spain, Louis took a series of mistresses, a number of them "official", with whom he had numerous illegitimate children. Yet, for the last three decades of his life, after Maria Theresa's death, he settled down more loyally with the Marquise de Maintenon. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about the powerful and fascinating women behind the throne of the Sun King, with Dr Linda Kiernan Knowles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

51 min

Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary, Queen of Scots, returned to the news headlines when the rosary she carried to her execution in 1587, was recently stolen from Arundel Castle. It's the latest chapter in the enduring story of this highly romanticised figure.  Mary reigned over Scotland for just over 24 years between December 1542 until her forced abdication. Considered the legitimate sovereign of England by many Catholics, Mary was seen as a threat to Queen Elizabeth I. In this episode of Not Just the Tudors, Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Professor Kate Williams about Mary's tragic life, her disastrous marriages and the plots against Elizabeth that resulted in her execution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

50 min

Episodes

Beauty Ideals in the 16th Century

Bloody Mary vs. The Virgin Queen

Alessandro de' Medici, Black Prince of Florence

Henry VIII: Defender of the Faith

The Witches of Lorraine

Beards

Sor Juana: Poet, Nun, Martyr

Catherine Howard

Martin Luther

Elizabeth I and Catherine de' Medici

16th Century Feminists

Sodomy & Sex Crimes in France

The Death of Anne Boleyn

10 Treasures from the National Trust

Coffee & Tobacco

Heywood: The Catholic Satirist who Kept his Head

Hampton Court: Gold & Glory

Charles V: Holy Roman Emperor

Louis XIV and his Mistresses

Mary, Queen of Scots

Te Pahi: The Rangatira, the King and the Survivors

Founding Fathers: An American Dream

HistoryExtra podcast

WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

World War II with Tom Hanks

Fall of Civilizations Podcast

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Real Survival Stories

Episodes

Beauty Ideals in the 16th Century

Bloody Mary vs. The Virgin Queen

Alessandro de' Medici, Black Prince of Florence

Henry VIII: Defender of the Faith

The Witches of Lorraine

Beards

Sor Juana: Poet, Nun, Martyr

Catherine Howard

Martin Luther

Elizabeth I and Catherine de' Medici

16th Century Feminists

Sodomy & Sex Crimes in France

The Death of Anne Boleyn

10 Treasures from the National Trust

Coffee & Tobacco

Heywood: The Catholic Satirist who Kept his Head

Hampton Court: Gold & Glory

Charles V: Holy Roman Emperor

Louis XIV and his Mistresses

Mary, Queen of Scots

Similar podcasts

Te Pahi: The Rangatira, the King and the Survivors

Founding Fathers: An American Dream

HistoryExtra podcast

WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk

World War II with Tom Hanks

Fall of Civilizations Podcast

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

Real Survival Stories