Not Just the Tudors

Was the shocking assassination of King Henri IV of France in 1610 the act of a lone fanatic, or a sinister conspiracy within the royal court?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Vincent Pitts to unpack the French Wars of Religion, the fragile peace between Catholics and Huguenots, and that fateful afternoon in Paris when an assassin struck down the king.

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True Crime: Medici Murder at the Louvre

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The Massacre of the Huguenots

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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In the aftermath of the Civil War, a remote corner of Essex witnessed the most brutally devastating witch-hunt in English history. A dangerous maverick Matthew Hopkins - the 'Witchfinder General' - hunted down vulnerable people across East Anglia, exploiting the anxiety and lawlessness of the times. Between 1645 and 1647, more than 300 suspects were interrogated and tortured; a third of them were hanged.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb finds out more about Hopkins and his accomplice John Stearne from Professor Malcolm Gaskill.

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The Witch

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How to Kill a Scottish Witch

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Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. 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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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

Could an ancient Persian drama have stopped Mary, Queen of Scots from being executed?

When Queen Elizabeth I faced an agonising dilemma over her captive cousin, a performance about Cyrus the Great offered her a provocative lesson: executing an anointed monarch risked shattering divine protection, while mercy signalled ultimate power.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Ebrahim Joseph whose groundbreaking research shows how early modern England turned to Persian history to navigate existential political threats, foreign policy, and the dangerous limits of crown authority.

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When Europe met Islam

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The Elizabethans and Islam

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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

From Thomas Cromwell's rise under Henry VIII to Oliver Cromwell’s rule as Lord Protector, how did the faith, ambition, and power of one family shape the course of British history?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr Miranda Malins to unravel the extraordinary saga and legacy of the Cromwells.

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Oliver Cromwell’s Women

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Why Cromwell’s Republic Failed.

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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

Is Gulliver’s Travels just a whimsical children’s adventure story, or is it a scathing satire designed to expose political hypocrisy?

From suppressed Irish resistance allegories to biting parodies of Whig corruption, Enlightenment science, and moral decay, Gulliver's author Jonathan Swift transformed personal exile into a profound critique of human nature.

To mark the 300th anniversary of Gulliver’s Travels, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor David Womersley to unmask the "savage indignation," political turmoil, and risk of censorship that drove Swift’s writing.

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C.S. Lewis & Narnia: Renaissance Origins

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Creator of Don Quixote: Cervantes

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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

What if the fairy tales you grew up with were never meant for children at all?

Long before these stories were transformed into family-friendly animated films, they were forged in the gritty reality of Renaissance Italy and later weaponized by rebellious Parisian aristocrats to challenge systemic oppression.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor Jack Zipes to unearth the dark, strange, and deeply political origins hidden behind our favourite folklore.

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The Man who Wrote Robinson Crusoe

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Practical Magic: Spells, Prayers & Cunning Folk

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Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, edited by 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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

How did one man survive serving Henry VIII as principal secretary when others lost their heads? Why is the mastermind behind the King’s final, most turbulent decade so often forgotten?

Rising through sheer intellect and royal favour, William Paget navigated bitter religious conflict, spiralling crown finances, and looming foreign threats to become Henry VIII’s most indispensable advisor.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Andrew Johnston to unpack the astonishing career of this forgotten Tudor mastermind who shaped the monarch’s final years.

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The Rotten End of Henry VIII

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Cardinal Wolsey: His Rise and Fall

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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

How did a risky 16th-century venture evolve into a national enterprise that fuelled the rise of the British Empire? How did a vast network of royalty, politicians, cultural figures, and ordinary citizens finance human exploitation to expand British wealth and naval power?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Professor William Pettigrew to trace the nation's deep entanglement with the transatlantic slave trade and explore why its legacy was systematically obscured.

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How Protestants Justified Slavery

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British Barbary Slaves

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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

How did the son of an executed traitor rise to become the power behind young Edward VI? Was John Dudley a visionary patriot saving England from crisis or a ruthless opportunist who risked everything for ultimate power?

Following the death of Henry VIII, Dudley seized control of the realm. However, his later gamble to put Lady Jane Grey on the throne condemned him to the executioner's block.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dan Snow explore John Dudley's meteoric rise and catastrophic fall.

Watch Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dan Snow's new series How The Tudors Lost Their Heads now on Nat Geo and Disney+

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Death, Desire, Power & Scandal: The House of Dudley

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Lady Jane Grey

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

In 1588, mathematician Thomas Harriot mapped a doomed colony and drafted the playbook for English empire. But did Indigenous culture reshape Shakespeare's England just as profoundly?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Lauren Working to explore how indigenous knowledge, labour, and resources, from Bolivian silver to North American beaver pelts, vibrant feather work, and Algonquin smoking customs, infiltrated Tudor fashion and society.

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Elizabethans in America

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Pocahontas & the Virginian Venture

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

How did a favourite of Elizabeth I go from royal darling to executed traitor?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Alex Gajda and Dr. Will Tosh to explore the meteoric rise and catastrophic fall of Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, one of the most glamorous yet volatile figures in Elizabethan England. Together they unpack the true motives behind Essex's rebellion and the surprising propaganda role played by William Shakespeare.

Watch Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb's new series How The Tudors Lost Their Heads now on Nat Geo and Disney+

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Henry Wotton: Outlaw and Royal Spy

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Robert Dudley: Elizabeth I's Forbidden Love

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

Why did the Dutch Republic risk everything to launch one of the boldest seaborne invasions in English history and overthrow King James II? Why did England’s defences collapse so quickly? How close did the operation come to disaster?

In 1688, William of Orange led a Dutch armada of 16,000 troops across the North Sea, after years of diplomacy, financial manoeuvring and meticulous military planning. Yet victory was never guaranteed.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr Arthur de Weduwen, to uncover the Dutch perspective on the revolution that reshaped Britain and Europe.

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Queen Mary II & the Glorious Revolution

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William III & the Persecution of Sodomites

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Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Aliza Dams 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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

**CONTAINS VERY STRONG LANGUAGE & ADULT THEMES**

What really went on behind closed doors in the scandalous court of the "Merry Monarch"? What made John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, both Restoration England's most notorious debauchee and sharpest literary mind?

Rochester's razor-sharp verse sliced through religious hypocrisy, court politics, and even the King’s own reputation, pushing the boundaries of royal patience further than anyone else dared.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Rebecca Rideal explore the outrageous life of the ultimate libertine.

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Charles II: Restoration of the Monarchy

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Nell Gwyn: Actress and Royal Mistress

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.

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

Death, death, and more death surrounds Henry VIII's final years.

What happens when a monarch is trapped by physical decay, paranoia, and lethal court factionalism? He may have secured an heir and severed ties with Rome, but Henry VIII found no peace. And once he turns away from you, he doesn't turn back.

In our series finale, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul explore the explosive 1540s to ask: was Henry’s legacy a sovereign nation, or a traumatised, ruined kingdom?

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The Death of Henry VIII

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Henry VIII's Conscience and Contradictions

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

**Contains graphic description of execution**

What happened when one monarch's personal obsession dismantled an entire international order? How did Henry VIII transform a marriage crisis into the English Reformation—and at what point did royal ambition cross the line into outright tyranny?

When papal authority, international diplomacy, and canon law stood between the king and his quest for an heir, Henry did not yield. Instead, he rewrote the legal and religious fabric of the realm.

In the third episode of our series on Henry VIII, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul enter the 1530s: the darkest, most consequential decade of Henry's reign.

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Six Wives: Anne Boleyn

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Henry VIII's Reckoning: Pilgrimage of Grace

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even MORE fascinating history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

In the 1520s, a dynastic crisis loomed behind the brilliance of Henry VIII's court. Desperate for a male heir after Catherine of Aragon's string of tragic pregnancies, Henry's frustration mounted as his foreign military adventures failed and the pope stalled his annulment. Following grisly executions, public book burnings of Martin Luther's texts, the shocking elevation of an illegitimate son, Henry stood at a dangerous crossroads. Join Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul to explore all this, plus the entrance of Anne Boleyn to the Tudor court...

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Henry VIII's Billionaire Wardrobe

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Vanity of Henry VIII with Kate Lister

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want even more history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week plus ad-free podcasts, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

How did a dazzling young Tudor prince become one of history's most notorious kings? How much of Henry VIII’s later tyranny was shaped by the world into which he was born?

Long before the six wives, the Reformation and the executions, Henry started out as the charismatic, highly educated, athletic, second son, who was never expected to inherit the throne. But when his elder brother died in 1502, the spare suddenly became the heir.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul begin a four-part journey through the entire life of Henry VIII, starting with Henry’s childhood and the experiences that shaped one of the most famous, and most feared, of English monarchs.

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Henry VIII on Screen: The Historians' Verdict

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Henry VIII's Brothers in Armour

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

Want more amazing history? Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week plus ad-free podcasts, PLUS early access, ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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

What was everyday life like for an ordinary person in Tudor times? How did dramatic changes in population, climate, disease and the economy reshape villages across England?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb steps beyond the royal palaces to discover the world most people actually knew. She is joined by Professor Andy Wood who reveals the resilience, relationships and realities that shaped the lives of normal folk.

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Normal Women with Philippa Gregory

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Tudors & Their Dogs

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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

How did a child written off by the Tudor court rise to become one of England's most iconic monarchs?

Before she became queen, Elizabeth Tudor was surrounded by scandal, suspicion and deadly intrigue. Born to Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII, Elizabeth was a princess by birth, until her mother was executed and her title revoked. Declared illegitimate and caught in a storm of politics, Elizabeth faced threats from all sides.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Nicola Tallis to trace Elizabeth’s incredible transformation from disgraced daughter to Queen of England.

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Robert Dudley: Elizabeth I's Forbidden Love

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Did Thomas Seymour Groom Elizabeth Tudor?

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Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. 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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

To watch Nicola Tallis's series Young Elizabeth and hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week - plus ad-free podcasts - sign up to History Hit at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe

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How did Captain James Cook's scientific voyage of 1768 become a mission for the British empire?

While expanding knowledge of Pacific geography and natural history, Captain Cook was under secret orders to claim lands for Britain.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr Sarah Easterby-Smith explore this legendary expedition which combined science, commerce and colonial expansion.

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When Europeans reached Australia

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Magellan: The First Man to Sail the World

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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

History Hit is part of Little Dot Studios, a Certified B Corp™

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

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