Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors

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 legitimacy, and the future of the Tudor line, all at a moment when succession anxiety and church reform loomed large. Five hundred years later, the tapestries are still hanging—and still saying exactly what Henry wanted them to say.Read more here: https://www.amazon.com/Henry-VIII-Art-Majesty-Tapestries/dp/0300122349 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

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. Perfect for listening while you cook, travel, or enjoy a quiet Christmas Eve. I’ll be back with new episodes soon. Until then, happy Christmas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, the episode includes audience questions and the informal rhythm of an in-person lecture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 delivered to China until 1984. This episode tells the story of that extraordinary diplomatic misfire, and what it reveals about Elizabethan ambition, global trade, and how history sometimes survives by accident. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.