Talking Tudors

Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with historian Ella Brook Muir about how queenly clothing in 16th‑century England and France acted as political communication, conveying magnificence, legitimacy, loyalty and cosmopolitan identity through fabrics, colours and emblems.

The episode examines case studies (Katherine of Aragon, Claude of France, Anne Boleyn, and Eleanor of Austria), the makers and household staff who produced these garments, the impact of global trade on materials, and the scarcity and mystery of surviving textiles.

Visit Ella's official website

https://www.ellabrookmuir.co.uk/

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Melissa Shiels about New Year's gift-giving across 16th-century England and Ireland, and how material gifts expressed political messages at the Tudor court.

They discuss typical gifts (money, clothing, jewellery, horses, hawks), differences across reigns, examples of gifts that reveal diplomacy or tension, and the distinction between public gift exchange and bribery.

Find out more about Dr Shiels

https://www.instagram.com/dr.melissashiels/

The Greensleeves Project

https://greensleevesproject.uk/

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Michelle Seah about the economic lives of medieval and late 15th-century English queens, focusing on Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville, and Elizabeth of York.

They explore how queens raised and managed income—through lands, cash allowances, port customs and the tradition of “queen’s gold”—how their households were organised, and how financial resources shaped their public role, patronage and power.

Learn more about Dr Seah

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/michele-seah

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 https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Kate McCaffrey of Hever Castle about Anne Boleyn’s books of hours, the hidden inscriptions they contain, and the Kentish women who preserved Anne’s memory after her fall.

The episode explores female networks, the material life of devotional books, and how these discoveries challenge the lonely, male-focused myth of Anne Boleyn, plus a preview of Hever Castle’s upcoming exhibition "Capturing a Queen."

Learn more about Kate McCaffrey

https://kateemccaffrey.wordpress.com/

Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn Exhibition

https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-on/capturing-a-queen/

Find out more about your host at

 https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Professor Stephen Gunn about his research using 16th-century coroner's inquests to reveal how accidental deaths illuminate everyday Tudor life—covering hazards like animals, open water, mills, house collapses, seasonal work, and risky pastimes such as early football.

They discuss patterns by age, gender and social status, surprising and bizarre cases, research challenges, and resources for further reading including Gunn’s book 'An Accidental History of Tudor England' and the project’s online dataset.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EVERYDAY LIFE & FATAL HAZARDS IN TUDOR ENGLAND

https://tudoraccidents.history.ox.ac.uk/?page_id=17

Find out more about your host at

 https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

Support Talking Tudors on Patreon!