{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6467b7de03f4220011a934bd/68af4f401ec4fc757670cfad?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"234. James VI Didn’t Inherit – He Stole the Throne with Tracy Borman","description":"<p>The smooth Tudor–Stuart handover? One of history’s biggest lies..</p><p><br></p><p>In this fiery live episode of <em>History Rage</em>, Paul Bavill is joined by Tracy Borman, chief historian of Historic Royal Palaces, to tear apart the enduring myth of a smooth Tudor–Stuart succession. With her explosive new book <em>Stolen Crown</em> about to be released, Tracy reveals how one of the most famous “peaceful handovers” in English history was anything but. Behind the curtain lay conspiracy, forgery, rival claimants — and a king desperate enough to rewrite history itself.</p><p><br></p><p>You’ll hear how:</p><ul><li><strong>The myth of a smooth transition</strong> was a fabrication — James VI had no legal right under Henry VIII’s laws, and Elizabeth never named him heir.</li><li><strong>Conspiracies brewed in secret</strong> as Robert Cecil and Elizabeth’s councillors struck clandestine deals with James to secure his crown.</li><li><strong>Rival claimants circled</strong> — from Arbella Stuart (who fatally offended Elizabeth by copying her dress and flirting with Essex) to the Infanta of Spain with her navy poised to strike.</li><li><strong>Drama unfolded like a thriller</strong>: Robert Carey’s desperate, bleeding ride to Scotland to deliver news of Elizabeth’s death; the Valentine Thomas scandal that linked James to a plot to assassinate Elizabeth.</li><li><strong>The dark legacy of James I</strong> — witch hunts, brutal persecution of Catholics, and the Gunpowder Plot — showed how costly that stolen crown would become.</li><li><strong>History itself was rewritten</strong> when James forced William Camden to alter Elizabeth’s biography, fabricating her supposed deathbed blessing of the “King of Scots.”</li></ul><p><br></p><p>This is not the story of a smooth succession, but of a stolen crown and the dangerous lies that cemented a dynasty.</p><p><br></p><p>📚 <strong>Connect with Tracy Borman</strong></p><p>Pre-order her book: <em>Stolen Crown: </em><a href=\"https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399732888\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>https://uk.bookshop.org/a/10120/9781399732888</strong></a></p><p>Follow Tracy on Instagram/Threads: <strong>@tracy.borman</strong></p><p>Follow Tracy on Twitter/Bluesky: <strong>@tracyborman</strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>❤️ Support the Show</strong></p><p>If this episode fired you up, join the Angry Mob on Patreon for exclusive content, early access, and the iconic History Rage mug. Subscribe at <a href=\"http://www.patreon.com/historyrage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">www.patreon.com/historyrage</a> or join through Apple Subscriptions</p><p><br></p><p>🔗 <strong>Follow the Rage</strong></p><p>Twitter: <a href=\"https://twitter.com/HistoryRage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">@HistoryRage</a></p><p>Instagram: <a href=\"https://www.instagram.com/historyrage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">@historyrage</a></p><p>Facebook: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/HistoryRage\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">History Rage</a></p><p><br></p><p>Step inside the storm of 1603, where crowns were stolen, rivals silenced, and history itself forged to suit a king.</p>","author_name":"Paul Bavill"}