Six Queens

How did international alliances and connections strengthen the Tudor dynasty? How did the marriages of royal women, including two of our queens, contribute to the Tudors' power? And how did those women use their family ties to influence European politics and their own queenships?Kate and Cally zoom out from Tudor England to show the complicated, interconnected web of European politics, and the ways in which Katherine of Aragon, Anne of Cleves, and Anne Boleyn used their international connections to advocate for their families and themselves. Follow @sixqueenspod on Instagram and Facebook to get updates and participate in community discussions!

How did queens use portraiture to not only capture likeness, but to demonstrate political power? What can portraits tell us about the queens they represent? Kate and Cally will discuss the importance of portraiture in understanding the political motives and legacies of our queens, especially Katherine Parr, whose surviving output is unique and impressive. Follow along by clicking these links and seeing the art for yourself: Katherine Parr by Master John (ca. 1545), National Portrait Gallery ; Katherine Parr by Lucas or Margaret Horenbout (ca. 1544), Sudeley CastleFollow @sixqueenspod on Instagram and Facebook to get updates and participate in community discussions!

"Dynastic portraits," showing the royal family in group scenarios, are some of the most fascinating portraits of the Tudor era. What do they tell us about the politics of the monarchs who commissioned them? How do they seek to create certain narratives and, in some cases, rewrite history? And even if they're not depicted, how did our queens influence the art?Kate and Cally will discuss four paintings that show Tudor propaganda at its finest: The Family of Henry VII with St. George and the Dragon; the "Whitehall Mural"; The Family of Henry VIII; and The Allegory of the Tudor Succession. Click on the links to follow along and view these paintings as they're discussed! Follow @sixqueenspod on Instagram and Facebook to get updates and participate in community discussions!

How did our six queens use feminine ideals to create their public images? How did they define their personas and politics within society's patriarchal standards for women? And what happened when they failed to meet those standards?In this episode, Kate and Cally discuss three important female archetypes and how our queens were defined by often unattainable expectations. Follow @sixqueenspod on Instagram and Facebook to get updates and participate in community discussions!

Our six queens married into the Tudor Dynasty, one of the most well-known royal families in history. How did the Tudors become so famous? How did they cultivate such a lasting image for themselves? And how did our queens contribute to this dynastic success? In this Series 6 premiere, Kate and Cally introduce you to the image-building, political consciousness, and paranoia that created the Tudor Dynasty, and the ways in which our queens were expected to contribute to the royal "brand."Follow @sixqueenspod on Instagram and Facebook to get updates and participate in community discussions!

We're back! Welcome to the latest season of Six Queens: Dynasty. Get a sneak peek at some of the episodes coming your way this autumn. Premieres 14 September 2025.

Series 5 has come to an end, so Kate and Cally are on Instagram Live chatting all things Court: what we've learned, favorite episodes, series highlights, and audience questions. You'll also get a preview of the upcoming Series 6, plus the projects happening in the "off season." Partially-edited recording of a live broadcast streamed 2 March 2025.

How did queens use art to further their politics? What hidden meanings lurk behind every portrait of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Parr? How did foreign brides, like Katherine of Aragon, use art to display their global power and connections? Why was patronage of artists so important at the Tudor court?To conclude our Court season, Kate and Cally are speaking with art historian Dr. Emma Cahill Marron about the many ways in which image, power, and queenship are irrevocably linked.