Renaissance English History Podcast: A Show About the Tudors

Today we’re looking at the Privy Council and the work it handled behind the scenes in Tudor England. This small group managed intelligence, arrests, foreign diplomacy, religious enforcement, and the constant flow of problems from every corner of the kingdom. It’s a closer look at how the Tudors actually governed.

In this episode, we trace the Vaux family from their Lancastrian beginnings in the fifteenth century to their role in the Catholic underground during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.We follow the line from Katherine Peniston and her loyalty to Margaret of Anjou, through Nicholas Vaux’s rise under Henry VII and Henry VIII, and into the recusant world shaped by William Vaux. The story leads to Anne Vaux; her safe houses, her connection to Father Henry Garnet, and her brush with the Gunpowder Plot.

In 1591, Mabel Bagenal defied her powerful English family and secretly married Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone. Their relationship became one of the most controversial matches in Tudor Ireland, fueling tensions that were already pushing the country toward war. In this minicast, we explore who Mabel was, why she chose O’Neill, and how her decision shaped the politics around her.

Today we’re looking at the Tudor-era women who stepped into roles normally reserved for knights, from Grace O’Malley leading a fleet on the Irish coast to Bess of Hardwick managing the Shrewsbury power base during rebellion, Mary of Guise governing a kingdom at war, Elizabeth I claiming her authority at Tilbury, and more. They were never formally knighted, but their actions came remarkably close.

Today we’re looking at the closest thing Tudor England had to newspapers: the crime pamphlets that reported real murders, scandals, and witchcraft cases in the sixteenth century. We’ll dig into the 1573 killing of George Saunders, the 1592 murder of John Brewen, and a witchcraft case printed that same year, and explore how these pamphlets shaped public ideas about justice long before regular news existed.Yuletide with the Tudors is starting on Monday! Don't forget to add some festive history to your season!https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/

In this session from Tudorcon 2025 Sarah Pixley Papandrea from Agecroft Hall breaks down the real twelve-day Christmas season of Tudor England, from mumming and wassailing to role-reversal games, feast days, and the Lord of Misrule. It’s a lively look at the traditions that shaped winter celebrations across the Tudor world.Yuletide with the Tudors begins Monday, December 1. It’s my digital advent experience running through Twelfth Night, with daily stories and activities exploring these same festive customs. Join at the link in the show notes.https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/

In this episode, we explore the life of Jane Lumley, a Tudor noblewoman whose translations made her one of the earliest female scholars in English literature. Through her, we trace the intertwined stories of the FitzAlan and Lumley families, the politics that shaped their world, and the remarkable library that preserved her work. From Nonsuch to the Lumley Chapel at Cheam, her life offers a rare window into the quieter, book-filled side of Tudor England.

Edward the Black Prince was Europe’s most celebrated warrior. Joan of Kent was already notorious for one secret marriage and an accidental second one that sparked a papal court battle. When the two married in secret in 1361, it created a royal crisis that threatened the legitimacy of England’s future heir. In this minicast, we follow Joan from her turbulent childhood and bigamy scandal to her marriage with the Black Prince, their years in Aquitaine, the deaths of their children, Edward’s decline, and her final role guiding young Richard II. A story of ambition, impulse, and a marriage that reshaped the Plantagenet line.Sign up for Yuletide with the Tudors here! https://www.englandcast.com/yuletide-with-the-tudors/