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Before the age of public news and media, how did the English public form opinions of our queens? How did those opinions affect queenship and political strategy? How did queens make themselves visible to their subjects? And if all else failed, how did spectacle play a key role in winning over the public?
After spending a season talking about propaganda and queenly image, Kate and Cally are discussing how these strategies played out in the court of public opinion, good and bad.
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What makes the "perfect" queen, not just in the Tudor period but across history? How did our Six Queens strive to meet those often unrealistic expectations? How do their experiences compare with other queens both historical and modern?
In this very special episode, Kate and Cally are joined by historian, author, and broadcaster Professor Kate Williams, whose new book Regina: A New History of Women in Power seeks to answer many of these questions.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Celebrate Valentine's Day with Kate, Cally, and the lovesick Henry VIII, whose ardent letters to Anne Boleyn give us a glimpse into a dangerous and history-making romance. What do these letters tell us about Henry and Anne's courtship? Can we infer anything about Anne's personality and feelings from the letters, despite the fact that her responses have not survived? And how are we even reading them at all?
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How did political and religious factions come to dominate Tudor politics? How did these factions contribute to our queens' triumphs and downfalls, shape their legacies?
In this episode, Kate and Cally continue the "Dynasty" series by delving into the complicated web of Tudor politics, the factions that arose during the "Great Matter," and how our queens were (willingly and unwillingly) made figureheads of dangerous causes.
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Kate and Cally are joined by author and "Tudor-adjacent" historian Heather Darsie to talk about her new book, "If Any Person Will Meddle of My Cause": The Judicial Murder of Anne Boleyn (2025). Darsie uses her legal and research backgrounds to investigate the downfall, trial, and execution of Anne Boleyn, bringing a fresh perspective to an often-told story. How does the book contextualize Anne as a powerful, intelligent, but often misguided queen? Does learning more about her background in Europe, especially France, allow us to make sense of what happened later? How did Anne break laws and push boundaries that may have angered the wrong people?
For their first installment in this new "Book Club" series, Kate and Cally are thrilled to welcome Darsie back to the podcast! You can find a list of her books and links to purchase them by clicking this link. Find her on Instagram @hdarsiehistory.
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Hang out with Kate and Cally as they celebrate the holiday season and keep up their tradition of watching Christmas films together. This time, Cally introduces Kate to the popular television show The Tudors (2007-2010), which has a rather infamous relationship with Tudor historians. The show follows the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII and features some of the most memorable depictions of our six queens ever seen on screen.
After hearing about the show for years, what are Kate's initial reactions upon seeing it for the first time? How does the show manage to depict personal and political drama for a popular audience? And how do they show the lavish Christmas celebrations at the Tudor court?
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"Honourable Mentions" is a series that honours the lives of Tudor women who knew, aided, and impacted the lives of our six queens. This season, Kate and Cally unpack the life of one of the most powerful women of fifteenth-century Europe: Isabel of Castile. In addition to being the mother of Katherine of Aragon, she was a queen in her own right, a conqueror with a complicated legacy, and the equal of any male ruler at the table.
How did Isabel's unique political situation influence her queenship and character? How did her family, especially her daughters, benefit from Isabel's unwavering, unquestionable power? And how did her dynastic legacy influence the Tudors?
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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.
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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 Castle
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"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!
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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.
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How did the Tudors launch one of the best marketing campaigns in English royal history? What were the political strategies behind choosing a royal symbol? How did our queens choose their symbols, managing to stress their individual assets while also contributing to dynastic legacy?
Kate and Cally break down the politics and symbolism behind some of the best-known Tudor symbols, including the famous Tudor Rose, to illustrate the importance of selling yourself as a queen.
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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."
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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.
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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.
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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.
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In the twenty-first century, we all acknowledge the drama of having six queens at a court, but how did the Tudor court react to it all? Did any of our queens ever have to confront her predecessor or replacement? What courtly etiquette existed to make such a confrontation as civil as possible?
For a little New Year's treat, Kate and Cally are exploring one of the most awkward encounters ever at the Tudor court: New Year 1541, when Anne of Cleves returned to court after her annulment. How did she and Katherine Howard navigate the difficult task of saving face, making nice, delivering their political messages, and having a happy new year?
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The Mirror and the Light, based on the novel by Hilary Mantel, is the sequel series to 2015's BBC drama Wolf Hall. Kate and Cally have waited ten years for their favorite period drama to return and, so far, it has not disappointed! Join us as we unpack all the Tudor politics, courtly drama, and on-screen depictions of five of our six queens.
In this last installment, Kate and Cally are discussing the show's final two episodes, which detail the drama surrounding Anne of Cleves's marriage and Thomas Cromwell's subsequent downfall. How did the portrayal of marriage negotiations help us to understand Anne's situation a little better? Did the show do Anne justice? Was Katherine Howard's brief appearance as interesting as it could have been? And did the show's final scene, the execution of Thomas Cromwell, live up to expectations?
Listeners should note that the second half of the episode contains some mild descriptions of violence.
A note to some viewers: while this drama is currently airing in the UK, it is not available in many other countries worldwide. If you don't want spoilers, it's probably best to avoid this episode!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Mirror and the Light, based on the novel by Hilary Mantel, is the sequel series to 2015's BBC drama Wolf Hall. Kate and Cally have waited ten years for their favorite period drama to return and, so far, it has not disappointed! Join us as we unpack all the Tudor politics, courtly drama, and on-screen depictions of five of our six queens.
Kate and Cally watched the first few episodes and are excited to talk about the show's depiction of Jane Seymour, a queen not often seen on screen. How does this version of Jane compare to her previous, often brief and lackluster, drama appearances? How do the writers and actors portray Jane's transformation from courtier to queen to politician?
A note to some viewers: while this drama is currently airing in the UK, it is not available in many other countries worldwide. If you don't want spoilers, it's probably best to avoid this episode!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Mirror and the Light, based on the novel by Hilary Mantel, is the sequel series to 2015's BBC drama Wolf Hall. Kate and Cally have waited ten years for their favorite period drama to return and, so far, it has not disappointed! Join us as we unpack all the Tudor politics, courtly drama, and on-screen depictions of five of our six queens.
In this installment, Kate and Cally react to the premiere episode of Mirror and the Light, discuss the "franchise's" impact on Tudor drama, and consider the legacies of the two queens whose deaths haunt this episode. How did the portrayal of Princess Mary affect our views of her mother, Katherine of Aragon? How did the main character, Thomas Cromwell, emotionally react to the aftermath of Anne Boleyn's execution?
A note to some viewers: while this drama is currently airing in the UK, it is not available in many other countries worldwide. If you don't want to spoilers, it's probably best to avoid this episode!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Visa fler
