What 16th century megalomaniac monarch magnified the power of his nation, ordered the violent executions of thousands of his own people, became obsessed with fathering male heirs and went through at least 6 wives, several of whom were murdered? Why Ivan the Terrible, Tsar of Russia of course! In fact he outdid Henry VIII of England in many terrible ways, inc ... Show More
Yesterday
Empress Matilda - England’s First Queen Regnant?
I have profiled all of England’s remarkable Queens who ruled in their own right. Mary I, Elizabeth I, Mary II, Anne, Victoria, and Elizabeth II. But there’s one more fascinating woman I simply must profile to complete the set; Empress Matilda. She was sent to Germany as a child t ... Show More
32m 48s
Apr 2025
History's Worst F*ckboys: Henry VIII
Charismatic, passionate, insatiable - Henry VIII is known across the world as the king who had 6 wives, and a few mistresses on the side. But was Henry a romantic or a scoundrel?Kate is joined by Natalie Grueninger, host of 'Talking Tudors', to find out just how badly behaved Hen ... Show More
49m 58s
Aug 2021
Ivan the Terrible
Was he really so terrible (hint: yes!), or is it all just a translation error (well, sort of)? Greg Jenner and his guests dive into the life, times, and crimes of Russia's first Tsar, the infamous Ivan the Terrible. From his bumpy youth, early successes, and multiple wives, to hi ... Show More
49m 24s
Sep 2025
Vanity of Henry VIII with Kate Lister
With six wives, Henry VIII must have had something going for him, right? Was he handsome? Charming? Intelligent? Just plain powerful? In this episode, the tables are turned on Professor Suzannah Lipscomb as she becomes the guest of Dr. Kate Lister on our sister podcast, Betwixt t ... Show More
44m 16s
Mar 2023
Six Wives Trailer
The story of Henry VIII’s six wives is a tale of political crisis and personal tragedy, sacrifice and survival, sex and death, scandal, love and betrayal. But, after centuries of myth have built up around this story, has it clouded our view of the real women involved? In this bra ... Show More
4m 41s
May 2024
Six Wives: Katherine of Aragon
<p>Six wives - six lives that we think we know everything about. But beyond their mostly doomed marriages to Henry VIII and, in most cases, tragic ends, here were six women who shaped history in their own unique ways.</p><br><p>In this special six part series, Professo ... Show More
38m 34s
Aug 2023
73. Ivan the Terrible and the Founding of Russia
Subjected, downtrodden, brutalised. The principality of Muscovy had long suffered at the hands of the Mongols. But as their overlords weaken, their ruler, Ivan the Great, begins to lead the Muscovites to freedom. Come 1533, it is time for his descendant, Ivan the Terrible to rule ... Show More
52m 32s
Feb 2024
Ivan the Terrible | The Sources of Evil
<p>Two men stood in a large room shouting at one another, raging over family and war or accusing each other of incompetence and cowardice. A third man stood nearby, servant of one and friend to both. In a corner, a young woman cowered with her face bruised and her body shaking. A ... Show More
18m 58s