logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2023
41m 55s

Mary, Queen of Scots

History Hit
About this episode

This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail.


Dan is joined by the great Kate Williams, a presenter, historian and professor at Reading University, to take us through the twists and turns of Mary's tumultuous life.


Produced by James Hickmann and edited by Dougal Patmore.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.


We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.


You can take part in our listener survey here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
John F. Kennedy: Myths vs Reality
<p>John F. Kennedy was a man of charm, power, and contradictions. Behind the public image of the heroic president lay a figure plagued by pain, haunted by his past, and driven by desire.</p><br><p>Dan is joined by esteemed biographer Randy Taraborelli to explore Kennedy's private ... Show More
43m 41s
Nov 20
The Spanish Armada
<p>In 1588, Spain’s mighty armada sailed to invade England and change the balance of power in Europe. Dan explains why Philip II launched the Armada, details the high-stakes clash in the Channel, and outlines the decisive tactics, leadership and luck that helped the English preva ... Show More
1h 9m
Nov 17
Nuremberg: The Trial of Göring
<p>Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide.</p><br><p>When the Nuremberg Trials began in November 1945, Hermann Göring was the highest-ranking Nazi to face justice for the crimes of the Third Reich. Charismatic, manipulative and unrepentant, he became the central fig ... Show More
40m 3s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2023
England's First Female Sheriff: Nicholaa de la Haye
<p>Nicholaa de la Haye’s strength and tenacity saved England at one of the lowest points in its history.</p><br><p>She remained loyal to King John to the very end, even after most of his knights and barons had deserted him.&nbsp;She stood firm during a siege at Lincoln Castle - w ... Show More
34m 21s
Jul 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots: Part Seven: Lochleven
In this week's episode, our girl is BACK as Mary dons at least one disguise and manipulates numerous fools around her! -- References: Daughters of the North: Jean Gordon and Mary Queen of Scots by Jennifer Morag Henderson Embroidering Her Truth: Mary Queen of Scots and the Langua ... Show More
1h 32m
Sep 2023
Emma of Normandy
<p>Matt Lewis continues <em>Gone Medieval</em>’s special series showcasing Medieval Queens with a look at Emma of Normandy, the&nbsp;Norman-born noblewoman who became the&nbsp;English,&nbsp;Danish, and&nbsp;Norwegian Queen&nbsp;through her marriages to Æthelred the Unready&nbsp;a ... Show More
38m 21s
Nov 2023
Mary I: What if She'd Lived?
<p>On 17 November 1558, Queen Mary I died. But how would history have turned out differently if Mary had lived another 30 years?&nbsp;Where would her Roman-Catholicism taken England?&nbsp;Would Mary have patched up relations between England and the rest of Europe?&nbsp;</p><br><p ... Show More
31m 29s
Oct 2022
Henrietta Maria: The Most Hated Queen Consort?
<p>What does it take to get the reputation as one of the least popular queens in history?</p><br><p>Should we remember Henrietta Maria as the wife of the King executed by his subjects, the Catholic influencer and a serial adulterer? Or as a prankster, a patron of the arts and a m ... Show More
30m 55s
Jul 2023
Scottish Kings' Sex Lives
<p>One thing royal families strive for is the common touch. Whilst some have struggled with it, King James IV and V in the 15th and 16th centuries excelled in it.&nbsp;</p><br><p>It could be said, however, they took the term ‘common touch’ too literally, as it wasn’t uncommon for ... Show More
47m 17s
Sep 2023
Anne of Bohemia
<p>Dr. Eleanor Janega continues <em>Gone Medieval</em>’s special series of podcasts about Medieval Queens with a look at Queen Anne of Bohemia, the first wife of England’s&nbsp;King Richard II.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Eleanor is joined by Kristen Gaiman, lecturer at the University of Tol ... Show More
38m 13s
Aug 2023
Henry I of England
<p>The fourth son of William the Conqueror, King Henry I, is remembered as a harsh but effective ruler. He skilfully manipulated the barons in England and Normandy. He strengthened the existing Anglo-Saxon system of justice, local government and taxation, with more institutions i ... Show More
36m 18s
Sep 2022
Bad King James VI & I
<p>You might know him best as the longest reigning Scottish king, the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, the father of Charles I, or the eponymous poster of the translation of the bible into English.</p><br><p>But King James VI of Scotland, and I of England, had some very questionable ... Show More
38m 43s
May 2024
Henry VIII's Sister, Margaret Queen of Scots
<p>Margaret Tudor - daughter of King Henry VII, sister to Henry VIII - was married at 13 to James IV of Scotland, learning the skills of statecraft that would enable her to survive his early death and to construct a powerful position in Scotland.&nbsp;</p><br><p>In this episode o ... Show More
41m 16s