logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2024
50m 51s

Six Wives: Anne Boleyn

History Hit
About this episode

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.


In this special six part series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb brings together the most illuminating interviews about the six wives from the Not Just the Tudors archive.  She also explores some of the latest research and speaks to Dr. Charlotte Bolland - curator of the National Portrait Gallery’s new exhibition Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens - to paint an even fuller portrait of each of the six wives.

 

In this second episode, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb focuses on the woman who changed the history of England, Anne Boleyn. In order to make her his Queen, Henry altered the very faith of the country, banished his closest minister, broke with Christendom, and set aside his faithful, once beloved wife Katherine. So who was Anne Boleyn?


This episode was edited and mixed by Ella Blaxill and produced by Rob Weinberg.


From 20 June to 8 September 2024, the National Portrait Gallery in London is hosting an exhibition titled Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens, displaying the images that have shaped our perception of the six wives . Find out more, here >


Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code TUDORS - sign up here >


You can take part in our listener survey here >


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

Up next
Today
Origins of Free Speech
<p>Free speech is today more contested than ever before. In many places, differing views about politics, sex, and religion are suppressed and punished. In the West, debates rage over its limits and meaning. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Fara Dabhoiwala to trace the ... Show More
1 h
Nov 20
Raleigh and the Lost Colony of Roanoke
<p>What happened to the lost colony of Roanoke?</p><p>In the 1580s Sir Walter Raleigh set about establishing a permanent English colony on Roanoke Island, off the coast of North Carolina. But within a few years the settlement and its colonists had mysteriously vanished. Ever sinc ... Show More
46m 48s
Nov 17
Tudor True Crime: Who Murdered Lord Darnley?
<p>**Contains accounts of murder and sexual violence**</p><p>After an explosion rocked Edinburgh in February 1567, Lord Darnley - husband to Mary, Queen of Scots - was found strangled, alongside a servant. Who killed them? Was it Darnley's rival, and Mary's next husband, the Earl ... Show More
48m 20s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
Six wives | 2. Anne Boleyn
Harlot, feminist, witch, backstabber, icon, powerplayer, victim – in the centuries since her execution, Anne Boleyn has been branded all of these. But what do we know about the real Anne and her story? In episode two of our new series on the dramatic marital history of England’s ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2023
Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
<p>This is the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn as you've never heard it before. From their childhoods and courtship through to their union and Anne's brutal execution, we'll peel back layers of historical myth to find out how this marriage changed England forever.</p><br><p>D ... Show More
45m 17s
Aug 2022
6 Wives of Henry VIII 2/2
Henry VIII is one of the most famous kings in English history. He is renowned for his voracious appetites – for food, wine, power and women. During his 38 year reign he went through 6 wives and for them triggered seismic changes in the religious and political landscape of the nat ... Show More
23m 11s
Aug 2022
6 Wives of Henry VIII 1/2
Henry VIII is one of the most famous kings in English history. He is renowned for his voracious appetites – for food, wine, power and women. During his 38 year reign he went through 6 wives and for them triggered seismic changes in the religious and political landscape of the nat ... Show More
36m 3s
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
Apr 2023
Six wives | 1. Catherine of Aragon
Catherine of Aragon’s 23-year-long marriage to King Henry VIII witnessed many twists and turns – triumph, tragedy, and, ultimately, betrayal. In episode one of our new series on the dramatic marital history of England’s most notorious monarch, Ellie Cawthorne is joined by Dr Nico ... Show More
56m 17s
Aug 2022
The 6 Wives of King Henry VIII Pt. 1
Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.  In our first two-part episode Tess and Claire cover the 6 wives of King Henry VIII. In part one, we start with Catherine of Aragon, Henry's first wife, and her unconventional journey to becoming queen and her struggle to pr ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2023
Anne Boleyn part 1 for Tudor Week!
Who's that girl? It's Anne! Anne Boleyn is one of the most infamous figures in British history. Her short life is often defined by her marriage to King Henry VIII, her role in the English Reformation, and ultimately, her execution. However, in this episode (part of our Tudor Week ... Show More
58m 36s
Jun 2024
Sex Life of Henry VIII
<p>When we think of Henry VIII we think of a big, blood thirsty tyrant.</p><br><p>But was there more to this caricature of a king then we give him credit for? Joining Kate today to help us get to know this man better is the fantastic Tracy Borman, author of <a href="https://www.h ... Show More
46m 21s
May 2024
Henry VIII's Mother & Grandmothers
Henry VIII’s is infamous for his relationships with women. The domineering King took 6 wives during his 36 years on the throne. And he disposed of them with as much scandal as he wooed them – Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. But three other women had an imp ... Show More
28m 28s