logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2024
50m 56s

The Real Anne Boleyn: Sex, Scandal & Bet...

History Hit
About this episode
tail spinning
Up next
Oct 30
London's Gin Craze
In the first half of the 1700s, Britain was overwhelmed by gin. But it might not have been as fun as it sounds.Today, we're hearing about what the so-called gin-craze was, the impact that it had on regular people, and the government's attempts to control it.Kate is joined by Prof ... Show More
38m 9s
Oct 27
Why Are Vampires Sexy?
Demonic blood-sucking creatures have existed for thousands of years before Dracula showed up all sexy, suave and problematic.Who were these figures who inspired what we know today as vampires? Why are a lot of these supernatural creatures female figures? And why did left-handed r ... Show More
50m 23s
Oct 23
Ancient Rome's Biggest Sex Scandal
Is this the story of a sex crazed empress? Or just some good (really) old-fashioned gossip?Was Messalina, wife of Emperor Claudius, really a sex worker by night? And did she really marry another man whilst her very powerful husband was still alive?This episode of Betwixt contains ... Show More
47m 4s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2025
Anne Boleyn: Myths vs Reality
The life of Anne Boleyn has intrigued audiences for centuries. Everyone knows something about her time as Queen of England, and of course, her betrayal and execution. But her formative years in France remain a bit of a mystery.Joining us today is Estelle Paranque, an Associate Pr ... Show More
1h 1m
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
Mar 2023
Anne Boleyn’s Final Year
<p>Anne Boleyn’s reputation is buried beneath centuries of labels: home-wrecker, seductress, opportunist, witch, romantic victim, Protestant martyr, feminist. But a new look at the final year of Anne Boleyn’s life reveals a very human portrait of a brilliant, passionate and compl ... Show More
1h 2m
Jul 2025
Anne Boleyn | Why Anne is Still Living Rent-Free in our Heads | 4
Was Anne Boleyn a victim of Tudor tyranny or a master player in the Royal Court? Historian Dr Suzannah Lipscomb joins Alice and Matt to unravel the enigma of Henry's most controversial queen: her magnetic appeal, her dramatic fall, and why - 500 years later - we're still captivat ... Show More
35m 14s
Nov 2023
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I with Tracy Borman
<p>Anne Boleyn is usually considered in the context of her marriage to - and demise at the hands of - King Henry VIII.&nbsp;But ultimately, the memory of Anne eventually triumphed, and her death was avenged, through the reign of the daughter she barely knew, Queen Elizabeth I.</p ... Show More
38m 22s
Oct 2024
Final Days of Anne Boleyn
Today we’re exploring the grim and heroic final days of the Anne Boleyn, the thousand day queen.We are joined by the one-and-only Dr Tracy Borman who bestselling book on this topic is Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History.Edited by Tomos Delargy. ... Show More
36m 49s
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
Oct 2024
The Rise and Fall of Jane Boleyn
<p>In 1542 Jane Boleyn was executed for having aided and abetted Henry VIII's fifth wife Catherine Howard to commit adultery.&nbsp;It was the second time Jane Boleyn had been connected with charges of treason as just six years earlier, she had allegedly asserted a charge of inces ... Show More
34m 50s
Dec 2024
Six Wives: Katherine of Aragon & Anne Boleyn
<p>In the first of three special Christmas editions, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb offers another chance to hear the series from earlier this year in which she took an in-depth look into the six wives of Henry VIII, revealing the rich stories and incredible lives of these women who ... Show More
1h 28m
Jul 2023
Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I (with Tracy Borman)
Dana is joined by the Tudor historian—and Joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces—Tracy Borman to discuss her latest book, Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I, and how two of British history's most famous women created their own legacies. Sign up for Dana's history writing course! ... Show More
31m 44s