logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
43m 45s

Tudor spymaster: the secret machinations...

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
Late Tudor England was a dangerous place, with plots both at home and abroad, and no certainty about who was going to succeed the ageing queen, Elizabeth I. Into this perilous world stepped Robert Cecil, a brilliant but unglamorous statesman and spymaster who played a pivotal role in keeping the country together and ensuring a smooth transition to the Stuart ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
The long shadow of the Black Death
When the first wave of the Black Death finally subsided, what sort of world did it leave behind? How did societies adapt in the decades that followed? And what lessons did this medieval catastrophe hold for future generations? In this final episode of our Sunday Series on the dea ... Show More
37m 55s
May 14
The secret plot to end Scottish independence
How did the union of England and Scotland come to fruition? From failed Scottish colonies to anti-independence espionage, Marc Mierowsky's book A Spy Amongst Us reveals how union wasn't inevitable, and how many Scottish people tried to choose their own future. In this episode of ... Show More
34m 37s
May 12
How did communism conquer China?
How did a tiny band of guerrillas come to rule a quarter of humanity? And was the outcome of the Chinese Civil War really the ‘heroic’ popular uprising that the People’s Republic portrays? In this episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, Danny Bird speaks to Frank Dikötter about the ... Show More
44m 53s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
Seducing James I: Mary & George
<p>The major new TV series,&nbsp;<em>Mary & George</em> tells<em>&nbsp;</em>the scandalous story of George Villiers, who rose - thanks to his mother Mary’s machinations - from minor gentry to enrapture King James VI & I, Britain’s first Stuart king.&nbsp;For a decade, George Vill ... Show More
47m 22s
Oct 2024
Robert the Bruce, King of Scots
<p>Robert the Bruce is best remembered as a rebel king, and for good reason. He was an unrelenting thorn in the side of any English monarch with ambitions to subdue Scotland. His heroics at the decisive Battle of Bannockburn helped to finally free his country from English occupat ... Show More
59m 28s
May 2024
Royal Maladies: Henry VIII and His Doctor
<p>In this episode, we delve into the intriguing story of Henry VIII, known for his robust health and love of physical activities, and his trusted physician, Thomas Wendy. Discover Wendy&#39;s rise from humble beginnings to serving three Tudor monarchs on their deathbeds. Join us ... Show More
12m 23s
Aug 2025
Tudor True Crime: Europe's Most Murderous Dynasty
The rich and powerful Guise family was one of the most treacherous and bloodthirsty in sixteenth-century France. They whipped up religious bigotry, overthrowing the king. They ruled Scotland for nearly 20 years through Mary Queen of Scots, plotting to invade England and overthrow ... Show More
39m 10s
Jun 2025
Edward IV: A King's Will
<p>Inside Edward IV's Last Will: Secrets, Stories, and Medieval Mysteries</p><p>Journey back to 1475, a time when Edward, undefeated on the battlefields of the Wars of the Roses, prepared for a grand invasion of France, including writing his Will.</p><br><p>Matt Lewis is joined b ... Show More
47m 39s
Apr 2025
Cardinal Wolsey
<p>No advisor was more important to King Henry VIII than Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. He captured Henry's attention with his brilliance and became his most trusted confidant.&nbsp; But when the King wanted to divorce Catherine of Aragon, not even the eloquent Wolsey could convince th ... Show More
50m 19s
Mar 2025
Edward II: King of Incompetence
<p>Gone Medieval begins a gripping 4 part series exploring scandal, power, and betrayal in the Plantagenet Court.</p><br><p>This one of England’s most dramatic royal sagas; from the ill-fated reign of Edward II to the rise of his son, Edward III, Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega ... Show More
1h 16m
May 2024
From Tudor to Stuart: Regime Change
<p>In 1603, Queen Elizabeth I died and King James VI of Scotland, became King James I of England.&nbsp; Elizabeth was a hard act to follow for the Scottish newcomer who faced a host of problems in his first years as king: not only the legacy of his predecessor but also unrest in ... Show More
43m 21s
May 2024
The REAL Bridgerton: Queen Charlotte, Lord Byron & Georgian Celebrity
<p>The third season of Bridgerton is out and we are back in sexy scandalous Georgian society. But while we watch, we're taking a step back to ask: how real is Bridgerton?</p><br><p>On this second episode in our REAL Bridgerton mini-series, we're looking at the royals and celebrit ... Show More
43m 8s
Apr 2025
Succession 1625: James I to Charles I
<p>March 2025 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of King James VI and I, and the succession of his son Charles I. Crowned King of Scotland at just 13 months old in 1567 and later succeeding Elizabeth I in England in 1603, James envisioned a unified United Kingdom. However, ... Show More
49m 3s