logo
episode-header-image
May 2025
45m 3s

What Made You Ugly In Tudor Times?

History Hit
About this episode

Why did royalty have worse teeth than commoners? How would the Tudor court have smelt? And when even the Queen of England can be accused of being a witch for a random mole, what hope did the rest of us have?


In this new mini-series, we'll be exploring the beauty standards - and ideas of ugliness - throughout time periods in history.


In this third episode Kate is joined by historian and author Nicola Tallis, to find out how both royalty and commoners achieved the desired looks of Tudor times.


This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.


Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  


You can take part in our listener survey here.


All music from Epidemic Sounds.


Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.


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

Up next
Nov 21
Did Henry VIII Have An Affair With Anne Boleyn's Sister?
<p>She was 'the Other Boleyn Girl' - Anne's sister, Mary, who supposedly had an affair with King Henry VIII. Such drama!</p><br><p>What evidence is there that the two got betwixt the sheets together? How likely was it?!</p><br><p>Joining Kate today is the historian and author, Es ... Show More
38m 50s
Nov 18
The Truth About Roald Dahl
<p>The Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda. Roald Dahl wrote some of the world's most loved children's books.</p><br><p>But what do we know about the man himself? Was he really a spy? Was he a good husband? And why have some editions of his books been edited?</p><br ... Show More
48m 34s
Nov 14
Sex and Scandal of Medieval Royals
What did Queen Isabella of France do to deserve the nickanem She-Wolf? What sex scandals happened in the 14th century? And why did the Black Death improve peoples' sex lives?!Joining Kate today is the fantastic author and historian, Helen Carr, to take us back to this time to fin ... Show More
53m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 17
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
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
Aug 28
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
Fall of Thomas More
<p>In the second of our special episodes exploring the rise and fall of Sir Thomas More, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul chart the great Tudor statesman's demise. Despite his silence about Henry VIII's self-proclamation as Supreme Head of the Church of England, Mo ... Show More
56m 16s
Sep 1
The English Civil War
What sparks a nation to turn against its own king? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb dives into the turbulent and transformative decade that witnessed the English Civil Wars — a bloody clash that claimed nearly 185,000 lives and reshaped the very soul of Britain. From the power struggl ... Show More
44m 2s
Aug 21
Tudor True Crime: Murder of Amy Dudley
**WARNING: This episode contains descriptions of suicide**On 6 September 1560, Amy Robsart Dudley died after falling down a staircase at Cumnor Place in Oxfordshire. But did she fall? Was she pushed? Or did she throw herself down the stairs? These questions exercised Tudor courti ... Show More
40m 32s
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
Apr 2025
The Anglo-Saxon Queens & Consorts of England 1/8
The first Anglo-Saxon Queens of England before the Norman conquest are shrouded in the mists of history. Their stories read like fairytales and in fact one of them inspired the evil stepmother. The Anglo-Saxon Queen Consorts were: Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury Æthelflæd of Damerham Ælfg ... Show More
19m 46s
Sep 16
The Real Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was a queen who defied expectations, a duchess who outmanoeuvred kings, and a mother whose dynasty shaped the future of Europe. She is often remembered through myth, gossip, and legend—but the truth is far more fascinating. Dr. Eleanor Janega is joined by Pro ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2
Who Was the Worst President Ever?
What makes a bad President? Who was the worst of all time? Don is joined by Professor Jeremi Suri, author of The Impossible Presidency and co-host of This Is Democracy.Next week we'll be looking at who is the best President ever!Edited by Tim Arstall. Produced by Freddy Chick. Se ... Show More
32m 28s