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‘Princely Shows’ and power: Elizabeth I at Kenilworth Castle

In the summer of 1573, Robert Dudley hosted 19 spectacular days of entertainment for Elizabeth I, including lavish new apartments for the queen, a beautifully manicured private garden, plays, hunting and pageantry. It was all in an ostentatious bid to win Elizabeth’s hand in marr ... Show More

34m 38s

Jul 3

How 1930s fashion and design shook up a former medieval palace

We begin this episode with a fabulous and weighty pair of brooches. But which 1930s millionaire was sporting these tutti-frutti Cartier gems? And where might you have seen those designs before? Steven and Virginia Courtauld were a well-balanced couple: one eccentric and daring, t ... Show More

31m 34s

Jun 26

Espionage, identity and cross-dressing in the Middle Ages

Sometimes, historical research can offer unexpected questions and avenues of exploration. That’s what happened when English Heritage’s Will Wyeth was digging through a medieval manuscript. References to a medieval woman spy dressed in men’s clothing were too tantalising to ignore ... Show More

37m 25s

Dec 2024

Tudor England | 2. Daily life

What was the most popular pastime of the Tudor age? Why was bathing even once a month considered dangerous? And how could living alongside your pets help save on your heating bill in the 16th century? In this second episode of our series Tudor England: the big questions, Emily Br ... Show More

42m 31s

Aug 2024

Life Lessons From Historical Women

When women's stories aren't being flat-out ignored from the history books, they can often be sidelined. Well not here! Joining Kate today is the comedian and author of Life Lessons from Historical Women, Eleanor Morton, to share some of her favourite stories of inspirational wome ... Show More

35m 48s

Oct 2010

Early Victorian tea set

This week Neil MacGregor's history of the world is looking at how the global economy became cemented in the 19th century, a time of mass production and mass consumption. He tells the story of how tea became the defining national drink in Britain - why have we become so closely as ... Show More

14m 14s

Nov 2024

The golden age of the country house

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Britain’s country houses enjoyed something of a renaissance. No longer were stately homes only seen as the preserve of stuffy landed gentry. Instead, the aristocracy was joined by an entirely new class of industrialists and foreign elite ... Show More

39m 43s

Feb 2025

226. The Rise and Fall of East India Company Painting (Ep 2)

Calcutta in the late 18th century was a chaotic, fast-growing city, filled with fortune seekers, towering mansions, and an ever-present sense of impermanence. Inspired by the botanical and zoological paintings they encountered in Lucknow, Sir Elijah Impey, the first Chief Justice ... Show More

40m 18s

Oct 2024

Castles, Kings and Courtly Life

All this month, Matt and Eleanor are ranging across England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland to discover the stories of our greatest castles. In this episode, Eleanor looks at one of the most iconic and strategically important fortresses. Over the centuries, Stirling Castle has refl ... Show More

37m 26s

Sep 2024

Mary Queen of Scots

Born amid the turmoil of 16th century British society, Mary Queen of Scots was a leader trapped between Scotland and England, Catholic and Protestant ideologies, as well as love and duty. But she was also a woman with burning ambition, and her obsession with securing the English ... Show More

58m 16s

Oct 2024

The Tudor World at Hampton Court

The oldest surviving part of Hampton Court Palace is a series of chambers and closets built in the 1520s for Henry VIII's chief advisor and Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey. They are now the setting for a wonderful exhibition bringing together artworks created during Henry VIII's ... Show More

40m 19s

Nov 2024

Tudor England: the big questions | Trailer

From vicious court politicking and cultural innovation, to global voyages of discovery and total religious upheaval, Tudor England was a turbulent – and exciting – place to be. In this HistoryExtra podcast series, we’re heading right into the beating heart of the era to uncover w ... Show More

51s

Sep 2024

British Brides for American Tobacco: A Tudor Trade

In 1621 the Virginia Company of London put out a call for young, handsome and honestly educated women to become wives for the planters in its new colony in Jamestown. Hopeful husbands were supposed to pay for their English brides in best leaf tobacco. But who were the women who m ... Show More

34m 47s