logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2025
54m 22s

587. Mary, Queen of Scots: Murder Most F...

Goalhanger
About this episode
Why did Mary Queen of Scots’ second marriage to the volatile Lord Darnley threaten to send Scotland into civil war? In what way did she essentially declare war upon her powerful cousin, Elizabeth I? Who was the hotheaded James Hepburn, the Earl of Bothwell, and why would he come to play such a devastating role in Mary’s life? Could Mary survive unburnt if th ... Show More
Up next
Yesterday
641. Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Hannibal’s Nemesis (Part 2)
What happened at the Battle of Ibera, a totemic though overlooked battle of the Punic Wars? With the forces of Carthage closing in on a depleted Rome, would a young Roman, Publius Cornelius Scipio resurrect the fortunes of the Republic? And, could he destroy Carthage’s most cruci ... Show More
1h 1m
Feb 4
The Arnolfini Portrait, with Laura Cumming
Why is Jan Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait perceived as one of the greatest mysteries of the arts? What elements and symbolisms provoke debates about its identity and meaning? And, what do we know about its provenance, its travels through European royal courts, and its influence on ... Show More
10m 12s
Feb 2
640. Rome’s Greatest Enemy: Carthage at the Gates (Part 1)
Did Hannibal march on Rome after his legendary victory at the Battle of Cannae in 216 BC? How could Rome fight on after losing so many men? And, where would their next cataclysmic clash take place…? Join Tom and Dominic, as they discuss the beginning of the end for the once might ... Show More
1h 3m
Recommended Episodes
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
55m 16s
Jul 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots: Part Nine: In My End Is My Beginning
The saga of Mary, Queen of Scots concludes with the ultimate outfit reveal. And: so much spy shit!! -- References: The Betrayal of Mary, Queen of Scots: Elizabeth I and her Greatest Rival by Kate Williams Embroidering Her Truth: Mary Queen of Scots and the Language of Power by Cl ... Show More
2h 28m
Jan 2025
Final Days of Mary Queen of Scots
<p>The moment Mary Queen of Scots set foot in England, she became Elizabeth I's prisoner. Mary was fleeing from war and misogyny, hoping for help from her fellow queen. What lay ahead was twenty years of increasingly desperate imprisonment and, eventually, her death.</p><br><p>Ma ... Show More
47m 30s
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
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
Dec 2024
Catherine Howard | Secret Lives of the Six Wives
<p>Henry VIII called her his 'rose without a thorn', but the teenage Catherine Howard was to fall out of favour less than 18 months after becoming Queen of England.</p><br><p>Out of all of Henry's wives it could be argued that the young queen, who was a cousin of Anne Boleyn, is ... Show More
37m 38s
Mar 2025
234. Battle of the Boyne: Clash of Two Kings (Ep 2)
The Restoration reinstates the monarchy in England, Scotland & Ireland, and Irish Catholics believe that they will get their lands back for their loyalty to the king. And when the openly Catholic King James II succeeds his older brother, they are even more hopeful. But English Pr ... Show More
41m 12s
Sep 2025
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
Aug 2025
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
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