It’s Mary, Queen of Scots vs. Elizabeth I this week, as two women find themselves in history’s favorite gossip drama, the female catfight! But really, there’s a lot of family history and religious drama at play, and each woman firmly believed in her right wear the crown of England. History is told by the winners, so we unpack Mary’s story and whether she truly tried to push her cousin off the throne.
A Queen for England! Edward VI is dying, and England once again is facing the idea of religion vs. legitimacy, as, for the first time, a woman will rule England. But which woman? Will it be Henry VIII’s daughter Mary (legally illegitimate, problematically Catholic) or the Lady Jane Grey (Henry’s great-niece, properly Protestant)? Join us, as we discuss the age old tale of pitting woman against woman, in modern gossip and historical record!
We’re back! This series we are talking Queens of England (and some wannabe Queens), beginning with the first Queen of Great Britain, Queen Anne, Protestant niece of Charles II. But first, we catch up on all the gossip, discussing the Sussex baby, tiara drama, and Allie’s close-up glimpse of the Invictus Games!
Did you ever wonder if the King in Ever After was a real person? He was! Kind of! Please excuse our French this week while we chat about Francis I of France, the last corner of our regal trifecta of monarchs dealing with Henry VIII and his shenanigans. Like Charles, Isabella and Henry, Francis dealt with religious issues and war (with an Ottoman alliance thrown in for a plot twist!) as well as matters of the…heart.
This week, we are learning how to be royal! Or at least passably behave like royals. There’s so much to consider! What not to wear, how to eat, how to sit, how to travel. If you are a woman? I hope you are good at following rules! We specifically take issue with the forks, but also, Claire has a PSA for all you buffet managers re proper shellfish labeling.
This week, it’s a full length “Royal Oops” episode as we finally answer the question, “What is the Holy Roman Empire?” Maybe. We hope. Charles V was the most titled and powerful man in Europe, King of Castile & Aragon, Duke of Burgundy, ruler of Hapsburg Austria, Holy Roman Emperor, and nephew to Catherine of Aragon. Yet this powerful man didn’t come to his Aunt’s aid in her divorce struggle. Why not? Well, he had some other troubles happening with Lutherans in Germany, Ottomans everywhere, and dealing with the Pope and the French in Italy. He was just like, so stressed out right now, ok?
We discuss Isabella (and Ferdinand) of Spain this week, in-laws to Henry VIII and Catholic overseers of Castile and Aragon. Isabella and her husband launched Spain's reconquering of Granada, the Inquisition, and sponsored a small voyage west across the Atlantic that led to rich, unforeseen discoveries and opportunity for Spain.
This week, we wrap up our series on Henry VIII with his final wife, Catherine Parr. They had the most successful of his later marriages before his death. We discuss their time together, the succession, and his ultimate legacy.
Thanks to politiciansandhiphop.tumblr.com for this gem!
As we discussed last time, Henry VIII spent seven years trying to divorce Catherine of Aragon. It only took him another 7 years to rack up 4 more wives, so he definitely learned to get on with it. Join us this week for a tale of hypocrisy, beheadings, love, childbed fever and more! We trace Henry VIII’s journey from romantic reformist to a tyrant king who learns the swiftest way to get what he wants is the execution block. He didn’t turn into a tyrant overnight, but his journey through wives 2-5 got him there in the end. Just fair warning, 16th century executions were gruesome, y’all! As are our pronunciations this episode, sorry!
References:
The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Alison Weir
Henry VIII: The King And His Court, Alison Weir
Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII, David Starkey
This week we cover the start of Henry VIII's relationship with Anne Boleyn and its consequences. His desire to annul his first marriage to Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne led to the King's "Great Matter," his six year quest for divorce. Henry tried many methods to navigate the religious and political obstacles in his way, and his ultimate solution would set England on an irreversible course toward Reformation.