Portrait of King Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and Prince Edward. (Photo by Getty Images)

Tudor

A composite image of Henry VIII against a backdrop of mysterious illustrations.

The Tudor law that forced an occult practice underground for centuries

Thomas More: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Woman stood in front of a table of food

The simple secret that kept the ordinary Tudor diet surprisingly healthy

Beyond the podcastElizabeth I

Jessie Buckley plays Anne (Agnes) Hathaway

What happened to Shakespeare's daughters? A guide to the playwright's family life and descendants

A collage of images showing a woman in a red and brown dress, with her arms around a small child to her left. Behind them is a large building, some ships and a crowd of people

Meet the incredible woman who saved Portugal's Jews. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The SECRETS of Anne Boleyn's most treasured possession. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Tragedy and triumph: a 500-year history of Mexico. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 16th-century portrait of Lady Margaret Beaufort, found in St John’s College, Cambridge, depicts the formidable matriarch of the Tudor dynasty. Mother of Henry VII, Beaufort has sometimes been implicated in later rumours surrounding the fate of the Princes in the Tower — accusations modern historians largely dismiss.

Was a ruthless Tudor matriarch behind the disappearance of the Princes in the Tower?

Painted in 1540 by Hans Holbein the Younger, this iconic portrait shows Henry VIII at the height of his power. The king’s imposing stance and lavish dress project authority and magnificence, reflecting a reign that transformed England’s religion, politics, and monarchy.

Henry VIII wanted a giant Tudor tomb. So why didn’t he get it?

Emperor Moctezuma II, ruler of the Aztec Empire at the height of its power. His reign oversaw a flourishing capital at Tenochtitlan and an expansive tribute system, but it ended abruptly with the arrival of Spanish conquistadors in 1519.

Did Aztec civilisation really ‘collapse’? The reality isn’t as simple as you might think

Margaret Beaufort: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A large illustration of Henry VIII with several images imprinted on him

Porpoise for breakfast and late night sex visits: Henry VIII's life in a day. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This 1835 painting by Daniel Maclise imagines the first meeting between Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Their relationship would set in motion a political and religious upheaval — leading to England’s break with Rome and Anne’s eventual rise and tragic fall as queen.

Want to live like a Tudor? Historian Ruth Goodman did, and here are five crucial lessons she learned

A woman wearing a black dress and white hood, praying in front of a Bible

Married three times by the age of 15: Margaret Beaufort, the woman who birthed the Tudor Dynasty. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Christopher Marlowe: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 3Tudor garderobes. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Who stole the Tudor crown?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This late 16th-century portrait by John de Critz depicts Sir Francis Walsingham (c.1532–1590), Queen Elizabeth I’s spymaster. A shrewd diplomat and master of espionage, Walsingham built the intelligence network that helped safeguard the Tudor state from plots and foreign threats.

Elizabeth I’s shadowy spy network was tasked with uncovering secret conspiracies. Here’s what it found

This 1605 print depicts Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators in the Gunpowder Plot, a failed Catholic scheme to blow up the Houses of Parliament during the state opening by King James I.

420 years ago, a deadly conspiracy to kill Britain’s king nearly succeeded. What if it had worked?

This woodcut from 1521 depicts Martin Luther on his way to Worms, laying down his sword and opening the Bible in prayer as Christ descends to comfort him. The scene reflects Protestant legend surrounding Luther’s defiance before the Diet of Worms, where he refused to renounce his writings.

Why did Martin Luther condemn the “hordes of peasants” fighting the war he helped inspire?

This detailed portrait captures a high-ranking woman of the Tudor court, her rich attire and elaborate jewellery reflecting the wealth and status of England’s ruling elite.

This unassuming accessory gave the poor of Tudor England a vital way to survive

A depiction of an ensign and drummer recalls the German Peasants’ War of 1525, when rural rebels rose against feudal oppression.

In 1525, an army of revolting peasants seemed unstoppable – but a brutal end was on the horizon

William Shakespeare: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 7Tudor love and sex: inside the 16th-century bedroom. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 4Tudor childhood: what were children's lives like in the 16th century?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 6Keeping clean in the 16th-century: how often did ordinary Tudors wash?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Episode 5What did ordinary Tudors eat?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A painting showing a man dressed in armour, with a blue and red flag over him, riding a white horse amongst a busy battlefield

5 things you (probably) didn't know about the Tudors. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Tudor life with Ruth Goodman. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.