HistoryExtra
type: channel
link: https://www.historyextra.com
description: Home of Britain’s bestselling history magazine and award-winning podcast
date: 2026-04-30T14:40:39.000Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
items: The 'Nine Days Queen' is one of England's most controversial monarchs - here's why
items: What were Viking women doing while their men were on violent raids?
items: Long to reign over us: how did Queen Elizabeth II survive seven decades of dizzying change?
items: 3 royal women who changed the world
items: Queen Victoria: a symbol of empire
items: Mary I: England’s most misunderstood queen?
items: Marie Antoinette: the French queen who became the target of a revolution
items: Cleopatra’s rise and fall
items: Elizabeth II: the queen who redefined an era
items: Medieval family planning: meet the strong-willed women who redefined motherhood in the Middle Ages

The 'Nine Days Queen' is one of England's most controversial monarchs - here's why
type: item
date: 2026-04-30T14:40:39.000Z
creator: Isabel King
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: Has history captured Lady Jane Grey’s story accurately? As her childhood home re-opens to the public, we investigate the misunderstood queen
encoded: In April 2026, Bradgate House – the childhood home of Lady Jane Grey – was reopened to the public after extensive conservation work, bringing with it a new wave of interest in the so-called ‘Nine Days Queen’. But what do we actually know about this enigmatic Tudor noble, who is often cast as a tragic victim? Who was Lady Jane Grey? In 1537, Jane was born into the noble Grey family. Her parents were the Duke of Suffolk, Henry Grey, and Lady Frances Brandon. As the great-granddaughter of Henry VII and great-niece of Henry VIII, Jane was orbiting the English throne from birth. However, as historian Nicola Tallis explains on an upcoming episode of the HistoryExtra podcast, “she wasn’t ever raised as an heir to the throne. She was just this great-niece of Henry VIII who had been living in the countryside." <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2026/04/dreamstimel173782772-53db152-e1777556403679.jpg" width="1498" height="1000" alt="A man dressed in ornate Tudor clothing stands against a dark backdrop, wearing a fur‑trimmed robe, a heavy gold chain set with jewels, and a black hat decorated with pearls and gold." title="A portrait of Henry VIII, modelled after Hans Holbein the Younger’s iconic depiction. Grey’s distant relation to the king meant she was never raised as an heir to the throne (Image by Dreamstime)" /> In 1553, that all changed. King Edward VI was in increasingly ill-health but, being the first English monarch raised as a Protestant, he was desperate for his Protestant legacy to live on. So, he issued his Devise for the Succession. This legislation barred both of Edward’s half-sisters, Mary and Elizabeth, from succeeding to the throne. Read more | Edward VI: why the forgotten Tudor king had the makings of a monster “[Edward] didn’t want his Catholic half-sister [Mary] to be given the opportunity to reverse all of his good work in the cause of religion”, explains Nicola. “However, Edward realised that he couldn’t exclude one half…

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What were Viking women doing while their men were on violent raids?
type: item
date: 2026-04-24T10:20:42.000Z
creator: James Osborne
subject: Early medieval
subject: Medieval
subject: Period
subject: Viking
subject: Discover / Apple News
description: The lives of noble women in the Viking world were shaped by politics and logistics, and worlds apart from the lives of enslaved women – yet both groups were foundational to that milieu
encoded: With histories of the Viking Age dominated by muscular-sounding kings, warriors and adventurers – Ragnar Lothbrok, Erik the Red, Olaf Tryggvason, Harald Hardrada – it can seem as if that era was defined solely by the lives and actions of men: raiders crossing fierce seas in longships, and kings claiming power through battle. That is, of course, only half of the story. Underpinning that colourfully masculine image was a society sustained, organised and, in many ways, driven by Viking women. Their roles ranged from managing households and shaping political alliances, to producing the materials that made Viking expansion possible. As historian Emily Lethbridge puts it, women were “the engine room of the Viking Age”. Those born into Norse nobility enjoyed access to influence within powerful family networks. For others – particularly those captured and enslaved during raiding – it meant a life with little autonomy, but serving and supporting the success of that society. Noble Norse women: marriage and power In upper-class Viking society, women played a crucial role. “If a girl was lucky enough to grow up to become an adult in an upper-class aristocratic chieftain’s family, then really her primary function would have been socio-political,” says Lethbridge, speaking on the HistoryExtra podcast. Viking society was decidedly patriarchal, with formal political and military authority held by men. But power didn’t operate through men alone. Elite families depended on networks of alliance, and women were central to maintaining these. “Women were the social glue,” Lethbridge explains, because marriage functioned as a crucial political tool. “Daughters of chieftains were used to make alliances, and to secure a family’s social position and financial position.” Marriage bound families together, creating mutual obligations, reducing the risk of conflict, and bringing access to land, resources or military support. From an early age, elite girls would have been brought up with this rol…

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Long to reign over us: how did Queen Elizabeth II survive seven decades of dizzying change?
type: item
date: 2026-04-21T14:30:26.000Z
subject: 21st Century
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: British queens
subject: Historical events
subject: Royal children
subject: Royal weddings
subject: The British Empire
subject: The royal family
description: When Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1952, she could barely have conceived the currents – imperial retreat, multiculturalism, de-industrialiation – that would transform the nation during her reign. On the centenary of the Queen’s birth, David Cannadine explores how she navigated seven decades of dizzying change
encoded: When I was born in September 1950, King George VI had just over a year to live. I have no memory of him or his reign, and my first royal recollection was of the coronation of the second Queen Elizabeth – or, more precisely, of images of her state coach and horses, which I cut out of a souvenir magazine. My parents did not own a television set, and did not know anyone who did, so it was only in 2012, the year of Elizabeth’s diamond jubilee, that I watched the remastered version of the original coronation broadcast from Westminster Abbey. Richard Dimbleby’s reverential commentary, suffused with ardour and optimism, did indeed belong to that earlier time. When the Queen celebrated her platinum jubilee in 2022, few people in the United Kingdom or the Commonwealth could remember when she had not been on the throne. Like Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II had become part of what Victoria’s biographer Lytton Strachey called the “indissoluble” scheme of things, which made it impossible for many people to imagine the world without her. Apart from just over a year at the beginning, and (thus far) four years at the end, my own life has coincided exactly with the 70 years of her reign. I was no part of her life, and never met her, but she was certainly a part of mine, as she was of millions of people in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and far beyond. Joining Shakespeare I never imagined it would one day fall to me to tell Queen Elizabeth’s life story, but in 2014 I was appointed editor of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and it seemed likely that the Queen would die on my watch. The convention established for the ODNB’s predecessor, the original Dictionary of National Biography, was that when the monarch died, the editor would contribute the entry on him or her, and it duly fell to me to write the life of Elizabeth II. I did so in two forms: as a short book of 50,000 words, published late in 2025 by Oxford University Press; and as her entry in the ODNB, available onl…

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3 royal women who changed the world
type: item
date: 2026-04-21T07:06:09.000Z
creator: Professor Kate Williams
subject: General History
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: HistoryExtra Academy
description: How did three very different royal women set a new course for women in power? In the final episode of her HistoryExtra Academy series on royal women, Kate Williams shares the stories of Boudica of the Iceni, Queen Liliʻuokalani of Hawaii and Princess Grace of Monaco
encoded: In the final episode of her Academy series on royal women, Kate Williams explores the theme of woman ruling at the edge of collapse, and the moments in history where power was fragile, contested and often slipping away. This episode takes a closer look at Boudica, whose story is often told as one of fiery resistance – her tale, says Williams, serves as reminder that even defeated queens can reshape the future. You'll hear about Queen Lili'uokalani, both the first and last queen of Hawaii, whose power and legacy has endured even though her throne was taken. Finally, there's Grace Kelly, who represents a different kind of royal power – one shaped not by rebellion, but by a Hollywood image. View Green Video on the source website Discover all videos in this Academy series on royal women, and explore our previous series on royal residences Professor Kate Williams is a historian, presenter the author of several books including Regina: A New History of Women and Power (June 2026)

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Queen Victoria: a symbol of empire
type: item
date: 2026-04-21T07:05:29.000Z
creator: Professor Kate Williams
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Victorian
subject: HistoryExtra Academy
description: Coming to the throne as a young and inexperienced royal, Queen Victoria faced a society that was both sceptical of women’s power and rigid in its expectations of gender roles. So how did she come to be a figurehead of imperial progress? In the fifth episode of this of her HistoryExtra Academy series, Professor Kate Williams explains more
encoded: Queen Victoria’s life spanned an era of extraordinary change. During a period of industrial growth, political reform and imperial expansion, she became a symbol of Britain’s 19th-century might. But at the time of her accession, she was an unlikely figurehead. In episode five of her HistoryExtra Academy series on royal women, Professor Kate Williams reveals a deeply personal figure whose relationships, grief and convictions shaped the monarchy in new ways. View Green Video on the source website Want more from Kate? Find more episodes of the academy series on royal women, and explore our previous series on royal residences Professor Kate Williams is a historian, presenter the author of several books including Regina :A New History of Women and Power (June 2026)

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Mary I: England’s most misunderstood queen?
type: item
date: 2026-04-21T07:04:38.000Z
creator: Professor Kate Williams
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Tudor
subject: HistoryExtra Academy
description: In the fourth episode of her HistoryExtra Academy series on royal women, Kate Williams explores the life and reign of Mary I, England’s first crowned queen regnant, whose rule has long been overshadowed by her reputation for religious persecution
encoded: Born into the tumultuous politics of the Tudor court, Mary I saw her mother abandoned by King Henry VIII, her brother enact religious persecution with fresh zeal and, when she was crowned, faced the pressures of a divided nation. So does she deserve her reputation as ‘Bloody Mary’? Or has history judged her too harshly? In episode four of her HistoryExtra Academy series, Professor Kate Williams weighs up the actions of the woman crowned first queen regnant of England. View Green Video on the source website Enjoyed this episode? Find more in episode five of the academy series on royal women, and explore our previous series on royal residences Professor Kate Williams is a historian, presenter the author of several books including Regina :A New History of Women and Power (June 2026)

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Marie Antoinette: the French queen who became the target of a revolution
type: item
date: 2026-04-21T07:03:29.000Z
creator: Professor Kate Williams
subject: Georgian
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: HistoryExtra Academy
description: Few historical figures have been as vilified – or as misunderstood – as Marie Antoinette. In episode three of her HistoryExtra Academy series on royal women, historian Kate Williams explains how the cards were stacked against this young queen
encoded: From the glittering world of Versailles to the growing unrest of revolutionary France, Marie Antoinette’s life was shaped by politics, public perception and relentless scrutiny. In episode three of her HistoryExtra Academy series, Professor Kate Williams explores the life of young woman thrust into power, who had to navigate a hostile court and a changing world – all in the face of growing unrest. View Green Video on the source website Enjoyed this episode? Find more in episode four. Discover more episodes episodes of the academy series on royal women, and explore our previous series on royal residences Professor Kate Williams is a historian, presenter the author of several books including Regina :A New History of Women and Power (June 2026)

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Cleopatra’s rise and fall
type: item
date: 2026-04-21T07:02:30.000Z
creator: Professor Kate Williams
subject: General ancient history
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: HistoryExtra Academy
description: Cleopatra is remembered as a romantic figure, but she was one of the most formidable leaders of the ancient world. In episode two of her HistoryExtra Academy series on royal women, historian Kate Williams considers a life of power, risk and survival
encoded: For centuries, Cleopatra has been remembered as a seductress, reduced to a sultry and sexualised stereotype. But in reality, she was something far more dangerous, as Professor Kate Williams explores in this second episode of her HistoryExtra Academy series. Discover the life of Cleopatra VII, the last ruler of Ptolemaic Egypt, whose intelligence, political skill and ambition helped her navigate one of the most dangerous periods in ancient history – and how she remained determined to stand against the power of ancient Rome. View Green Video on the source website Enjoyed this episode? Find more in episode three. Discover more episodes of the academy series on royal women, and explore our previous series on royal residences Professor Kate Williams is a historian, presenter the author of several books including Regina :A New History of Women and Power (June 2026)

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Elizabeth II: the queen who redefined an era
type: item
date: 2026-04-21T07:01:41.000Z
creator: Professor Kate Williams
subject: 20th Century
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: HistoryExtra Academy
description: What made Elizabeth II such an enduring figure? In episode one of her HistoryExtra Academy series on royal women, historian Kate Williams explores the life of a queen who took on the crown in a new age of technology and progress
encoded: How did Queen Elizabeth II balance tradition with change throughout her long reign? And what is her lasting impact on the monarchy today? In the first episode of her HistoryExtra Academy series, Kate Williams traces the extraordinary life of Elizabeth II, a monarch whose reign spanned generations. From moments of national celebration to periods of crisis and criticism, discover how she navigated the challenges of modern monarchy while remaining a symbol of continuity and stability. View Green Video on the source website Enjoyed episode one? Find more in episode two. Discover more episodes of the academy series on royal women, and explore our previous series on royal residences Professor Kate Williams is a historian, presenter the author of several books including Regina :A New History of Women and Power (June 2026)

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Medieval family planning: meet the strong-willed women who redefined motherhood in the Middle Ages
type: item
date: 2026-04-19T11:30:54.000Z
subject: Medieval
subject: Membership
subject: Period
subject: Medieval life
description: In the Middle Ages, the bearing and raising of children defined women’s lives. But as Elinor Cleghorn explains, there were women who had other ideas and boldly challenged attitudes towards motherhood
encoded: In the winter of 841, a Frankish noblewoman named Dhuoda decided to compose a book of life advice for William, her eldest child. Since 824, when she married, Dhuoda had been living in Uzès, a town in southern France. Her husband, Bernard of Septimania, was a duke and military guard with family ties to the ruling dynasty of the first Carolingian emperor, Charlemagne. Almost two and a half years after their marriage, they welcomed their “most dearly desired first-born son”. As Dhuoda began writing to William, she pictured how he would hold her book when it was finished, how he would touch and turn its pages. Fifteen years earlier, William had issued “forth out of [her body] into the world”. Now, as he was leaving childhood behind, the lessons issued from her hand to his, from her body to his, would guide him towards adulthood. Dhuoda named her book Liber Manualis, Latin for handbook – literally translated as ‘hand-held book’ – and she hoped William would keep it with him always. As well as a collection of advice about how he should serve God, live virtuously, overcome hardships and be an honourable man, the Liber Manualis was a channel through which she hoped they would remain connected. For Dhuoda would not be there in person to care for William as he grew up. The Carolingian empire, as Dhuoda noted, was “in the midst of much agitation and discord”. Charles the Bald, son of Emperor Louis the Pious, and his half-brothers had been embroiled in civil wars over lands and succession for years. In June 841, after Charles won a bloody battle, Bernard, who fought against him, appeased Charles by offering his son William as vassal. Back in the spring of 841, Dhuoda had given birth to their second child, a boy. Bernard was a contentious figure with many enemies so, for his newborn son’s protection, he had him removed from his family home and taken to Aquitaine. <img src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/7/2026/04/0752743-354aa37-e1776414834828.jpg" widt…

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