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Beards Maketh the Man
For the Tudors and Elizabethans, a beard denoted masculinity while beardlessness indicated boyhood or effeminacy. Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb finds out how the various colours, shapes and sizes of beard sorted the men out from the boys. -
A 17th Century Mexican Superstar Nun
Sor Juana - poet, playwright and nun - is an icon and national hero in Mexico. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Amy Fuller Morgan about the real Sor Juana, a privileged woman who carefully cultivated her own image and saintly reputation. -
Queen Catherine Howard: Henry VIII's Fifth Wife
Since Victorian times, historians have labelled Catherine Howard - Henry VIII's fifth wife - as lewd and promiscuous, but there was an altogether more complex young woman behind the rumours. Prof. Suzannah Lipscomb finds out the truth. -
Martin Luther's World and Legacy
A controversial figure during his lifetime, Martin Luther set in motion a revolution that split Christianity in the West and left an indelible mark on the world today. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discovers more with Luther's biographer Lyndal Roper. -
Rival Queens: Elizabeth I and Catherine de' Medici
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb explores the relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de' Medici - the two most powerful Queens of their time - one of the most intriguing Royal relationships of the 16th century. -
Early Modern Feminists
Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Hannah Dawson, about how even in Tudor times, and earlier, there was not only insight that sexism existed, but women were articulating their struggle against patriarchal oppression. -
Sodomy and Sex Crimes in Early Modern France
What did the authorities and ordinary people in the 16th and 17th centuries think about sex? Why was the criminal term of "sodomy" used to embrace a wide range of acts including rape, child abuse and bestiality? -
The Story of the Death of Anne Boleyn
Why did a French diplomat in London write a long, narrative poem about Anne Boleyn's execution? Suzannah Lipscombe talks to JoAnne DellaNeva, who has been researching and translating a previously untranslated manuscript of the poem. -
Treasures from the National Trust Collections
National Trust historic properties contain the most extraordinary objects - from Cardinal Wolsey's purse to a "spangled bed". Dr Tarnya Cooper from the National Trust shares her 12 favourite items with Suzannah Lipscomb. -
How Coffee and Tobacco Captivated Britain
Suzannah Lipscomb talks to Dr. Matthew Green about how the introduction of nicotine to Tudor London and later, caffeine during the Stuart era, brought about a social revolution and created habits that stay with us to this day.
Not Just the Tudors
By History Hit
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks about everything from the Aztecs to witches, Velázquez to Shakespeare, Mughal India to the Mayflower. Not, in other words, just the Tudors, but most definitely also the Tudors.
Each episode Suzannah is joined by historians and experts to reveal incredible stories about one of the most fascinating periods in history.
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