Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

LGBTQ+ people have always existed in the history of our palaces, but stories of this community are often obscured or misunderstood. We've delved into the archive to bring you this special episode for Pride Month, re-connecting with stories from the LGBTQ+ community. 

When we explore queer histories, we gain a much fuller picture of societies in the past, from when our palaces were first built, right on through to their more recent history.    

In this episode, Curator Matthew Storey is joined by Curator Holly Marsden, and Dr Kit Heyam. Together, they discuss some queer stories connected to our palaces, and what they can teach us about our past, and present. 

Explore more LGBTQ+ histories from our palaces on our website. 

Read Matthew's article about Kathleen Woodhouse.  

Read Molly McClain's article on Stuart women. 

Find Kit Heyam's books on their website. 

In this episode we use a range of different gender pronouns to discuss historical people, including those used in the original sources and those used by historians today. 

Content warnings: 
Homophobia, including the murder of queer people
Transphobia 
Non-consensual medical examination 
Suicide

In 1533, the Boleyns seemed to have it all. Anne Boleyn was Queen, and her family were reaping the rewards of Henry VIII's favour. But it was not to last.  
Within three years, each member of the faction was fighting for survival as their power evaporated. 
In this second episode of a two-part series on the Rise and Fall of the Boleyns, Tracy Borman is joined by Gareth Russell at Hampton Court Palace. They explore how the House of Boleyn was dismantled with such devastating consequences. Who, if anyone, dared to try and save them? And who was left as the faction crumbled?
Read more from Tracy Borman: Was Jane Boleyn the most hated woman in Tudor England?

The Boleyn family captivated Henry VIII – but who were they before their meteoric rise to fame? Who were the little-known women operating from Hever Castle? And was Anne's father the schemer he's made out to be?  
In this first episode of a new series on the Rise and Fall of the Boleyns, Chief Historian Tracy Borman is joined by Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey from Hever Castle. They explore how Anne Boleyn's relatives worked their way from Norfolk merchants into the corridors of power, and why they still fascinate us 500 years on.
Read more about Anne Boleyn on our website.
Buy Tracy's new novel 'The House of Boleyn' from our shop.

Thomas Cromwell might have pulled off the most meteoric social climb of the 16th century. From the rough shores of Putney to the illustrious court of Henry VIII, his journey to power reveals so much about the opportunities and dangers of the Tudor period.  
In this final episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman explores the real story of a man often seen as a villain. Joined by Chief Curator Eleri Lynn, she discusses the Reformation, Anne Boleyn, and Cromwell's all-important relationship with Henry VIII. 
Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Eleri in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace.

Thomas More lived by the mantra, 'I am the King's good servant, but God's first'. He would also die by it. His defiance at Henry VIII's break with Rome would be his salvation, and his destruction. 
In this episode of our series on Henry VIII's ministers, Tracy Borman is joined by historian Dr Joanne Paul to examine the truth behind Thomas More's legacy.  
Was he a saintly man of conscience in a court filled with grasping politicians, or a self-righteous heretic hunter? And what does his story tell us about Henry VIII? 
Watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Joanne in the Great Hall of Hampton Court Palace. 
Read more about Sir Thomas More's life and legacy.