Historic Royal Palaces Podcast

Elizabeth I's long reign has almost been defined by her 'favourites' – men who gained power by 'courting' the Virgin Queen. But why did she really keep them close?
In this episode of our new series on Elizabeth I's favourites, Tracy Borman is joined by Joanne Paul to discover the story of the Queen's first love – Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester.  
Dudley benefitted both financially and politically from Elizabeth's favour. He was even said to be 'one of three people ruling the country'.
So is this a simple tale of unrequited love, or something more political?  
Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Joanne in the Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. 
Learn more about Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester on our website.

Jane Seymour is often remembered as 'Plain Jane', distinguished only by her death in the famous rhyme, 'Divorced, beheaded, died...'
But Jane was more than a puppet of powerful men; during her short time as Queen, she made the role her own. In some ways, she was the most successful of all Henry VIII's six queens.  
In this episode, Tracy Borman is joined by Elizabeth Norton, who reveals a new side to this misunderstood Tudor woman. Together, they discover the real Jane behind the myths.
Turn on video on Spotify, or watch this episode on YouTube to see Tracy and Beth in the amazing Tudor Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace. 
Learn more about the Tudor queens on our website.

The Tower of London loomed large over the medieval city, casting a formidable shadow with its rings of high walls and towers, wide moat and fearsome gateways. 

There have been several attempts to siege the Tower and break past its defenses, but only one was successful. In 1381, the rebels of the Peasants' Revolt managed to get all the way into the White Tower itself. 

How was the Tower defended? What obstacles stood between attackers and their goals? And how did the rebels make it inside? 

Find out more about the Peasants' Revolt at the Tower on our blog

William the Conqueror may have invaded England in 1066, but he needed castles to truly conquer England.  
Castles became the physical embodiment of the Norman Conquest. These were described by many post-Conquest sources as unnatural, alien structures. But they could not be ignored. The English were forced to help build them, then the castles became the source of their subjugation.  
Of those first-generation Norman castles, none are more famous than the White Tower at the Tower of London. How and why did William build a castle in London? How was it used? And what does it tell us about Norman rule in England?

The Bayeux Tapestry features just three women among 600 male figures. But you can't tell its story without the powerful medieval women who shaped the Norman Conquest. 
In this second episode of our series, Janina Ramirez and Tracy Borman join Charles Farris to explore the Norman Conquest beyond 'two kings and a duke'.    
How did women wield power and influence in the early medieval period? Who survived and thrived in the new Norman regime? And why have historians excluded these women from the history books?
Learn more about Matilda of Flanders on our website.