Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Melissa Shiels about New Year's gift-giving across 16th-century England and Ireland, and how material gifts expressed political messages at the Tudor court.

They discuss typical gifts (money, clothing, jewellery, horses, hawks), differences across reigns, examples of gifts that reveal diplomacy or tension, and the distinction between public gift exchange and bribery.

Find out more about Dr Shiels

https://www.instagram.com/dr.melissashiels/

The Greensleeves Project

https://greensleevesproject.uk/

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https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Michelle Seah about the economic lives of medieval and late 15th-century English queens, focusing on Margaret of Anjou, Elizabeth Woodville, and Elizabeth of York.

They explore how queens raised and managed income—through lands, cash allowances, port customs and the tradition of “queen’s gold”—how their households were organised, and how financial resources shaped their public role, patronage and power.

Learn more about Dr Seah

https://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/michele-seah

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https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Kate McCaffrey of Hever Castle about Anne Boleyn’s books of hours, the hidden inscriptions they contain, and the Kentish women who preserved Anne’s memory after her fall.

The episode explores female networks, the material life of devotional books, and how these discoveries challenge the lonely, male-focused myth of Anne Boleyn, plus a preview of Hever Castle’s upcoming exhibition "Capturing a Queen."

Learn more about Kate McCaffrey

https://kateemccaffrey.wordpress.com/

Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn Exhibition

https://www.hevercastle.co.uk/whats-on/capturing-a-queen/

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https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Professor Stephen Gunn about his research using 16th-century coroner's inquests to reveal how accidental deaths illuminate everyday Tudor life—covering hazards like animals, open water, mills, house collapses, seasonal work, and risky pastimes such as early football.

They discuss patterns by age, gender and social status, surprising and bizarre cases, research challenges, and resources for further reading including Gunn’s book 'An Accidental History of Tudor England' and the project’s online dataset.

LEARN MORE ABOUT EVERYDAY LIFE & FATAL HAZARDS IN TUDOR ENGLAND

https://tudoraccidents.history.ox.ac.uk/?page_id=17

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https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger speaks with Dr Christina Faraday about her new book, 'The Story of Tudor Art', a first-of-its-kind survey of 16th-century English art.

They explore how Tudor art functioned as communication and status—covering portraits, miniatures, tapestries, household objects, royal effigies, patrons from kings to middling professionals, and artists such as Holbein, Hilliard, and lesser-known women makers.

The episode also discusses imported art, surprising everyday objects that reveal court life, and an upcoming exhibition, Tudor Contemporary, which pairs modern responses with historical works.

Visit Dr Faraday's official website

https://www.christinajfaraday.com/

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https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger interviews Dr Stephen Campbell about Leonardo da Vinci’s life, work, and the myths that surround him. They explore his early years in Florence, his Milanese network, anatomical studies, and his later years in France.

The conversation examines common misconceptions, highlights key works such as 'The Last Supper' and the 'Sala delle Asse', and considers why Leonardo’s fragmented biography continues to captivate modern audiences.

Learn more about Dr Campbell

https://arthist.jhu.edu/directory/stephen-j-campbell/

Buy the book!

https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691193687/leonardo-da-vinci

Find out more about your host at https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

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Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes Dr Alanna Skuse to Talking Tudors to explore medicine in Renaissance England. They discuss humoral theory, the medical hierarchy of physicians, surgeons, apothecaries and midwives, and the lively marketplace of practitioners including itinerant bone-setters and domestic healers.

The episode highlights women’s roles in care, real patient cases, early regulation of medical practice, and Alanna’s book 'The Surgeon, The Midwife, The Quack' — practical insights into how people sought treatment and survived in the Renaissance.

NOT SHAKESPEARE LECTURES

https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/series/not-shakespeare-elizabethan-and-jacobean-popular-theatre

VISIT DR SKUSE'S WEBSITE

https://www.dralannaskuse.co.uk/

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In this episode of Talking Tudors, host Natalie Grueninger is joined by Professor Anne Larson and Professor Steve Maiullo to explore the life, works, and legacy of Anna Maria van Schurman — a multilingual scholar, poet, and theological thinker famed across 17th‑century Europe.

The conversation covers her exceptional education, advocacy for women’s learning, influential correspondence with leading intellectuals, and her later spiritual choices, offering a concise portrait of a pioneering and controversial figure.

LINKS OF INTEREST

https://projectvox.library.duke.edu/

https://digital.lib.sfu.ca/new-narratives

BOOKS MENTIONED

Anna Maria van Schurman, 'The Star of Utrecht': The Educational Vision and Reception of a Savante by Anne Larsen.

'Letters and Poems to and from Her Mentor and Other Members of Her Circle', edited by Anne Larsen and Steve Maiullo.

'Whether a Christian Woman Should Be Educated and Other Writings from Her Intellectual Circle' by Joyce Irwin.

'Republic of Women' by Carol Pal.

CONNECT WITH NATALIE GRUENINGER!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-grueninger-b5899254

Learn more about today's sponsor: Simply Tudor Tours!

https://simplytudortours.com/the-rise-and-fall-of-anne-boleyn-giveaway-2026/