Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
Rudolf II, the "Mad Habsburg Emperor"
Episode 465
In the final episode of her short series on the Habsburg dynasty, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb turns to one of the most fascinating and misunderstood rulers of early modern Europe: Rudolf II, Holy Rom…
Published on 1 month ago
Marlowe & Shakespeare: Rivals or Collaborators?
Episode 464
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb engages in a captivating conversation with award-winning dramatist Liz Duffy Adams about the new Royal Shakespeare production of her play Born With Teeth, which imagines a…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Habsburg Women: Matriarchs of Power
Episode 463
When we think of the Habsburgs, the spotlight usually falls on emperors, kings, and archdukes—powerful men who dominated Europe. But behind the scenes, across five generations, an extraordinary line…
Published on 1 month, 1 week ago
Vanity of Henry VIII with Kate Lister
Episode 462
With six wives, Henry VIII must have had something going for him, right? Was he handsome? Charming? Intelligent? Just plain powerful? In this episode, the tables are turned on Professor Suzannah Lips…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Charles V, Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor
Episode 461
In the second episode of our special Habsburg dynasty series, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by renowned historian Professor Geoffrey Parker to uncover the extraordinary life of Charles V, Hol…
Published on 1 month, 2 weeks ago
Shakespeare's Male Muse: A Mystery Solved?
Episode 460
Could a long-hidden miniature painting unlock the mystery of Shakespeare’s most intimate poetry? Unearthed after 400 years in a private collection, a portrait depicts a strikingly androgynous youth—…
Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Rise of the Habsburgs
Episode 459
In the first of a special four-part series on the Habsburgs, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb traces the unlikely rise of Europe’s most enduring imperial family. Emerging from a modest Swiss noble house …
Published on 1 month, 3 weeks ago
Oliver Cromwell v. Charles I
Episode 458
On 30 January 1649, the unthinkable happened: for the first time in history, a reigning monarch was tried and condemned by his own people. But how did a kingdom that once believed in the divine righ…
Published on 1 month, 4 weeks ago
The English Civil War
Episode 457
What sparks a nation to turn against its own king? Professor Suzannah Lipscomb dives into the turbulent and transformative decade that witnessed the English Civil Wars — a bloody clash that claimed …
Published on 2 months ago
Tudor True Crime: Europe's Most Murderous Dynasty
Episode 456
The rich and powerful Guise family was one of the most treacherous and bloodthirsty in sixteenth-century France. They whipped up religious bigotry, overthrowing the king. They ruled Scotland for nea…
Published on 2 months ago