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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, new releases every Wednesday and Sunday.

A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, The Ancients, and Betwixt the Sheets.

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not Just the Tudors

Have you ever wandered through a museum and thought: Why is the Virgin Mary always dressed in blue? Did they really use eggs in egg tempera—and did it make those paintings smell weird? And why, for some reason, does baby Jesus sometimes look like a tiny grumpy old man?

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Verity Babbs, art historian and comedian, who is on a mission to shake the dust off art history. They take a whirlwind tour from the Renaissance through to the Baroque, taking in fig leaves, duels and murder.

MORE:

Durer: The Great Renaissance Artist

The Tudors' Portrait Artist: Holbein

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fig Leaves & A Grumpy Jesus: Renaissance to Baroque Art

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 Roman Emperor. Often remembered—if at all—as the "mad emperor" who withdrew from politics and lost his grip on power, Rudolf’s story is far richer than the stereotype. Instead of governing from Vienna or Madrid, he relocated his imperial court to Prague, transforming it into a dazzling hub of art, science, alchemy, and astrology. Was he truly unfit to rule, or has history been unfair? Suzannah is joined by Professor Thomas Kaufmann to re-examine Rudolf II's reign not as decline, but as a bold, eccentric vision of imperial rule during a turbulent age of religious wars, Protestant uprisings, Ottoman expansion, and dynastic rivalries.

MORE:

Rise of the Habsburgs

Chales V, Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rudolf II, the "Mad Habsburg Emperor"

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 thrilling collaboration between William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe. Suzannah and Liz delve into the fiery dynamics of the two men's relationship and the influence of politics on their works.

Shakespeare and Marlowe existed under a time of oppressive royal censorship, when displeasing the crown would mean a trip to the Tower, or worse. How did they balance this struggle for truth and creativity amid the palpable danger?

Extracts from Born With Teeth by Liz Duffy Adams, performed by Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel, courtesy of Royal Shakespeare Company

MORE:

Murder of Christopher Marlowe

Shakespeare's Son Hamnet with Maggie O'Farrell

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Marlowe & Shakespeare: Rivals or Collaborators?

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 of Habsburg women quietly wielded immense influence in the Netherlands. Their names are often overlooked, yet their impact was profound.

In this third episode of our special series on the Habsburg dynasty, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and historian Natalie Donnell explore the lives of these remarkable women who governed with skill, diplomacy, and resilience in a world rarely welcoming to female power. From Mary of Burgundy, who defied French aggression, to Margaret of Austria, the formidable regent who raised Charles V, to Mary of Hungary, who steered the Netherlands through decades of turmoil, these women shaped the dynasty’s fate.

MORE:

Habsburg Inbreeding with Dr. Adam Rutherford >

When Women Ruled the Low Countries >

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Habsburg Women: Matriarchs of Power

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 Lipscomb as she becomes the guest of Dr. Kate Lister on our sister podcast, Betwixt the Sheets. Together they discuss the vanity of Henry VIII, his sporting prowess, and his injuries. Listen to discover just how terrible this Tudor king smelt.

MORE:

Sex and the Tudors

Henry VIII's Billionaire Wardrobe

Hear more intimate stories that would make your history teacher blush, on Betwixt the Sheets: the History of Sex, Scandal and Society

Presented by Dr. Kate Lister. Edited by Tim Arstall and Amy Haddow. The producers are Sophie Gee and Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanity of Henry VIII with Kate Lister

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, Holy Roman Emperor—once hailed as the “Monarch of the World.”

By the time he abdicated in 1556, Charles presided over the first truly global empire, stretching from the Netherlands and Spain to Austria, Naples, and the Americas, including Peru and the New World. As King of Spain, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, and Lord of the Netherlands, Charles' titles only hinted at the scale of his power.

Yet behind the grandeur lay contradictions: a ruler torn between faith and politics, unity and fragmentation, ambition and exhaustion. Drawing on decades of research and thousands of surviving documents, Professor Parker paints a vivid portrait of Charles V’s reign—one that defined 16th-century Europe and shaped the course of world history.

MORE:

When Women Ruled the Low Countries

Isabel & Ferdinand: Renaissance Power Couple

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Charles V, Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor

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—jewelled and enigmatic. But this is no ordinary likeness. Concealed within its layers lies a coded message of love, betrayal, and secrecy. Could it depict Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare’s patron and perhaps the true “Mr. W.H.” of his most homo-erotic sonnets? In this thrilling episode, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Goldring and Emma Rutherford to reveal a breathtaking find that could rewrite literary history.

MORE:

A Tudor Mystery: The Girl who Could be Queen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7ah4FWEOjfcDKCK9QVFmVE

Elizabeth I's Favourite Painter: Hilliard

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Ozixx69Vx10DncZhgGYXt

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shakespeare's Male Muse: A Mystery Solved?

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 in the 10th century, the House of Habsburg would go on to dominate the political, cultural, and religious life of Europe for nearly 400 years. Through strategic marriages, dynastic inheritances, and shrewd political manoeuvring, the Habsburgs expanded their influence to eventually rule a vast empire stretching from the Americas to the Ottoman frontier. Suzannah is joined by Professor Martyn Rady to explore how the Habsburgs built—and nearly broke—an empire without equal.

MORE:

Habsburg Inbreeding with Dr. Adam Rutherford

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3sQ4jrYtuwAFJUfBgbaAXY

When Women Ruled the Low Countries

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2u4fBHVgNhAMiaLjBv4X8Z

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rise of the Habsburgs

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 right of kings arrive at this unprecedented moment? In this second special explainer episode, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb guides us through the final and most dramatic years of the English Civil Wars. With contributions from leading historians drawn from the Not Just the Tudors archive, Suzannah traces the pivotal events that shattered the monarchy and gave rise to the emergence of parliamentary government.

MORE:

Prelude to the English Civil War

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0er6EmZ1cfwxTLAMwO2aO1

Oliver Cromwell: Massacres and Manoeuvres

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4n7d4Rm9YXzStJBSL2TVps

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. Audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oliver Cromwell v. Charles I

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 nearly 185,000 lives and reshaped the very soul of Britain. From the power struggle between King Charles I and Parliament, to the fiery religious conflicts and political rivalries that engulfed England, Scotland, and Ireland, these two episodes unpack the interconnected wars known as the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. With insights from brilliant historians drawn from the Not Just the Tudors archive, Suzannah explores the causes, battles, and consequences of a war that toppled the monarchy and forever redefined the balance of power between Crown and Parliament.

MORE:

Succession 1625: James I to Charles I >

Prelude to the English Civil War >

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast

Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. 

You can take part in our listener survey here: 

https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The English Civil War

One of the most famous paintings in London is The Laughing Cavalier of 1624 by Franz Hals, the great portrait artist of the Dutch Golden Age whose fame has been somewhat eclipsed by Vermeer and Rembrandt. In this edition of Not Just the Tudors, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb heads off to the Wallace Collection in London to see The Laughing Cavalier - alongside an exquisite, small selection of Hals' male portraits - and to discuss them with curator Lelia Packer. There is also analysis by contemporary artist Grayson Perry, who features in the exhibition's multimedia guide, created in collaboration with Imagineear. The guide, free with every exhibition ticket, brings the individual portraits to life through rich commentary provided by Perry and other experts.

Keep up to date with everything early modern, from Henry VIII to the Sistine Chapel with our Tudor Tuesday newsletter: Subscribe here > 

If you would like to learn more about history, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit > To download, go to Android or Apple store.

 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Franz Hals: Painter of The Laughing Cavalier

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