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Hi, I'm historian Claire Ridgway
I'm the best-selling author of 15 history books and the founder of the TheAnneBoleynFiles.com, Elizabethfiles.com and The Tudor Society.
I help Tudor history lovers worldwide to gain access to experts and resources to discover the real stories behind myths and fiction, so that they grow in knowledge while connecting with like-minded people and indulging their passion for history.
How I can help you...
My latest youtube video
A Tudor Scholar’s Balancing Act
On this day in Tudor history, 4th November 1551, theologian, royal chaplain, and scholar John Redman, the first Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, died of consumption.
Redman was one of Tudor ...England’s most brilliant and balanced minds, a man who sought to reconcile faith, scholarship, and conscience in an age of division.
Serving both Henry VIII and Edward VI, he defended traditional Catholic ideas while embracing elements of reform, earning respect from both sides of the religious divide.
In this video, I explore the remarkable life of John Redman - from his early days at Oxford and Cambridge to his roles as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, royal chaplain, and architect of Tudor theology.
Discover how he helped shape the Edwardian Prayer Book, advised the crown on religion, and tried to hold England’s faith together during one of its most turbulent transformations.
On This Day in Tudor History brings forgotten Tudor figures back to life. Subscribe and ring the bell for daily stories from the world of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and the people who shaped their age.
#TudorHistory #JohnRedman #TrinityCollege #Cambridge #Reformation #HenryVIII #EdwardVI #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #AnneBoleynFiles
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A Tudor Scholar’s Balancing Act
On this day in Tudor history, 4th November 1551, theologian, royal ...
On this day in Tudor history, 4th November 1551, theologian, royal chaplain, and scholar John Redman, the first Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, died of consumption.
Redman was one of Tudor ...England’s most brilliant and balanced minds, a man who sought to reconcile faith, scholarship, and conscience in an age of division.
Serving both Henry VIII and Edward VI, he defended traditional Catholic ideas while embracing elements of reform, earning respect from both sides of the religious divide.
In this video, I explore the remarkable life of John Redman - from his early days at Oxford and Cambridge to his roles as Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity, royal chaplain, and architect of Tudor theology.
Discover how he helped shape the Edwardian Prayer Book, advised the crown on religion, and tried to hold England’s faith together during one of its most turbulent transformations.
On This Day in Tudor History brings forgotten Tudor figures back to life. Subscribe and ring the bell for daily stories from the world of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and the people who shaped their age.
#TudorHistory #JohnRedman #TrinityCollege #Cambridge #Reformation #HenryVIII #EdwardVI #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #AnneBoleynFiles
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The Brilliant Cambridge Scholar History Forgot
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd November 1568, a remarkable mind was ...
On this day in Tudor history, 3rd November 1568, a remarkable mind was lost to the world of learning.
Nicholas Carr, physician, classical scholar, and Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge, ...died after a lifetime devoted to scholarship and teaching.
Though his name is rarely remembered today, Carr stood among the generation of Tudor humanists who kept the flame of classical learning burning, following in the footsteps of John Cheke and Roger Ascham, and ensuring that Greek studies remained central to England’s universities during the Reformation.
In this video, I explore Carr’s fascinating life, from his early education under Nicholas Ridley to his fellowship at Trinity College, his writings on learning and reform, and his later work as a physician supporting his family in turbulent times.
Carr’s quiet legacy reminds us that not all Tudor influence was forged in courtly intrigue.
Love discovering the overlooked figures of Tudor England?
Like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor stories, and find out more about my forthcoming event, The Other Tudors: The Forgotten Figures Who Shaped a Dynasty:
https://claireridgway.com/events/the-other-tudors-the-forgotten-figures-who-shaped-a-dynasty/
#TudorHistory #NicholasCarr #Cambridge #Humanism #TudorScholar #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #AnneBoleynFiles
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The Mind Behind the Videos: An Interview with Claire Ridgway
What inspired me to dedicate my life to Anne Boleyn and the Tudors? ...
What inspired me to dedicate my life to Anne Boleyn and the Tudors? Why did I move to Spain? And yes — what do my tattoos mean?
In this special behind-the-scenes ...interview, my husband Tim takes the interviewer’s seat and asks me questions submitted by my amazing YouTube members. From my early fascination with Tudor history to the unexpected journey that led to The Anne Boleyn Files and The Tudor Society, we chat about how a lifelong passion turned into a full-time career sharing history with the world.
You’ll also hear about our move to Spain, what village life is really like, how we started our publishing business, and how I balance research, writing, and running online events with everyday life.
Expect laughter, honesty, and a few surprises — including stories I’ve never shared publicly before.
Member shout-outs: @emilykmichaelwriter, @NYCEllieMonster, @kathrynwicklund5880, @lpatter5440, @carmeloreilly5908, @petricat666, @Elvertaw, @kimcarlisle1510, @Odanti, and Amanda.
#TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTuber #Interview #BehindTheScenes #TudorSociety #TheAnneBoleynFiles
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Did Henry VIII Really Sacrifice Jane Seymour?
When Queen Jane Seymour gave birth to Prince Edward on 12th October ...
When Queen Jane Seymour gave birth to Prince Edward on 12th October 1537, and sadly died on 24th October. From celebrations to tragedy in just 12 days.
For centuries, a dark ...rumour has followed this story: that Henry VIII ordered surgeons to cut Jane open to deliver their son, sacrificing his queen for an heir.
It’s a tale that fits Henry’s reputation for ruthlessness perfectly… but did it ever happen?
In this episode, I dive into the real Tudor evidence — from Nicholas Sander’s anti-Henry propaganda to 17th-century historians and historic ballads — to uncover how this myth was born and why it still persists today.
We’ll look at what the contemporary sources actually say, how the story evolved, and why it just can't be true.
If you enjoy uncovering myths, scandals, and true stories from Tudor history, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell, it really helps more people find the channel.
And if you missed my video, Jane Seymour’s Death – A Deep Dive into the Causes, watch that next for the full medical picture - https://youtu.be/S6pFV6l6Vxg
#TudorHistory #JaneSeymour #HenryVIII #TudorEngland #AnneBoleynFiles #HistoryUncovered #TudorMyths #BritishHistory #TrueHistory
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What Halloween Was Really Like in Tudor England
Forget pumpkins and plastic skeletons, in Tudor England, Halloween was ...
Forget pumpkins and plastic skeletons, in Tudor England, Halloween was sacred.
On 31st October, All Hallows’ Eve marked the start of Hallowtide, a three-day festival blending pagan Samhain customs with Christian ...devotion:
- All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) – ringing bells, lighting bonfires, wearing masks to ward off spirits, and “souling” for cakes to pray for the dead.
- All Saints’ Day (1 November) – honouring every saint and martyr in heaven.
- All Souls’ Day (2 November) – remembering all the departed, especially those in Purgatory.
In this episode, I step back into Tudor England to uncover:
- The origins of apple bobbing and “Nutcrack Night”
- How souling became the forerunner of trick-or-treating
- Why Hallowtide was both festive and deeply spiritual, a time to bridge the worlds of the living and the dead
So if you’ve ever wondered what Halloween meant before horror films and sweets, this is the story of how the Tudors honoured the dead, celebrated life, and kept the darkness at bay.
#Halloween #TudorHistory #HalloweenHistory #Hallowtide #OnThisDay #AllHallowsEve #AllSaintsDay #AllSoulsDay #AnneBoleynFiles
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Did Elizabeth have a secret child?
Did Roger Ascham’s 1566 letter really hint that Elizabeth I had a ...
Did Roger Ascham’s 1566 letter really hint that Elizabeth I had a child?
Spoiler: No, it’s a moral sermon, not a royal secret.
#TudorHistory #ElizabethI #FrancisBacon #AnneBoleynFiles #TudorMyths #VirginQueen
Did Elizabeth I Have a Secret Baby?
On this day in Tudor history, 30th October 1566, Queen Elizabeth I’s ...
On this day in Tudor history, 30th October 1566, Queen Elizabeth I’s former tutor, Roger Ascham, wrote her a long, heartfelt letter of praise and moral guidance.
Centuries later, this same ...letter would be twisted into something sensational, supposed proof that Elizabeth secretly married Robert Dudley and bore a child… the future philosopher Francis Bacon.
But what did Ascham actually write?
And how did a pious letter about kingship, learning, and virtue become “evidence” for a royal scandal?
In this episode, I uncover:
- Who Roger Ascham really was — Elizabeth’s beloved tutor and humanist scholar
- What his 1566 letter truly says (and doesn’t say)
- How Victorian writers and Baconian theorists turned scripture into scandal
- Why the so-called “secret pregnancy” theory falls apart when you read the text
Ascham’s Divae Elizabethae isn’t confession or gossip, it’s devotion: a dying scholar’s tribute to the queen he’d once taught.
So let’s separate Tudor truth from centuries of speculation.
Watch now to discover why this misunderstood letter reveals more about our obsession with the Virgin Queen’s image than about her real life.
Further reading:
Ascham’s letter - https://archive.org/details/englishworksrog00aschgoog/page/n202/mode/2up
Queen Elizabeth I’s Pregnancy, Secret Marriage and Childbirth, Peter Dawkins - https://www.fbrt.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Queen-Elizabeth-I-Pregnancy-Secret-Marriage-and-Childbirth.pdf
#TudorHistory #ElizabethI #RogerAscham #RobertDudley #FrancisBacon #TudorMyths #HistoryDebunked #AnneBoleynFiles
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Mary, Queen of Scots: Martyr, Heroine… or Traitor?
On this day in Tudor history, 29 October 1586, Parliament met to ...
On this day in Tudor history, 29 October 1586, Parliament met to decide the fate of Mary, Queen of Scots, just days after she was found guilty of conspiring to ...assassinate Queen Elizabeth I.
Their verdict was clear: the queen’s own cousin and fellow sovereign must die.
But more than four centuries later, the question still burns: was Mary a martyr, a tragic heroine, or a traitor?
I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode we’ll revisit the tense weeks between Mary’s trial at Fotheringhay and her execution in February 1587.
Elizabeth hesitated, torn between mercy and survival, while her councillors pressed for action.
Meanwhile, Mary, an anointed queen held captive for nineteen years, insisted she was dying for her faith, not her crimes.
So who was she really?
A dangerous conspirator caught by her own hand… or a doomed queen sacrificed to politics, religion, and fear?
Tell me in the comments: Was Mary, Queen of Scots, a martyr of faith or the author of her own downfall?
#MaryQueenOfScots #ElizabethI #OnThisDay #TudorHistory #Tudors #QueenOfScots #TrueHistory #BritishHistory #TheAnneBoleynFiles
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The Man Who Survived Them All
On this day in Tudor history, 28 October 1479, a man was born who ...
On this day in Tudor history, 28 October 1479, a man was born who would rise to the highest offices of state, and somehow survive the reigns of four Tudor ...monarchs.
I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today I’m talking about Sir John Gage: soldier, administrator, and courtier to Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Mary I.
Gage’s life was a masterclass in cautious loyalty.
He held the keys to the Tower of London, helped dissolve the monasteries, investigated conspiracies, and stood at the heart of Tudor power through decades of religious and political upheaval.
But what was he really: a man of faith and duty, or a shrewd survivor in a dangerous age?
Join me as we explore the extraordinary life of Sir John Gage, the Tudor who managed to keep his head while those around him lost theirs.
Tell me in the comments:
Was Gage’s careful loyalty wisdom… or opportunism?
#OnThisDay #TudorHistory #SirJohnGage #TowerofLondon #HenryVIII #MaryI #EdwardVI #HenryVII #Tudors #TudorCourt#TheAnneBoleynFiles
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The Bonfire That Helped Spread the English Bible
Imagine trying to stop a book so hard… you end up funding its next ...
Imagine trying to stop a book so hard… you end up funding its next edition.
On this day, 27 October 1526, Bishop Cuthbert Tunstall ordered copies of William Tyndale’s English New ...Testament to be burned at St Paul’s Cathedral. The goal: to stop heresy and control what the people could read.
But Tunstall’s crackdown had an unexpected twist. To destroy the books, he had to buy them first, money that reportedly paid for Tyndale’s next, improved edition.
I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s On This Day in Tudor History, we’ll explore how one bishop’s bonfire turned into the best publicity Tyndale could have asked for, and how, just a decade later, English Bibles would appear in every church by royal order.
Was Tunstall defending the faith, or did he help spread the very thing he feared?
#TudorHistory #Tyndale #Reformation #OnThisDay #PrintingPress #HenryVIII #History #EnglishBible
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Did Henry VIII Cover Up a Violent Crime for Thomas Culpeper?
He was handsome, charming, and one of Henry VIII’s most trusted ...
He was handsome, charming, and one of Henry VIII’s most trusted courtiers, until he fell from grace with Queen Catherine Howard.
But whispers survive of a darker story: an accusation of ...violence, a royal pardon, and a crime that seemed to vanish from the record.
Was Thomas Culpeper guilty of a shocking offence, and did Henry VIII himself protect him from justice?
Or was this just dangerous Tudor gossip, muddled by the existence of two Thomas Culpepers at court?
Join me as I investigate one of Tudor England’s most disturbing mysteries — where power, privilege, and silence could decide a man’s fate.
Sources:
- Letter from Richard Hilles to Heinrich Bullinger, Original letters relative to the English Reformation: written during the reigns of King Henry VIII, King Edward VI and Queen Mary, chiefly from the archives of Zurich, ed. Rev. Hastings Robinson, https://archive.org/details/originallettersr01robiuoft/page/226/mode/2up?
- New Insight on the Accusation Against Thomas Culpeper, Gentleman of the Privy Chamber, Jonathan McGovern, Notes and Queries, gjaf112, https://doi.org/10.1093/notesj/gjaf112Published: 17 October 2025.
- "Katherine Howard: The Tragic Story of Henry VIII's Fifth Queen" by Josephine Wilkinson
- "Young and Damned and Fair" by Gareth Russell
- “Catherine Howard: The Queen whose adulteries made a fool of Henry VIII” by Lacey Baldwin Smith
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The Sound of Elizabethan England: In Conversation with Jane Moulder of PIVA
Step back into the sound world of Elizabethan England. In this ...
Step back into the sound world of Elizabethan England.
In this exclusive interview, I talk to Jane Moulder, musician, researcher, instrument maker, and founding member of PIVA: The Renaissance Collective, about ...their stunning new album, The Faerie Round: Music from the Time of Elizabeth I.
Together, we explore how Renaissance music was performed, what instruments were used, and how PIVA brings authentic Tudor soundscapes to life for modern audiences.
In this conversation:
The origins of PIVA and their unique approach to early music
The vision and research behind The Faerie Round
The challenges (and joys!) of performing on Renaissance instruments
Why bagpipes, shawms, and curtals deserve a comeback
Jane’s work as a researcher, writer, and editor of Chanter
What’s next for PIVA, and who Jane would invite to a Tudor dinner party
If you love Tudor history, music, or the vibrant culture of Elizabethan England, this is one conversation you won’t want to miss.
Find out more about PIVA and The Faerie Round:
Piva website - https://piva.org.uk/
Buy the album - https://pivarenaissance.bandcamp.com/album/the-faerie-round
#TudorHistory #ElizabethanEngland #RenaissanceMusic #TheFaerieRound #PIVA #TudorMusic #JaneMoulder #TudorCulture #HistoricalMusic
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Online Events
I regularly host online Tudor history conferences to connect Tudor history lovers with Tudor historians all from the comfort of their own homes. They comprise talks, live events, live Q&A sessions and resources, and are educational and fun.
Check out the Events tab to find out about my latest event.
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The Anne Boleyn Files
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As featured in...
I am a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. I was a contributor for the BBC docudrama The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, and have been featured in BBC History Extra, USA Today, History of Royals Magazine, the Express, and Refinery 29, as well as on podcasts including Suzannah Lipscomb's Not Just the Tudors, Gareth Russell's Single Malt History, Natalie Grueninger's Talking Tudors, Hever Castle's Inside Hever, James Boulton's Queens of England, and many more.
Praise for Claire's work
"Claire's blog - recently made available in book form - is more rigorous than that of many professional historians." Susan Bordo, author of The Creation of Anne Boleyn: A New Look at England's Most Notorious Queen
"A sumptuously illustrated and impeccably researched history about the domestic life of a family that shaped British history. This is a fascinating window into both the Boleyns' lives at Hever and upper-class life on the eve of the Reformation." - Gareth Russell, Author of Young and Damned and Fair, on The Boleyns of Hever Castle.
"I've been a history buff all my life, both as a reader and as a writer. I thought I knew about Anne and her Boleyn family, Henry VIII and his court, but this book [The Anne Boleyn Collection] fills in so many blanks for me that I will read it more than once...This is a book for the legion of Tudor fiction readers, who want to know the stories behind the myths, the truth behind the legend...Absolutely fascinating read. " - Jeane Westin, Author of His Last Letter
"Claire has produced another must read for Anne Bolyen fans." Leanda de Lisle, author of Tudor: The Family Story, writing about "The Anne Boleyn Collection II.
More about me
I founded the Anne Boleyn Files in 2009, the Tudor Society in 2014 and I have a popular YouTube channel.
I help Tudor history lovers all over the world learn more about history, connect with experts and like-minded people, and uncover the facts behind the fiction, all from the comfort of their own homes.
I'm a former teacher and a recognised expert in Tudor history, and, as the founder of The Tudor Society, I've built a community of history lovers and experts where members can share their passion for history and receive accurate resources and information.
Claire Ridgway's Books
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