Hi, I'm historian Claire Ridgway

I'm the best-selling author of 12 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...

Events

I'm holding a virtual conference "Anne Boleyn, the Woman who changed England" from 28 February to 6 March 2022 and you can find out all about it here.

• Find out why Anne Boleyn was far from the social climber fiction often makes her out to be by delving into her ancestry and family background.
• Discover the true Anne Boleyn who arrived at the English court in 1522 and turned the heads of a courtier, poet and king.
• Understand why this maid of honour was so very different to her contemporaries, what made her tick and how she was a true Renaissance woman.

By the end of the conference, which features daily talks and live Q&A sessions with prominent historians and authors, you will have met a very new Anne and understand just why King Henry VIII changed the course of English history to be with her, and why they were such a powerful union.

The Tudor Society

Ready to discover the truth about the Tudors? Start learning from Claire and other Tudor history experts right now - Learn more

The Anne Boleyn Files

Interested in learning the facts behind the myths and fiction surrounding Anne Boleyn? Do you want 5 free reports on Anne Boleyn? Yes, please!

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.

Books

Videos