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
Should we also think of Henry VIII as a person?
And Henry VIII was perfectly capable of being ruthless long before his health problems, long before his later years. But I don't think we have to choose between recognising that ...someone did terrible things and acknowledging that they were also a human being who could experience pain, frustration, fear and loss. And perhaps that's something we sometimes forget when we're discussing historical figures. We become so caught up in judging their actions and quite rightly in many cases that we don't always stop to think about them as people. So I haven't changed my opinion of Henry VIII as a king and I certainly haven't changed my mind about the terrible things he did.
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Should we also think of Henry VIII as a person?
And Henry VIII was perfectly capable of being ruthless long before his ...
And Henry VIII was perfectly capable of being ruthless long before his health problems, long before his later years. But I don't think we have to choose between recognising that ...someone did terrible things and acknowledging that they were also a human being who could experience pain, frustration, fear and loss. And perhaps that's something we sometimes forget when we're discussing historical figures. We become so caught up in judging their actions and quite rightly in many cases that we don't always stop to think about them as people. So I haven't changed my opinion of Henry VIII as a king and I certainly haven't changed my mind about the terrible things he did.
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Claire's thoughts on Henry VIII's declining health
I've been researching Henry's declining health and mobility quite a ...
Did Henry VIII feel frustrated by his various ailments?
Now, I know that Henry VIII circumstances were very different from ...
Now, I know that Henry VIII circumstances were very different from mine, and I certainly can't claim to know how he felt. But I do wonder whether he experienced some ...of those same frustrations, whether he missed being able to take part in a tournament rather than simply watching one, whether he resented having to rely on other people as his mobility declined or found it difficult to accept that his body could no longer do everything he wanted it to. And then there was the pain. Henry VIII suffered from serious problems with his legs, including chronic sores, ulcers. And although we can't know exactly what he experienced, it must have been extremely unpleasant at times.
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I NEVER Thought I'd Say This About Henry VIII...
I've spent years researching Henry VIII, and if you've watched my ...
I've spent years researching Henry VIII, and if you've watched my videos, you'll know that I'm certainly no fan of his! I've criticised his cruelty, his treatment of his wives ...and the terrible things he did to those who crossed him.
But something happened to me last year that has made me look at Henry in a rather different way. And I never expected that!
I've been researching Henry VIII's declining health and mobility recently, particularly his leg problems and the difficulties he faced in his later years. But this time, I've found myself thinking about things I hadn't really considered before.
It's raised some uncomfortable questions for me about how we judge historical figures, whether we can separate someone's suffering from their actions, and what it really means to understand someone from the past.
So, have my feelings about Henry VIII actually changed?
Well, you'll have to watch to find out!
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments, particularly whether you've ever found yourself looking at a historical figure differently after something happened in your own life.
And if you enjoy exploring Tudor history with me, don't forget to subscribe to The Anne Boleyn Files for more videos!
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #TheAnneBoleynFiles #Tudors
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Bess of Hardwick married four times. Was she a gold-digger? #tudorhistory #tudorials #henryviii
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Was Bess of Hardwick Tudor England's BIGGEST Gold-Digger?
Was Bess of Hardwick a Tudor gold-digger, or was she simply a ...
Was Bess of Hardwick a Tudor gold-digger, or was she simply a remarkably shrewd woman who knew how to make the most of her opportunities?
Bess married four times, outlived all ...four husbands and became one of the wealthiest people in Elizabethan England. It's hardly surprising that she's sometimes been accused of marrying her way to a fortune!
But was that really what happened?
In this video, I'm investigating Bess's four marriages, from her first husband, Robert Barlow, to the wealthy and powerful Earl of Shrewsbury. We'll look at the enormous debt left by her second husband, Sir William Cavendish, the furious accusations made by Sir William St Loe's family when he left Bess most of his fortune, and the extraordinary marriage arrangements that united the Cavendish and Talbot families.
Was Bess calculating and manipulative, or was she doing exactly what Tudor society expected of an ambitious woman of her position?
And would we judge a man quite so harshly for doing the same thing?
I'd love to hear what you think in the comments!
TUDOR WOMEN OF POWER - 4-10 JANUARY 2027
I've been researching Bess for my upcoming online event, Tudor Women of Power, where we'll be exploring the lives of eight fascinating Tudor women and the different ways they exercised power and influence.
We'll be looking beyond the familiar stories to explore their relationships, beliefs, ambitions, struggles and achievements.
The event includes pre-recorded talks you can watch at your own pace, live Zoom discussions and plenty of opportunities to explore Tudor history together.
Find out more and book your place at:
https://claireridgway.com/events/power/
Early bird registration is available until 20 November 2026.
If you enjoy Tudor history, please subscribe for more videos exploring the people, events and mysteries of the Tudor period.
#BessOfHardwick #TudorHistory #ElizabethanEngland #TudorWomen #TheAnneBoleynFiles
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Henry VIII's declining health
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Henry VIII and a stairlift?
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Did Henry VIII Really Have a STAIRLIFT?!
Did Henry VIII really have a stairlift? It sounds extraordinary, but ...
Did Henry VIII really have a stairlift? It sounds extraordinary, but there's a historical account claiming that, towards the end of his life, Henry VIII had become so large that ...he couldn't manage stairs and had to be moved up and down by a mysterious device.
But what exactly was this device?
In this video, I'm digging into the historical evidence, from the testimony of the Duke of Norfolk's mistress, Elizabeth Holland, recorded by Edward Herbert, to Henry VIII's posthumous inventory, which describes specially made carrying chairs and includes a particularly intriguing reference to something that went “up and down”.
I'll also be looking at the story of Henry being hoisted onto his horse, contemporary accounts of carrying chairs, and what the evidence can actually tell us about how Henry got around his palaces as his health declined.
Was there really a Tudor stairlift? Let's follow the evidence!
I've also been investigating the sources behind the stairlift story in much greater depth for my Tudor Courtier members in a special Evidence Room video, including the intriguing question of a quotation attributed to Edward Hall.
And for Tudor Enthusiast members, there's a separate bonus video exploring Henry VIII's magnificent velvet carrying chairs.
You can find out more about channel membership by clicking Join or going to https://www.youtube.com/@anneboleynfiles/membership
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #HistoryMysteries
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You can find my books on Amazon at http://viewauthor.at/claireridgwayShow More
I was wrong about Tudor History
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I Was Wrong About Tudor History... And That's OK
I've spent years researching Tudor history, written books about it and ...
I've spent years researching Tudor history, written books about it and made hundreds of videos. But I've been wrong about Tudor history, and I'm perfectly happy to admit it!
In this ...video, I'm talking about why changing your mind isn't a weakness, particularly when you're researching history. Sometimes the evidence challenges things you've believed for years, and sometimes familiar stories turn out to be far less reliable than you'd thought.
I'll share how my opinions about Thomas Boleyn and Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford, have changed, why I recently had to question a famous story about Henry VIII's foul-smelling legs, and how going back to the original sources can completely change our understanding of the past.
I'll also discuss a fascinating example from historian Owen Emmerson of Hever Castle, involving a miniature of Anne Boleyn, and why his thoughts on historians admitting when they're wrong really resonated with me. After all, history is an ongoing investigation. We're constantly learning, questioning and discovering new ways of interpreting the evidence. And I think that's something to celebrate!
I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Have you ever completely changed your mind about a Tudor figure or event? Perhaps someone you once disliked but now see differently? And has anything I've covered on this channel made you reconsider something you previously believed?
Let me know in the comments!
Explore more Tudor history with me - Join The Anne Boleyn Files channel memberships for exclusive bonus videos, in-depth historical investigations, primary-source research and more:
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Explore the research and historical articles shared by Owen Emmerson and Kate McCaffrey:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/OwenandKateHistory
If you enjoy questioning Tudor myths, investigating historical mysteries and discovering the real stories behind the Tudors, please subscribe to The Anne Boleyn Files.
#TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII
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You can find my books on Amazon at http://viewauthor.at/claireridgwayShow More
Henry smelled bad? Really??
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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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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
