Podcasts are taking off in every subject and industry. Pew research shows that 20% of Americans are listening to Podcasts on a weekly basis. And the Tudor world is no exception to that. My show turns ten years old this year, and things have massively changed since I started, when Lara Eakins’ Tudorcast was the only other Tudor show (it was, in fact, a big inspiration for me to start my own).
So for those of you who are new to podcasts, what are they, and how can you binge on Tudor shows? Podcasts are simply audio files that are syndicated, so you can subscribe to them. Programs called Podcatchers allow you to search for and subscribe to a show, and then you can listen each time a new episode comes out.
What podcatcher should you use? Well, if you have an iPhone, your device comes ready made with Apple Podcasts, so you can just start searching and subscribe there. If you’re on an android device, there is Google Play Music, but there are lots of other options. Spotify has podcasts now. And two of the more popular ones are Podbean and Pocketcasts (which is what I use).
So you’ve got your app downloaded. What should you subscribe to if you want to fill your days with Tudor goodness? Below I list some of the most popular shows. Leave a comment and tell me if I missed your favorite!
I’m going to add links to the shows in iTunes, but of course you can search and subscribe in whatever app you’re using now.
So without further ado, here is a list of ten-plus Tudor Podcasts You Should be Listening to!
Of course I’m going to start out with my own show, the Renaissance English History Podcast. Because this is my post, and I can do that. Mostly narrative, with some interviews, the show comes out every two weeks, and focuses largely on social history and ideas that shaped the birth of the modern world.
I also do a daily Tudor Minute that I just started releasing on podcast feeds, so you can subscribe and get a bite sized dose of Tudor history every day.
Rude Tudors is a hilarious and irreverent romp through the 16th century with topics like the woman who gave birth to a cat, and Islam in Tudor England. Most episodes are marked Explicit, so it’s not for listening when little ears are around.
Tudor I Hardly Know Her is part comedy, part educational. You will laugh, and you will learn.
The History of England is a weekly narrative podcast that has been going on for years, telling the story of England in chronological order beginning with pre-Roman times. But he’s been on the 16th century for nearly 4 years now, and he’s only midway through, so there is a LOT to digest.
Newer podcasts in the Tudor space include:
Tudors Dynasty, from Rebecca Larson, who started the Tudors Dynasty Facebook page four years ago, and branched into podcasts two years ago. Sometimes she interviews, other times she tells stories, and you will always learn something.
Talking Tudors is an interview show started by Natalie Grueninger who is both an author, and runs the very popular website On The Tudor Trail. In every episode she Talks Tudors with a writer or historian, so it’s a good opportunity to listen to experts sharing their work.
Sarah Morris, the Tudor Travel Guide, has a regular podcast where she takes us on trips to talk about Tudor places. If you love travel, as well as history, you definitely need to be listening to this one!
Some Tudor authors also have podcasts like:
Tony Riches, who does Stories of the Tudors. A show that comes out every few months, and is generally related to research that Tony is doing for one of his novels, it’s wonderful to hear Tony sharing his process, and the stories that he’s finding.
Leanda de Lisle does Ten Minute Tudors, a monthly show that covers different social aspects of Tudor history, and breaks down myths behind the rulers.
The Wars of the Roses Podcast is a newer show from a history author who tells the story of the Cousins War as if it’s a novel.
Historic Royal Palaces has a series on Henry VIII called Henry VIII Talks, which stopped being updated in 2011, but is still fun to go back and listen to.
Hampton Court has a series Tudor vs Baroque where they explore both sides of the Palace history.
The British Library used to have a fantastic Henry VIII series, but it seems to have disappeared into the ether. If anyone reading this knows where it went, please leave a comment!
For more entertainment-centered shows, Christine Morgan did a series on the Real Spanish Princess recently, breaking down the truth behind that drama.
And I’m going to finish up with another of mine (again, because I can), Watching The Tudors, which I do with my husband – we watch each episode of the Tudors, and break down what was real, and what wasn’t. We haven’t done an episode in nearly a year, but we’re going to do more soon – I promise!
So there we go – a bunch of Tudor podcasts you can subscribe to that will inform, delight, and entertain. What podcasts I miss? If you have a favorite Tudor show, leave a comment below!
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.