Tudors Dynasty & Beyond

In the concluding episode of the Medieval Kings series, Rebecca and historian Matt Lewis examine the turbulent final year of Richard III’s reign - and the rumors, rivalries, and betrayals that carried him toward Bosworth.
Did Richard intend to marry his niece, Elizabeth of York? Did he hasten the death of his wife, Anne Neville? Or were these accusations part of a growing propaganda campaign designed to undermine his crown? From Richard’s public denial of the allegations to his negotiations for a Portuguese marriage, this episode separates contemporary evidence from the stories that later became accepted as fact.
Rebecca and Matt also explore the political grievances behind Henry Tudor’s invasion, the crucial role played by the Stanleys, and Richard’s final, high-risk cavalry charge at Bosworth. His enemies did not necessarily rally behind Henry to avenge the Princes in the Tower - they brought old grudges, personal ambitions, and carefully cultivated rumors to the battlefield.
This is the story of Richard III’s last year: a king surrounded by suspicion, abandoned by those he needed most, and ultimately killed fighting for his crown.
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--Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Matt Lewis

Before she became known as the Holy Maid of Kent, Elizabeth Barton was an obscure housemaid suffering from mysterious trances and convulsions. Within a few short years, her prophecies had attracted thousands of followers, earned her audiences with some of Europe’s most powerful men, and placed her directly in the path of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
Rebecca is joined by historian and author Hayley Nolan to discuss her new book, Notorious: Anne Boleyn and the Great Tudor Hoax. Together, they explore the machinery behind Barton’s rise, the men who profited from her celebrity, and the coercion that may have shaped her increasingly political visions. They also examine Anne Boleyn’s surprising attempt to bring Barton into her household, Barton’s extraordinary influence over the King’s Great Matter, and the brutal execution that transformed a manipulated young woman into one of Tudor England’s most notorious figures.
Was Elizabeth Barton a prophet, a fraud, a political rebel—or a victim whose voice was controlled by the men around her?
ORDER: Notorious: Anne Boleyn and the Great Tudor Hoax
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Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Hayley Nolan

What if one moment had gone differently for the women of the Tudor dynasty?
In this episode of Tudors Dynasty, Rebecca and Amy are rewriting history once again with a new round of Tudor “What Ifs”—this time focused on the queens whose marriages, pregnancies, and choices helped determine the future of England.
What if Anne of Cleves had been pregnant when Henry VIII decided he wanted their marriage annulled? Would even Henry have dared cast aside the mother of another Tudor prince?
What if Katheryn Howard had fled before she could be arrested? Could she have escaped Henry’s reach—or would she simply have found herself a queen with nowhere to go?
What if Jane Seymour had given birth to a daughter instead of Edward VI? Without his long-awaited son, how quickly would Henry have searched for wife number four—and what would that have meant for the ambitious Seymour family?
And what if Henry VIII had simply remained married to Katherine of Aragon? No Anne Boleyn. No Elizabeth I. Perhaps no break with Rome as we know it. How different would the Tudor dynasty—and England itself—have become?
Plus, Rebecca and Amy venture slightly beyond Henry’s wives to ask one more fascinating question: What if Elizabeth of York had lived long enough to see her son become king? Could the formidable Tudor matriarch have changed the course of Henry VIII’s reign?
No time machines. No definitive answers. Just history, speculation, and the enormous ripple effects of changing one moment in the Tudor story.
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Co-Hosts: Rebecca Larson & Amy McElroy

In Richard III: The Parliament That Made Him Enemies, Rebecca Larson and historian Matt Lewis examine Richard’s landmark Parliament of 1484—an assembly whose legislation was praised even by historians otherwise hostile to his reign.
Richard abolished forced “benevolences,” strengthened protections for people accused of crimes, confronted corruption within the jury system, protected English merchants and land buyers, and expanded access to justice for those unable to afford it. These were extraordinary reforms designed to restrain the powerful and protect ordinary people. But in challenging the privileges and practices of England’s nobility, was Richard also weakening the support upon which his crown depended?
Beyond Parliament, Richard showed remarkable mercy toward those convicted of treason—including Margaret Beaufort, whose continued plotting would help place her son on the throne. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Woodville left sanctuary and entrusted her daughters to Richard’s court, Richard and Anne suffered the devastating loss of their only son, and Henry Tudor gained both an experienced commander and the backing of France.
Richard III may have been governing for the people—but was he making enemies of the very men who had the power to dethrone him?
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Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Matt Lewis

The Battle of Bosworth is often remembered as the inevitable end of Richard III and the triumphant beginning of the Tudor dynasty - but Henry Tudor’s victory was anything but certain.
In this episode, we examine the battle from Richard’s perspective, revealing an experienced commander who entered the field with the larger army and came within seconds of killing Henry Tudor. Far from a final act of desperation, Richard’s legendary cavalry charge may have been a sound tactical decision that almost changed the course of English history.
We also explore Henry’s precarious invasion, the uncertain loyalties of the Stanleys, the three armies gathered at Bosworth, and the last-minute intervention that decided the battle. From French mercenaries and sweating sickness to political betrayal and a remarkably unlikely cast of Tudor supporters, this is the story of how Richard III almost won - and how narrowly the Tudor dynasty came to never existing at all.
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Mikes' Books on Amazon US (you can find them in most retailers as well)
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Support the podcast on Patreon and get COMMERCIAL-FREE episodes, EARLY ACCESS, and EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: https://patreon.com/tudorsdynasty
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Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Dr. Michael Jones