The Tudor Courtier You’ve Never Heard Of

On this day in Tudor history, 21st November 1558, a devoted servant of both Queen Mary I and her husband, Philip of Spain, died tragically young. His name was James Bassett. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video, I uncover the remarkable story of this scholar, exile, courtier, diplomat, and loyal servant of a queen and a king. Born around 1526, Bassett was connected to the royal bloodline through his stepfather, Arthur Plantagenet, Viscount Lisle, an illegitimate son of Edward IV. His education was exceptional, taking him from Reading Abbey to prestigious colleges in Paris and St Omer, shaping him into a learned and refined young courtier. But loyalty came at a price. When his mentor Stephen Gardiner fell from favour under Edward VI, Bassett stood by him, even when it meant imprisonment and exile for his Catholic faith.  When Mary I ascended the throne, everything changed. Gardiner returned as Lord Chancellor, and Bassett’s fortunes soared.  His personal life reflected the same devotion: he married Mary Roper, granddaughter of Sir Thomas More, forming a union steeped in faith and scholarship. Yet his promising career was tragically short.  James Bassett died on 21st November 1558 at Blackfriars, London, aged just about thirty-two. In this episode, explore: • His deep loyalty to Stephen Gardiner • His imprisonment and exile under Edward VI • His rise at the courts of Mary I and Philip of Spain • His diplomatic missions and political influence • His marriage into the family of Sir Thomas More • Why his life, though brief, reveals so much about Tudor politics and faith #TudorHistory #JamesBassett #MaryI #PhilipOfSpain #TudorCourt #OnThisDay #HistoryYouTube #TudorDynasty #StephenGardiner #SirThomasMore #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles

The Bizarre Death of Sir Marmaduke Constable   On this day in Tudor history, 20th November 1518, a seasoned soldier and loyal servant of four Tudor kings met one of the strangest deaths ever recorded: Sir Marmaduke Constable supposedly died after swallowing a frog or toad that had slipped into his drinking water. Yes… you read that correctly. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video I reveal the incredible life, and legendary death, of this remarkable Tudor knight. Before the bizarre tale that made him a Yorkshire legend, Marmaduke Constable had lived a life of true service and courage. He fought in France under Edward IV, earned a knighthood at Berwick, served as Knight of the Body to both Richard III and Henry VII, and commanded the left wing of the English army at Flodden, one of the great military victories of Henry VIII’s reign. But it was the story of his extraordinary death that captured imaginations for centuries. Local tradition claimed that a frog or toad lodged itself near his heart and killed him, and his tomb at St Oswald’s Church, Flamborough, even includes a carving said to show the creature believed to have ended his life. Was this legend rooted in truth? A misunderstanding? Or just a macabre Tudor tale that grew in the telling? In this episode, you’ll discover: • Marmaduke’s rise through the great northern families • His service under four monarchs • His command at the Battle of Flodden • Why Henry VIII personally thanked him • How a strange rumour turned into a centuries-old legend • The real history behind “the knight who died of a toad” Join me as we dive into bravery, loyalty, and one unforgettable Tudor mystery. If you enjoyed today’s story, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history videos. #TudorHistory #OnThisDay  #WeirdHistory  #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles #StrangeDeaths #StupidDeaths

On this day in history, 19th November 1604, one of the most gifted churchmen of Elizabethan and early Jacobean England died - Richard Edes, Dean of Worcester, royal chaplain, poet, playwright, and one of the scholars appointed to help translate the King James Bible. Edes was only fifty years old when he died, and his death came just months after the great translation project began. He never lived to take part in the work that would define English religious life for centuries, yet his story opens a remarkable window into the world of late Tudor scholarship. In today’s episode, I explore the life of this remarkable but often overlooked scholar: • His rise through Tudor academia • The plays and poems he composed as a young man • Queen Elizabeth’s affectionate joke about her “three cousins” from the Isle of Wight • His church career and court connections • And the legacy he left behind at Worcester, Oxford, and beyond Join me as we remember Richard Edes, a man who stood at the crossroads of faith, learning, and language. If you enjoy discovering forgotten Tudor figures, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily Tudor history. #TudorHistory #RichardEdes #KingJamesBible #ElizabethI #JamesI #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles

The Ridolfi Plot Explained He wasn’t a soldier, a spy, or a nobleman, but a Florentine banker who nearly toppled a queen.    In 1571, Roberto di Ridolfi masterminded one of the boldest conspiracies of Elizabeth I’s reign, a plan backed by the Pope, Philip II of Spain, and Mary, Queen of Scots. His goal? To invade England, overthrow Elizabeth, and restore Catholic rule, all funded through secret banking channels. But one intercepted letter at Dover changed everything. Join me, historian Claire Ridgway, for the true story of The Ridolfi Plot, a tale of spies, Spanish gold, and the banker who talked too much. #ElizabethI #TudorHistory #RidolfiPlot #MaryQueenOfScots #TudorConspiracies

How England Celebrated Accession Day Like a National Holiday   Every year on 17th November, England erupted in bells, bonfires, and jousting tournaments, all to celebrate Queen Elizabeth I’s Accession Day. It wasn’t just royal pageantry,  it was faith, theatre, and politics rolled into one. Knights broke lances before the Queen, the people burned effigies of the Pope, and Elizabeth became “England’s Deborah,” the saviour of Protestant England. Discover how one day in 1558 became the biggest celebration in Tudor England, and how it lived on for centuries after the Virgin Queen’s death. Listen now to uncover the story behind England’s greatest royal festival. #ElizabethI #TudorHistory #AccessionDay #Gloriana #TudorEngland #History

A thin, cautious man stepped onto a Welsh beach in August 1485 with fewer soldiers than his enemy, and more to lose than anyone in England. Three weeks later, he had killed a king, married his rival’s niece, and founded a dynasty that still shapes Britain. He was Henry VII - quiet, calculating, and absolutely not boring. In this beginner’s guide, I explore how the first Tudor monarch ended the Wars of the Roses, rebuilt royal authority, and quietly transformed England from chaos to stability. Forget the myth of the miserly king in his counting house, this Henry knew how to wield power, throw a party with dragons and castles on wheels, and plan dynasties like a master strategist. In this podcast: • How Henry won Bosworth and united Lancaster and York • His clever diplomacy, finances, and propaganda • The truth behind his “boring” reputation • The personal losses that reshaped his reign • How his quiet vision laid the groundwork for Henry VIII and Elizabeth I If Henry VIII was fireworks, Henry VII was the fuse, less flashy, but far more important. Recommended reading: Nathen Amin, Son of Prophecy Tell me in the comments: what surprised you most about Henry VII? #HenryVII #TudorHistory #WarsOfTheRoses #TudorDynasty #BritishHistory #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #BeginnerHistory

A jealous husband. A royal favourite. A queen held at gunpoint. On the night of 9 March 1566, David Rizzio, secretary to Mary, Queen of Scots, was dragged from her side and stabbed over fifty times in Holyrood Palace, while the pregnant queen was forced to watch. But what really lay behind this shocking act? Was Rizzio Mary’s lover? Or was her husband, Lord Darnley, jealous for a different reason? Or was Rizzio just a scapegoat? Join me as I explore the true story behind the Rizzio Murder, where court gossip, sexual scandal, and ruthless politics collided, setting Mary on the path to her downfall. Listen to uncover: - Why Rizzio rose so quickly in Mary’s service - How Darnley’s ambition and insecurity turned deadly - The truth behind those rumours of a royal love triangle - How one murder changed the fate of Scotland’s most tragic queen History, passion, and power — Tudor and Stuart style. Subscribe for more true historical scandals and royal mysteries. #MaryQueenOfScots #LordDarnley #DavidRizzio #TudorHistory #StuartHistory #RoyalScandal #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgwa

The Martyrdom of Hugh Faringdon   On this day in Tudor history, 14 November 1539, a man of God was executed at the gate of his own abbey. His name was Hugh Faringdon, Abbot of Reading, a scholar, royal chaplain, and faithful servant of the Church, condemned as a traitor and hanged like a criminal.   Join me as I tell the powerful and tragic story of Abbot Hugh Faringdon, who tried to balance loyalty to King Henry VIII with faith in the old Church, and paid with his life. Discover: The rise of Hugh Faringdon from monk to abbot of one of England’s greatest monasteries How he served Henry VIII faithfully before the Dissolution of the Monasteries Why refusing to surrender Reading Abbey made him a target of Thomas Cromwell’s regime The brutal execution that shocked Tudor England And how, centuries later, he was beatified as Blessed Hugh Faringdon, a martyr of conscience. Today, the ruins of Reading Abbey still stand as a silent witness to his courage and conviction. #HughFaringdon #HenryVIII #DissolutionOfTheMonasteries #TudorHistory #ReadingAbbey #TudorMartyrs #OnThisDay #EnglishReformation #TudorFaith #TheAnneBoleynFiles #ClaireRidgway #CatholicHistory #TudorEngland

On this day in Tudor history, 13 November 1537, England mourned its queen. Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife and the mother of Prince Edward, was laid to rest in St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle. Her death twelve days after childbirth plunged court and kingdom into grief. Join me as I retrace Jane’s final journey from Hampton Court Palace, where she gave birth and died, to Windsor, where her body was borne in a grand procession of torches, banners, and black-clad mourners. Discover: Details on the procession and service Lady Mary’s role as chief mourner The city-wide mourning in London, with bells tolling across every parish And the poignant detail that Jane’s heart and entrails were buried separately. Jane Seymour’s funeral marked the end of a brief, brilliant chapter - the queen who gave Henry VIII the son he longed for and, in death, secured her place beside him for eternity. #TudorHistory #JaneSeymour #HenryVIII #SixWives #WindsorCastle #HamptonCourt #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles

On this day in Tudor history, 12 November 1555, Queen Mary I turned back the religious clock. Parliament passed the Second Statute of Repeal, restoring papal authority and reuniting England with the Catholic Church after more than twenty years of upheaval. I explore how Mary achieved what had once seemed impossible: Undoing her father Henry VIII’s break with Rome and her brother Edward VI’s Protestant reforms Bringing England spiritually home to the Pope Balancing faith and politics by protecting nobles’ monastic lands And why, intriguingly, she kept the title “Supreme Head of the Church” even as she restored papal power For three short years, England was once again Catholic, until Mary’s death in 1558 and Elizabeth I’s sweeping reversal. Was Mary’s vision of unity ever possible in a country so divided by faith? Share your thoughts in the comments below. #TudorHistory #MaryI #CounterReformation #Reformation #QueenMaryI #ClaireRidgway #TheAnneBoleynFiles