Gifts Fit for a King or Queen: The Secret Politics of Tudor New Year Gifts

What did Tudor families do at Christmas once the feasting slowed, the music quietened, and the Yule log glowed on the hearth? They played games, and some of them are still incredibly fun today. Welcome to Day 4 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we’re stepping into the warm, bustling world of Tudor fireside entertainment. From nobles in great halls to sailors aboard the Mary Rose, people in Tudor England filled the long winter evenings with: - Dice games like Cent, Raffles, and Passage - Card games from gentle Noddy to high-stakes Primero — Henry VIII’s favourite - Board games including backgammon (“tables”), chess, Fox and Geese, and Nine Men’s Morris - Shove-board and early billiards for the elite - And simple household fun like pick-up sticks These games weren’t just entertainment. They were connection - a way for families and communities to share laughter, competition, mischief, and companionship throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas. If you’re enjoying this festive journey through Tudor history, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell - more Christmas magic is coming tomorrow!   #TudorChristmas #TudorHistory #ChristmasTraditions #HistoryWithClaire #HenryVIII #MedievalGames #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #AnneBoleynFiles #ChristmasHistory

Did you know the Tudors didn’t give gifts at Christmas? For them, New Year’s Day was the most political, strategic, and nerve-wracking day of the entire festive season; a glittering ritual where loyalty was displayed, and favour was won (or lost). Welcome to Day 3 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we’re stepping inside the astonishing world of Tudor gift-giving. In this episode, you’ll learn: - Why New Year’s Day was the true “gift season” - How Henry VIII used gifts to reward, punish, and send unmistakable signals - What Anne Boleyn gave (and what Henry gave her in return!) - The lavish presents exchanged across the reigns of Mary I and Elizabeth I - Why gifts were not sentimental… but political tools From Holbein-designed silver fountains to early wristwatches, from embroidered coats to gold whistles, Tudor New Year’s gifts tell us everything about power, favour, and desire at court. If you enjoy this deep dive into Tudor ritual, please like, subscribe, and let me know in the comments: Which Tudor monarch would YOU choose a gift for, and what would you give them?   #TudorChristmas #TudorHistory #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #NewYearsDay #RoyalHistory #HistoryWithClaire #TudorCourt #OnThisDay #HistoricalFacts

Welcome to Day 2 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! Today, we’re stepping into the smoky, bustling, gloriously extravagant royal kitchens of Henry VIII to uncover the unforgettable dishes served at a Tudor Christmas feast. While Advent was a month of fasting and restraint, everything changed the moment Midnight Mass ended on Christmas Day. And nobody feasted with more splendour — or spent more money — than Henry VIII. His very first Christmas as king cost the modern equivalent of £13.5 million! Join me, historian and author Claire Ridgway, as we explore: The dazzling meats on the king’s table The terrifying Tudor showpiece: the “cockatrice” The ceremonial boar’s head, carried in to trumpets, drums, and song Sugary marvels like marchpane sculptures, leech, gilded fruits and sugar-plate creations Tudor Christmas drinks — mulled wine, hippocras, Christmas ale, and lamb’s wool The original Christmas pie, stuffed with layer upon layer of birds We’ll also explore what ordinary Tudor families ate, why Christmas food symbolised power, and how feasting became a kind of royal performance. Thank you for joining me for Day 2 of our journey toward Christmas! Tomorrow, in Day 3, we’ll dive into Tudor gift-giving — when presents were exchanged and what a king or queen might receive. If you’re enjoying this Advent series, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you won’t miss the next podcast.   Related videos: Tudor Quince Marmalade - https://youtu.be/LgVJt7yWH2I Tudor Hippocras - https://youtu.be/yabiVqlV4pw Tudor Gingerbread - https://youtu.be/nFRvDxsDAPk Lambswool Wassail - https://youtu.be/9GDrnPesC2Y #TudorChristmas #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #ChristmasHistory #MedievalChristmas #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #TudorFood #HistoricalCooking #AdventSeries

Most of us think Advent means calendars, chocolate, and switching on the Christmas playlist… But for our medieval and Tudor ancestors, Advent meant something completely different. Welcome to Day 1 of my Tudor Christmas Advent series! Today we’re stepping into the medieval and Tudor world to explore what Advent really meant, and how it prepared people for the true Christmas feast that didn’t begin until 25 December. In this episode, I cover: - Why Advent was more like a mini-Lent — a season of fasting and restraint - Why Christmas Eve was the strictest fasting day of all - How the Church shaped December as a time of preparation, not celebration - The older midwinter traditions behind the season - Why a Tudor walking into our modern homes would think we’d started Christmas FAR too early - How Advent set the stage for the Twelve Days of Christmas, with all their feasting, revelry and topsy-turvy fun For the Tudors, Advent wasn’t about treats, it was about waiting. Join me every day as we journey through Tudor Advent and Christmas, exploring St Nicholas and the Boy Bishop, Tudor food and drink, wassailing, mumming, the Lord of Misrule and much more. Do you mark Advent in any special way? Let me know in the comments! If you’d like to walk through a full Tudor Christmas with me, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell for tomorrow’s instalment. #TudorHistory #TudorChristmas #Advent #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #MedievalChristmas #TwelveDaysOfChristmas #HistoryNerd #BritishHistory #TudorTok #ChristmasHistory

On this day in Tudor history, 30 November 1554, England did something astonishing: Parliament itself asked to be forgiven for the kingdom’s break from Rome. This was the crucial first step toward the full reconciliation I covered in my 12 November 1555 video… but today was where it truly began. In this episode, I explore: ✦ Why England couldn’t simply “return” to Rome — it had to be done legally and ceremonially ✦ The role of Cardinal Reginald Pole, papal legate and later the last Catholic Archbishop of Canterbury ✦ The humble petition presented by Lords and Commons to Mary I and Philip of Spain ✦ The dramatic moment Pole, with full papal authority, absolved the realm ✦ Why the day was ordered to be commemorated annually with processions, masses, and sermons ✦ How the reconciliation was swiftly undone after Elizabeth I’s accession Before the public ceremonies of 1555, before the statues and processions, England first had to bow its head, and on this day, it did. If you enjoy travelling through Tudor history with me, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily videos.   12 November 1554 video - When Mary I Turned Back the Clock - https://youtu.be/7Xs5kjM_09A #MaryI #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #EnglishReformation #ReginaldPole #MaryTudor #ReformationHistory #Tudors #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #BritishHistory #HistoryNerd #CatholicHistory

Who was Edward VI? To many, he’s the pale, serious boy in a fur-trimmed coat, a footnote between Henry VIII and Mary I. But in reality, Edward’s short reign reshaped England dramatically. In A Beginner’s Guide to Edward VI, I explore: - His sheltered childhood and intense education - The power struggle between Edward Seymour and John Dudley - The sweeping Protestant reforms that changed England’s religious identity - The rebellions that shook the kingdom - Edward’s final illness, and his disastrous “Devise for the Succession” - How his decisions paved the way for the Lady Jane Grey crisis Edward VI ruled for just six years… yet his policies, beliefs, and fears set England on a path that would shape three Tudor reigns after him. If you enjoy this guide, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell for daily Tudor history! #EdwardVI #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #HistoryYouTube #Tudors #HenryVIII #LadyJaneGrey #EnglishReformation #HistoryNerd #BritishHistory #HistoryDocumentary

On this day in Tudor history, 28 November 1489, a princess was born at Westminster Palace whose life would be shaped by diplomacy, danger, and dynastic destiny. Her name was Margaret Tudor: daughter of Henry VII, sister of Henry VIII, Queen of Scots… and the woman whose descendants would one day unite the crowns of England and Scotland. Sent to Scotland at just thirteen, Margaret became queen consort to James IV, then a young widow after Flodden, and even regent for her infant son, the future James V. Her life, however, was anything but stable. Politics, broken alliances, unhappy marriages, exile, divided loyalties - Margaret endured all of it. But her legacy changed the course of British history. In today’s video, I explore the remarkable, emotional, and often overlooked story of this Tudor princess whose bloodline still sits on the throne. Thank you for watching, and don’t forget to subscribe for your regular dose of Tudor history. Links to more videos: Margaret Tudor's Flight - https://youtu.be/XOQH9WlmhOU Margaret Tudor's Secret Marriage - https://youtu.be/CEE88HDbM4M Margaret Tudor, Queen of Scotland - https://youtu.be/4MyX4SfN5IE The birth of King James V - https://youtu.be/CiXTTLBhjus   #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #MargaretTudor #HenryVII #HenryVIII #MaryQueenOfScots #Scotland #HistoryYouTube #ClaireRidgway #BritishHistory

On this day in Tudor history, 27 November 1556, Henry Parker, 10th Baron Morley, died quietly at his estate in Essex. He was a nobleman, diplomat, scholar… and the father of the famous (and infamous) Jane Boleyn, Lady Rochford. Morley’s life spanned the rise of the Tudor dynasty, and he moved through it with skill: from a childhood in Lady Margaret Beaufort’s household, to service under Henry VIII, to presenting beautifully translated books to the Tudor monarchs themselves. He mixed with the powerful, gifted Machiavelli to Cromwell, survived dangerous political tides, and watched tragedy unfold within his own family, yet his legacy today rests largely in his writings. Join me to explore the story of a man who stood close to some of the most dramatic events and figures of the age, but slipped into the shadows of history. If you enjoy discovering lesser-known Tudors with remarkable stories, do subscribe and ring the bell.   #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #JaneBoleyn #MaryI #HistoryYouTube #TudorCourt #HiddenHistory #ClaireRidgway

Not every Tudor courtier met a grisly end... Some outlived the danger, and shaped history doing so. On this day in 1542, Robert Radcliffe, 1st Earl of Sussex, died quietly after a life of high-stakes politics, military glory, and fierce loyalty to Henry VIII. From disgraced heir to trusted royal insider, Radcliffe navigated the Reformation, royal marriages, rebellions, and thrived. Join me for a fascinating look at a noble who helped make Tudor England, and lived to tell the tale. Watch, like & subscribe for more Tudor insights. Comment below: what surprised you most about Robert Radcliffe’s career, his military service, his marital alliances, or his role under Henry VIII?   #RobertRadcliffe #EarlOfSussex #TudorNobility #Dissolution #PilgrimageOfGrace #GreatMatter #LordGreatChamberlain

On this day in history, 25 November 1467, Thomas Dacre was born; a man who rose from the turbulent Anglo-Scottish border to become one of Tudor England’s most influential northern magnates. Soldier, strategist, landowner, and power-broker… his story is far richer than the brief mentions he usually gets in the history books. From a dramatic marriage to a pivotal role in one of Henry VIII’s greatest military moments, Dacre helped shape politics and warfare far from the royal court. Join me as I explore the life of a man who deserves far more attention than he gets. If you enjoy deep dives into lesser-known Tudor figures, don’t forget to subscribe and ring the bell. #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #ThomasDacre #BattleOfFlodden #Tudors #HenryVIII #BritishHistory #HistoryYouTube #TudorEngland