What did Henry VIII REALLY look like?

When you picture Henry VIII, do you see Holbein’s towering figure in furs and jewels—broad, bearded, and imposing? That image is iconic... but it’s not the full story. In this video, I’m going back to the start of Henry’s reign to ask: What did Henry VIII really look like when he took the throne in 1509? Before the tyranny, before the weight gain, before the codpieces and propaganda, Henry was something else entirely. Discover how contemporary eyewitnesses described him What portraits and armour tell us about his build and features And why our mental image of Henry is shaped more by politics than portraits Who would you cast as young Henry in a film or series? Let me know in the comments! Watch next: Tracking Henry VIII’s Weight Gain… Through His Armour - https://youtu.be/sesuSTxpXMs?si=rZ1_jWVl1l-jQ8FZ Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and tap the bell for more myth-busting Tudor history from The Anne Boleyn Files. #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #YoungHenryVIII #AnneBoleynFiles #TudorMonarchy #HolbeinMyth #TudorPortraits #EarlyModernHistory

I can't believe that I've got over 75,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel, and to celebrate it, my lovely husband, Tim, put together a "mastermind" style expert round quiz to test my knowledge on the Tudors and especially the Boleyn family. There's a quick-fire round of two minutes where I have to answer as many questions correctly as I can, and then a slightly more leisurely round where I get some bonus questions. Let me know how many questions you got right by playing along now... THANK YOU to every single one of my subscribers, I really appreciate your support and I read every comment you leave.

The Truth About His Faith and the English Reformation   He broke from Rome. He dissolved the monasteries. He declared himself Supreme Head of the Church of England… So that makes Henry VIII Protestant, right? Not quite. In this video, we explore: Why Henry VIII broke with the Pope (spoiler: it wasn’t about theology) His 1521 book defending the Catholic sacraments against Martin Luther The Act of Supremacy and what it really meant The Six Articles and the continued persecution of Protestants What changed under Henry—and what stayed Catholic The king’s final days and the beliefs he clung to on his deathbed Tell me in the comments: Do you think Henry ever intended to spark a Reformation? Or was it all about control? Like, subscribe, and tap the bell for more daily Tudor history from the Anne Boleyn Files. Watch next:  July 30 - Reformers and Catholics executed on the same day - https://youtu.be/ZUvIWF51n_Q #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #Reformation #EnglishReformation #WasHenryVIIIProtestant #ClaireRidgway #OnThisDay #TudorChurch #CatholicWithoutThePope #HistoryDebunked

We rarely hear about Marten Micron, a young Dutch pastor who came to London as a refugee, and helped organise one of the most radical experiments of Edward VI’s reign: the Stranger Church at Austin Friars. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s video I’ll be sharing the remarkable story of Marten Micron: his ministry among London’s refugees, his influential writings on church order and catechism, his exile under Mary I, and his enduring legacy in the Reformation. In this episode: - Who Marten Micron was and how he came to London. - Why the Stranger Churches were so significant in Edward VI’s England. - Micron’s role in shaping worship, discipline, and teaching. - His exile, death, and why his writings still mattered across Europe. Join me as we uncover the story of a reformer too often forgotten, yet whose influence rippled far beyond Tudor England.   What do you think—should Marten Micron be remembered alongside figures like Cranmer and Calvin? Tell me in the comments! Like, subscribe, and tap the bell so you don’t miss more daily deep dives into Tudor and Reformation history. And if you’d like even more Tudor content—including my monthly digital magazine The Privy Chronicle—consider becoming a channel member and stepping into my Tudor court! #TudorHistory #Reformation #MartenMicron #StrangerChurch #ClaireRidgway

A medal for a massacre. A Te Deum for thousands of deaths. A celebration that still shocks centuries later. On this day in history—11 September 1572—Pope Gregory XIII ordered Rome to give thanks for not one, but two "victories": the Catholic triumph over the Ottomans at Lepanto and the mass slaughter of French Protestants during the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. In this episode: The shocking papal reaction to the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre The political and religious tensions behind Gregory’s “thanksgiving” Why he linked the massacre with the naval victory at Lepanto The commemorative medal and what it tells us about 16th-century propaganda Gregory XIII’s surprising legacy—from calendar reform to Jesuit patronage To some, it was divine justice. To others—then and now—it was unthinkable. Watch next: The St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre – https://youtu.be/1DmTMXr0TcQ The Gregorian Calendar - https://youtu.be/VRz98plSjqk Like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more daily deep dives into Tudor and early modern history. #OnThisDay #StBartholomewsDay #Lepanto #GregoryXIII #TudorHistory #Reformation #CounterReformation #ClaireRidgway #GregorianCalendar #HistoryDebate #ReligiousHistory #EarlyModernEurope

On this day in Tudor history—10 September 1557—Joyce Lewis was led to the stake at Lichfield for her Protestant faith. Eyewitnesses said she faced the flames with cheerfulness. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and in today’s episode, I share the powerful and heartbreaking story of a Tudor gentlewoman who chose faith and conscience over compliance—with devastating consequences. In this video: Her noble lineage and tragic first marriage The moment that changed her faith Her arrest, trial, and unwavering defence of conscience Her final toast to gospel believers The dignity and defiance she showed at the stake Her lasting legacy, memorialised centuries later in Mancetter This is the story of a woman whose quiet courage still echoes today. Like, comment, and subscribe for more daily Tudor history stories. What do you think sustained Joyce Lewis’s bravery—faith, community, or sheer inner resolve? Tell me in the comments. Want more Tudor content, including my monthly digital magazine The Privy Chronicle? Consider becoming a channel member and stepping into my Tudor court! #TudorHistory #JoyceLewis #MarianMartyrs #OnThisDay #ProtestantMartyrs #MaryI #ClaireRidgway #TudorWomen #FaithAndFire #HistoryWithHeart #TudorMartyrs #ReformationHistory

We are as near to Heaven by sea as by land.” On this day, 9 September 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s tiny ship, the Squirrel, disappeared in an Atlantic storm, and an audacious Elizabethan life ended in a flash of foam and darkness. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway, and today we follow Gilbert’s extraordinary arc: Devon gentleman and half-brother to Sir Walter Ralegh; soldier praised at Newhaven and feared in Munster for brutal tactics; polemicist for a Northwest Passage and English colonisation; MP who clashed in Parliament; and, finally, patent-holder who sailed to Newfoundland and claimed St John’s for Queen Elizabeth I, before disaster struck on the homeward voyage. In this episode: Gilbert’s powerful family network (Kat Ashley & the Ralegh connection) Soldier and strategist: praise in France, terror in Ireland Pen and policy: A Discourse of a Discoverie & dreams of an academy The 1583 voyage: The Delight, the Golden Hind, the Swallow, and the fateful Squirrel Claiming St John’s—and losing men, charts, and nerve in a wreck The storm off the Azores and Gilbert’s haunting last words Legacy: how his vision fed later English ventures in the New World If you enjoy these daily Tudor deep dives, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you don’t miss the next one. #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #Elizabethan #Exploration #Newfoundland #SirHumphreyGilbert #WalterRaleigh

Grandson of Mary Boleyn. Cousin to Elizabeth I. Patron to Shakespeare’s company. On 8 September 1603, George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon, died, leaving a legacy that runs from court politics to the playhouse. Some even whispered he was Henry VIII’s grandson. Rumour or not, Carey stood right behind the stage that gave us Hamlet, Henry V and more. I’m historian and author Claire Ridgway. In today’s “On This Day,” meet the steady court insider who helped shape the English Renaissance, from border forts and the Isle of Wight to the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. What you’ll learn: Carey’s Boleyn roots & royal connections Missions to Scotland and a knighthood at Berwick (1570) Roles that kept him close to Elizabeth I (Marshal of the Household, JP, Constable of Bamburgh, Captain of the Isle of Wight) How he supported the fleet during the Spanish Armada Why becoming Lord Chamberlain (1596) mattered to Shakespeare’s troupe Honours (KG, Privy Council) and his late-life legacy under James I The enduring rumour about Tudor blood in the Carey line If you enjoyed this, please like, subscribe, and ring the bell for daily Tudor stories. Tell me in the comments: Do you think the Carey–Tudor blood rumour holds water? #TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #ElizabethI #Shakespeare #LordChamberlainsMen #OnThisDay

Who was Anne Boleyn...really? In this fast, source-based overview I cover her debated birth year, French education, rise to queenship, real influence on religion and politics, the 1536 downfall, and the biggest myths to bin (no, not a sixth finger). Perfect for newcomers and Tudor die-hards. What you’ll learn     • How Mechelen & France shaped her polish and politics     • What Anne actually did as queen: patronage, reform, image     • The 1536 crisis: miscarriage, factions, the trial of the five men     • Myths vs reality: portraits, “witchcraft,” birth year     • Legacy, places to visit, and what we still don’t know     • My take on Anne Boleyn's fall   Further reading (starter list)     • Eric Ives, The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn     • Claire Ridgway, The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown     • G. W. Bernard, Anne Boleyn: Fatal Attractions     • Retha M. Warnicke, The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn     Watch next:  Anne’s Fall playlist (step-by-step from April–May 1536) - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLepqWJ7TpkrIov3Augf3dy9QDBFL1yViK Anne Boleyn and the Boleyns playlist - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLepqWJ7TpkrLjVti06aNo1KLQg9Cn64FR

Join me for a lively deep-dive with historian and author Amy McElroy—whose books include Educating the Tudors and Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era, with Mary Tudor, Queen of France out next and a new project on Desiderius Erasmus underway. We talk Tudor education, women’s real power at home and court, Mary Tudor’s overlooked influence, and why Erasmus matters. In this interview, we explore: How Amy fell in love with history and turned blogging into books Educating the Tudors: what (and how) children learned—across class and gender Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era: daughters, wives, mothers, widows—how much agency did they really have? Mary Tudor, Queen of France: the sister who shaped a dynasty—beyond the shadow of Henry VIII Erasmus: Europe’s sharpest mind—visionary or misunderstood? Research wins, writing routines, audience Qs, and a quick-fire Tudor round About my guest: Amy McElroy is the author of Educating the Tudors (2023), Women’s Lives in the Tudor Era (2024), and Mary Tudor, Queen of France (2025), with Desiderius Erasmus: The Folly or Far Sightedness of Renaissance Europe's Greatest Mind (2026) forthcoming. She co-hosts The Tudor Notebook on Substack and has appeared on several podcasts. Links: Amy’s books & Substack — https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Amy-McElroy/author/B0BBSK2SDQ, https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amy-McElroy/author/B0BBSK2SDQ, https://amymcelroy.substack.com/ My December online event The Other Tudors: The Forgotten Figures Who Shaped a Dynasty — Launching soon at https://claireridgway.com/ - keep an eye out! Subscribe for more Tudor interviews & deep dives Say hello in the comments: Which part of Mary Tudor’s story deserves its own episode? And what’s your take on Erasmus?