Why are we still so drawn to the Tudor era? Is it Henry VIII? His wives? The soap opera-level intrigue? I called up historian Nicola Clark, author of The Waiting Game, to talk about the women who were always in the background of this history, the ladies in waiting who served Henry VIII’s six wives. These women were information brokers, diplomatic agents, reluctant witnesses, and fierce loyalists, often all at once. We get into orange-hidden messages, impossible loyalty oaths, the question of whether Anne of Cleves actually “won,” and why we simply cannot stop talking about this era. Spoiler: Henry VIII is not actually that interesting. The women around him absolutely are.If you think you know the Tudor story, think again.
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Timestamps
00:00 – Catherine of Aragon could hold a grudge (a preview)
02:32 – How long does it take to write a book like this?
07:18 – So what actually is a lady in waiting?
11:23 – Maria de Salinas and the Spanish archives nobody knew about
18:37 – Messages hidden in oranges (yes, really)
23:22 – Jane Parker: villain, victim, or just surviving?
33:10 – Katherine Howard and the impossible tightrope
52:09 – Why are we so obsessed with the Tudors?
56:53 – The “girl bossification” of women in history
Transcript
Full episode transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MDd1xK5PoUuZf_pkv3a2VXQDM9l3kHtDeIDVAcG4Rd0/edit?usp=sharing
Connect with Mary:
- Website: http://www.marymmahoney.com
- Instagram: @mimimahoney
- Email: [email protected]
Connect with Nicola Clark:
- Website: https://www.chi.ac.uk/people/nicola-clark/
- Instagram: @nicolaclark86
- The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women Who Served the Tudor Queens: A History: https://bookshop.org/a/102042/9781639368099
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