In this episode of the Anglotopia Podcast, Jonathan Thomas is joined by Sarah Morris — creator of the Tudor Travel Guide, author of multiple Tudor books, including her novel about Anne Boleyn, and co-founder of Simply Tudor Tours — for a sweeping, entertaining, and deeply informative crash course in Tudor Britain. Calling it Tudor 101, Jonathan and Sarah walk through the full arc of the dynasty: from the unlikely origins of Henry VII emerging from exile to win the crown at Bosworth, through the world-altering reign of Henry VIII and the break with Rome, the short and turbulent reigns of Edward VI and Mary I, and the remarkable story of Elizabeth I and how she turned vulnerability into a kind of genius. Along the way, they tackle the most misunderstood Tudor wife, untangle the confusing web of Marys in the family tree, explain the real-world devastation of the dissolution of the monasteries, and map out the social hierarchy of Tudor England from vagabonds to dukes. Sarah also shares her essential must-visit Tudor sites for American Anglophiles, gives insider tips on getting the most from historic houses and ruins, makes a passionate case for the Mary Rose Museum, and reveals which controversial Tudor drama she secretly loves — and why it launched her writing career.

Links

• Tudor Travel Guide — tudortravelguide.com
• Simply Tudor Tours — simplytudortours.com
• Le Temps Viendra (Sarah's Anne Boleyn novel)
• Sarah's Tudor books on Amazon
• Hampton Court Palace — hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace
• Hever Castle — hevercastle.co.uk
• Tower of London — hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london
• Westminster Abbey — westminster-abbey.org
• National Portrait Gallery — npg.org.uk
• Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth — maryrose.org
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard — historicdockyard.co.uk
• Hatfield House — hatfield-house.co.uk
• Hardwick Hall — nationaltrust.org.uk/hardwick
• Penshurst Place — penshurstplace.com
• Haddon Hall — haddonhall.co.uk
• Kenilworth Castle — english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth
• Fountains Abbey — nationaltrust.org.uk/fountains-abbey
• Rievaulx Abbey — english-heritage.org.uk/rievaulx
• Weald & Downland Living Museum — wealddown.co.uk
• Little Moreton Hall — nationaltrust.org.uk/little-moreton-hall
• Adam Pennington episode
• Friends of Anglotopia

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Takeaways

• The Tudor dynasty was a genuinely unlikely outcome — Henry VII spent 12 years in exile before winning the crown at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485, and his claim