Podcast Summary: Not Just the Tudors – "From Succession to Codpieces: Your Tudor Questions Answered"

Host: Professor Suzannah Lipscomb
Guests: Professor Alec Ryrie (historian, religion), Professor Maria Hayward (clothing historian)
Release Date: December 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In celebration of the upcoming fifth anniversary and 500th episode of “Not Just the Tudors,” Professor Suzannah Lipscomb answers a diverse array of listener questions about the Tudor era with help from expert historians. Covering topics from the impact of Victorian historians on Tudor history, the fates of royal heirs, and the communication of religious doctrine, to the roles of women, knitting, and the notorious codpiece, this episode offers both fun and nuanced insights into one of history’s most captivating periods.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Victorian Influence on Tudor History

[02:15-10:14]

• Listener Question (Sharon from Brisbane): How much have Victorian historians shaped—and mis-shaped—our understanding of the Tudors?
• Suzannah: Victorian scholars made massive contributions by cataloguing and summarizing Tudor documents, but their biases shaped what survived. They produced “calendared” abstracts (summaries often in third person), making choices about which events and voices mattered and omitting topics they found trivial (e.g., magic, women’s perspectives).
  • "Even heroes like Bergenroth, when they're selecting documents, they had to decide what was important enough to make it into the record... it's not that the Victorians weren't factual, but to summarize means to choose." – Suzannah (05:55)
• Victorian-era ideals coloured interpretations of figures like Catherine of Aragon and Catherine Howard and influenced popular imagery (e.g., the painting of Lady Jane Grey’s execution).

2. Betrothals & Heirs: The Case of Edward VI

[10:14-12:58]

• Listener Question (Christina from Toronto): Was Henry VIII’s son Edward VI betrothed to anyone?
• Suzannah: Edward VI was betrothed to Mary Queen of Scots (1543), later to Elizabeth de Valois (1551), and possibly considered for Lady Jane Grey. Such alliances were political, and consummation was delayed until age 16 due to health beliefs.
  • "Edward certainly was being considered and certainly was engaged at various points... but normally speaking, 16 was the age at which a marriage would happen." – Suzannah (11:37)

3. Religion and Communication in Tudor England

[12:58-20:27]

• Listener Question (Venka from the Netherlands): How did ordinary Tudors learn which religion to follow?
• Guest Expert: Professor Alec Ryrie: The liturgy (church services) was the regime’s main broadcast tool. Major religious changes were declared via sermons, proclamations read at markets, and—innovatively by Henry VIII—imposing oaths (e.g., Oath of Succession) on the population.
  • "The first thing that any of the Tudor regimes do when they come to power is try to take control of the liturgy, because it's the closest thing that the Tudor governments have to a mass broadcast technology." – Alec Ryrie (13:51)
• Influence and penetration of these communications were hard to measure; rumors (and “misinformation”) occasionally triggered serious crises, like pretenders to the throne.

4. Atheism in the Tudor Period

[20:27-25:11]

• Listener Question (Graham from Gloucestershire): Were there atheists in the 16th century?
• Alec Ryrie: Yes, but definitions differ. Scepticism (“unbelief”) existed more as resistance to organized religion rather than philosophical atheism. The actual term "atheist" was an insult akin to “godless.”
  • "What you have is much more that kind of unsophisticated, more emotionally led, 'oh, it's all nonsense'... the word atheist in this period means something more like what we might mean by a term like godless or impious." – Alec Ryrie (20:59, 23:45)

5. Henry Fitzroy: Fact, Rumor, and Literary Afterlife

[27:37-33:57]

• Listener Question (Michelle from Florida): What’s the real story of Henry Fitzroy, Henry VIII’s illegitimate son? Rumors of heirship and unusual death?

• Suzannah: Fitzroy was favored and granted top titles (Earl of Nottingham, Duke of Richmond & Somerset), possibly in preparation for legitimizing him. Parliament passed an act in 1536 allowing Henry to choose his heir, but Fitzroy died young that July. Some rumors and novels imagine supernatural circumstances (e.g., Fitzroy as a vampire), but historically his role and death were significant for being on the brink of possible succession.

  • "In early July of 1536, Richmond fell ill and he died on the 23rd of July. And earlier in July, Parliament had passed an act which... allowed Henry to designate whomever he liked as his successor." – Suzannah (33:30)

6. Education for Women in Tudor England

[33:57-37:22]

• Listener Question (Alex from Burlington, Canada): Why were some of Henry VIII’s wives well educated, while others were not?
• Suzannah: Education depended on the parents’ values and local culture. Catherine of Aragon's mother was determined her daughters would be highly educated due to political necessity in Spain. Other examples include Anne Boleyn and Thomas More’s daughters, whereas Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves had more traditional, practical skills.
  • "The quality of a girl's education depended very much on her parents, and that some countries and cultures valued it more than others." – Suzannah (37:07)

7. Knitting in the Tudor World

[38:31-43:39]

• Listener Question (Amy Brony, Canada): Did Tudors knit, and who did it? How did the wool trade work?
• Guest Expert: Professor Maria Hayward:
  • Knitting (especially of hose, stockings, caps) was widespread by late 16th century; legislation even required men/boys to wear wool caps (1571).
  • Knitted items included accessories, children's wear, and by late century, decorative jackets and jumpers.
  • Professional male knitters served the guilds, but as the industry expanded, knitting became family and community work—sometimes leisure for elite women.
  • "Knitted garments were a really important part of Tudor life... by the end of the century we're starting to get the beginnings of decorative jumpers like ganseys." – Maria Hayward (39:17)

8. The Origin, Rise, and Fall of the Codpiece

[43:39-51:10]

• Listener Question (Paul from West Devon): Why and how did the codpiece become prominent, and what did it mean socially or politically?
• Professor Maria Hayward: Began as a practical patch for the gap between men’s hose, but by the 16th century became a showy, padded garment reflecting masculinity and status.
  • Socially, the codpiece was conspicuous consumption and male rivalry; criticized by some as lewd—“a useless model of a member that we cannot even decently mention by name, but which we show off and parade in public.” (quoted, Michel de Montaigne, 46:35).
  • Politically, its display in Henry VIII’s portraits was seen as an assertion of fertility and kingship.
  • Declined under Elizabeth I, as fashions tightened and emphasis shifted; the Queen’s unmarried status may have encouraged more modest male dress.
  • The codpiece was not, in fact, a practical container, nor primarily linked to syphilis.
  • "The codpiece is not a container... it's completely fake. You can choose how big, how small the shape... it's freely at male discretion." – Maria Hayward (50:05)
  • "Perhaps one could make a case that having a really big codpiece is like having a really big car today." – Suzannah (50:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Victorian Bias:
  • "The abstracts in the calendars are not a faithful transcription of every word... what the Victorians found or thought worthy of interest depended on what they were looking for." – Suzannah (07:23)
• On Tudor Communication Methods:
  • "The first thing... is to take control of the liturgy, because it's the closest thing ... to a mass broadcast technology." – Alec Ryrie (13:51)
• On Tudor Atheism:
  • "It's awfully much as if dead people really are dead." – Alec Ryrie (21:28)
• On Male Fashion Rivalry:
  • "You get that sense of... the slightly competitive nature of who can wear the largest codpiece with the most bravado." – Maria Hayward (45:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:15 – Episode Introduction and Victorian influence
• 04:49 – What the Victorians Got Wrong About the Tudors
• 10:22 – Edward VI’s Betrothals and Succession
• 13:04 – How Did Tudors Know Which Religion to Follow? (feat. Prof. Alec Ryrie)
• 20:33 – Tudor Atheists: Did They Exist? (feat. Prof. Alec Ryrie)
• 27:42 – Life, Heir Status, and Death of Henry Fitzroy
• 33:57 – Education for Tudor Women
• 38:31 – Knitting in Tudor England (feat. Prof. Maria Hayward)
• 43:39 – The Codpiece: Origins and Social Meaning (feat. Prof. Maria Hayward)
• 48:42 – Codpiece Decline and Women’s Rule
• 51:10 – Closing Thanks and Invitation for More Listener Questions

Conclusion

This Q&A episode showcased the breadth of Tudor history, answering listener questions with expert insights and anecdotes. Covering everything from entrenched historical myths to the practicalities of everyday life and flamboyant fashions, it’s a must-listen for anyone seeking to understand the complex tapestry of the 16th century.