The Rest Is History – Episode 618: Elizabeth I: The Shadow of the Tower (Part 3)
Released: November 17, 2025
Hosts: Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook

Episode Overview

In this captivating installment, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook dig deep into the tumultuous years that saw Elizabeth I’s survival during the reign of her half-sister Mary Tudor (“Bloody Mary”). The episode traces the final years of Mary’s rule, the perils Elizabeth faced—including imprisonment in the Tower—and the dynastic, religious, and political intrigue of the mid-Tudor period. Through expert storytelling and sharp analysis, the hosts demystify Mary’s infamous reputation, explore the complex landscape of religious identity in post-Reformation England, and set the stage for Elizabeth’s rise to power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Literary & Historical Legacy of Mary Tudor

• John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs — The hosts open with Foxe's influential text, which painted Mary as “Bloody Mary” and lauded Elizabeth as the Protestant savior.
  • “It was published in 1563... one of the foundational texts, you might argue, of English national identity.” (Dominic, 04:30)
• Foxe contrasts Mary’s “thirst for blood” with Elizabeth’s peaceful, learned, and godly persona, shaping their legacies.

2. Catholic versus Protestant: A Fluid Divide

• The language of division (“Protestant” vs. “Catholic”) was only starting to clarify after Edward VI’s death.
  • “Not really, it's still a little bit muddy... the sense of Europe being divided into kind of rival poles is starting to clarify.” (Tom, 07:40)
• Most English people didn’t self-identify on these religious lines; religious and cultural identities remained in flux.

3. Mary and Elizabeth: Sisters and Rivals

• Both were declared bastards and removed from the succession by Henry VIII and Edward VI.
  • “Both of them have been officially and legally declared bastards by act of Parliament.” (Tom, 11:10)
• Mary’s accession was hailed by the people, but Elizabeth was publicly popular— perhaps even more so.
  • “The cheering for her as the younger and more glamorous sister is louder.” (Tom, 16:08)
  • “Her reliance on the love of her subjects will be a running theme.” (Tom, 16:52)

4. Religious Policy Under Mary

• Mary envisioned her Catholic restoration as “housekeeping”—a return to order more than a counter-reformation.
  • “She feels that she's not kind of instituting a Counter Reformation, really. As I say, it's just a kind of process of housekeeping.” (Tom, 21:42)
• Burning of heretics was seen as a failure, not a goal; nonetheless, her reign became associated with violence due to Protestant propaganda.

5. Dynastic Uncertainties & Foreign Policy

• Mary’s marriage to Philip of Spain was seen by supporters as a masterstroke, ensuring protection against France, but sparked nationalist and anti-Catholic backlash.
  • “It is an amazing coup.” (Dominic, 26:01)
• Parliament and public harbored suspicions about England becoming subservient to Spain.

6. Wyatt’s Rebellion and Elizabeth’s Imprisonment

• 1554: Multiple conspiracies brewed, the most successful led by Sir Thomas Wyatt (the younger), aiming to replace Mary with Elizabeth.
  • “They've found themselves out in the cold. So since Mary took over, it's kind of your classic Tudor faction fight to some degree.” (Dominic, 32:00)
• Elizabeth was implicated (rightly or wrongly), interrogated, and imprisoned in the Tower—evoking the shadow of her mother, Anne Boleyn.
  • “Elizabeth is a very shrewd operator already. She's not the woman who is going to leave incriminating evidence around.” (Tom, 35:29)

7. Elizabeth’s Ordeal: The Tower & Woodstock

• Her emotional appeals to Mary and skillful delaying tactics are detailed.
  • “One of Elizabeth's favourite tactics when she's cornered... is just to delay, to prevaricate, to string people along.” (Tom, 46:43)
• Psychological warfare: Elizabeth is moved through the same gateways and quarters associated with her mother's downfall.
  • “The echoes of Anne Boelyn's fate... are so manifest that it can't be coincidental.” (Tom, 51:38)
• Eventually released to house arrest at dilapidated Woodstock—her isolation heightened, but not destroyed.

8. Bloody Mary—Myth and Reality

• Only about 280-300 Protestants executed under Mary—compared in context to more severe repressions by other Tudors.
  • “If you look at the Pilgrimage of Grace... Henry put 250 Catholics to death, and that's basically in a few weeks.” (Tom, 60:31)
• Many victims would have received the same fate under Protestant monarchs for extreme heresies.
  • “Several of them would have been burned under Edward VI or Henry viii.” (Tom, 61:09)
• Marian foreign policy had some successes, including revival of the navy under Philip's prompting.

9. The Endgame: Mary’s Death and Elizabeth’s Ascension

• Mary died, childless, in 1558—a series of phantom pregnancies compounding her personal tragedy.
  • “It’s kind of Mary's great tragedy... this burning desperation for a child and it just causes her, you know, she dies knowing she has failed.” (Tom, 68:49)
• William Cecil and Elizabeth prepared a “shadow government” for a Protestant restoration even as Mary lingered.
  • “From this point on, William Cecil effectively is at Elizabeth's right hand.” (Tom, 71:10)
• Upon Mary’s death, Elizabeth receives the crown with somber acknowledgment of her burden—and her readiness.
  • “The law of nature moveth me to sorrow for my sister. The burden that has fallen upon me maketh me amazed.” (Elizabeth, via Tom, 72:46)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Foxe (via Tom, 05:31):

  • “Mary filled England with smoke from... the burning of God's saints, whereas Elizabeth, when she comes to the throne, is all about the advancement of learning and godliness.”

• Elizabeth’s letter from her imprisonment (Dominic, 43:32):

  • “I never practiced, counsel nor consented to anything that might be prejudicial to your person in any way or dangerous to the state by any means... I humbly beseech your majesty to let me answer her for yourself and not suffer me to trust to your counselors.”

• On the label “Bloody Mary” (Tom, 61:46):

  • “The image of Mary as bloody is a genius work of propaganda on the part of Fox and that's why his book is so seismically influential.”

• On Mary’s approach to heresy (Tom, 58:54):

  • “She and her agents do not go around sniffing out heretics. The people who are charged and interrogated, and if they refuse to repent, then burnt, are people who've been denounced by their neighbors. And Mary undoubtedly would much rather not have executed them.”

Essential Timestamps

• 04:19–06:47 – Introduction of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs; framing Mary and Elizabeth in collective memory
• 09:54–12:57 – The bastardization of Mary and Elizabeth; succession crisis following Edward VI
• 16:08–16:52 – Elizabeth’s public popularity during Mary’s coronation
• 22:16–23:45 – Elizabeth’s cautious responses to religious pressure
• 26:04–29:15 – Mary’s proposed marriage to Philip of Spain and efforts to retain English autonomy
• 32:14–36:27 – The unfolding of Wyatt’s Rebellion; the threat to Elizabeth
• 43:32–44:55 – The emotional toll of Elizabeth’s imprisonment; her heart-wrenching appeal to Mary
• 50:09–51:14 – Consequences of lack of evidence against Elizabeth; her eventual release from the Tower
• 54:37–55:28 – The iconic “diamond ring” at Woodstock; psychological warfare against Elizabeth
• 58:06–61:46 – Revisionist view on Mary’s violence and suppression in context
• 68:12–69:59 – Mary’s desperate, failed efforts to produce a Catholic heir
• 71:09–72:46 – William Cecil’s role in Elizabeth’s preparations for power; Elizabeth receives the crown

Tone and Language

The episode is marked by a witty, conversational style—both academic and accessible—intermixed with empathetic, sometimes sympathetic appraisals of oft-maligned historical figures. While challenging stereotypes (like “Bloody Mary”), Tom and Dominic use sharp humor and modern analogies (e.g., “Brexity vibe,” “Henry viii was right about one thing…”), making the narration inviting and relatable. Their handling of Elizabeth’s psychological trials and political acumen is admiring but grounded in the realities of ruthless Tudor court politics.

Further Listening

The episode ends on a cliffhanger, teasing the next chapter: Elizabeth’s early years as queen, her religious settlement, and the looming challenge of Mary, Queen of Scots. Listeners interested in the darker corners of Tudor history or the making of the Elizabethan Golden Age will find much to anticipate.

For comprehensive, vivid storytelling and shrewd historical argument, this episode is essential listening for fans of Tudor drama, religious history, and those seeking to move beyond the old caricatures of Mary and Elizabeth.