Tudors Dynasty & Beyond

Today I’m joined by historian and friend Sylvia Barbara Soberton to dig into some of the most famous - and widely repeated - myths about the six wives of Henry VIII. From long-standing misconceptions to stories that have taken on a life of their own, we start unpacking what’s fact and what’s fiction. But we had so much fun talking about the first three queens that we completely ran out of time… so this episode is Part One of a two-part conversation.
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Find Sylvia's books on Amazon!
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Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Sylvia Barbara Soberton

Welcome to another Sunday Funday of Off the Record with Amy & Rebecca!
This time I take the lead (forgive me - I’m still getting used to that 😅) as we dive into a few Tudor and Elizabethan relationships that have always fascinated me. We talk about the secret love affair between Margaret Douglas and Lord Thomas Howard, the scandalous marriage of Bess Throckmorton and Walter Raleigh, and the explosive court drama surrounding Anne Vavasour and Edward de Vere.
Then Amy does what Amy does best and ties a beautiful bow on the whole conversation by exploring one of the most complicated relationship dynamics of the era: Bess of Hardwick, George Talbot, and Mary, Queen of Scots.
It’s messy, dramatic, and full of the kind of court intrigue we love to talk about - exactly what a Sunday Funday should be.
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Hosts: Rebecca Larson & Amy McElroy

When people think of the English civil war known as the Anarchy, one name often stands at the center: Empress Matilda, the daughter of Henry I and the woman who almost became England’s first ruling queen. But who was Matilda really-and why did she never wear the crown?
In this episode, Rebecca is joined by historian Matt Lewis to explore the fascinating and often misunderstood story of the woman sometimes called “The Queen Who Never Was.” After the death of her father, Matilda was his designated heir, yet the throne was seized by her cousin Stephen of Blois, plunging England into nearly two decades of conflict.
Matt takes us through Matilda’s extraordinary life-from her time as Holy Roman Empress to her return to England to claim her inheritance. Together, Rebecca and Matt discuss Matilda’s personality and political style, the challenges she faced as a woman claiming power in the 12th century, and the moments when the crown seemed almost within her grasp.
But this conversation also complicates the traditional narrative. Was Stephen simply a usurper-or was he a more sympathetic figure than history often allows? Matt explains why Stephen’s actions might make more sense when viewed through the lens of medieval politics and loyalty.
It’s a story of ambition, legitimacy, personality, and power-and of a woman who came closer than anyone before her to ruling England in her own right.
Join us as we explore Empress Matilda: The Queen Who Never Was.
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Support the podcast over on Patreon! https://patreon.com/tudorsdynasty
Matt's Website: https://mattlewisauthor.com/
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Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Matthew Lewis

It’s been a little while since our last installment in this series - and Dr. Porter begins by explaining the reason for the delay.
In today’s episode, we turn to the husband of Mary II - a figure who plays a pivotal role not only in her life, but also in the story of Mary of Modena, whom we recently explored with Dr. Breeze Barrington. The connections between these royal lives make this discussion especially compelling.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about a man I previously knew very little about: William of Orange, the future William III. I hope you enjoy Dr. Porter’s insights as much as I did.
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Please consider supporting this podcast on Patreon! https://patreon.com/tudorsdynasty
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Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Dr. Linda Porter

There are big “what-ifs” in history… and then there are the ones that quietly change everything.
In this episode, we ask: What if Margaret Tudor had no surviving children with James IV?
When James IV was killed at Flodden in 1513, Scotland did not just lose a king - it faced political instability, factional rivalry, and the urgent question of succession. But what if there had been no infant James V? No Tudor heir to carry the Stewart line forward?
Who were the potential heirs to the Scottish throne at that moment? We look at the rival branches of the Stewart family, the strength of dynastic claims, and how Scotland might have chosen - or fought for - its next ruler.
We also explore Margaret’s controversial second marriage to Archibald Douglas, which produced Margaret Douglas - a figure who would later play her own crucial role in the English succession. How would her position have shifted if there had been no surviving royal son from Margaret’s first marriage?
And then there’s England.
If Margaret’s line through James IV had failed, there would have been no Mary, Queen of Scots. No Stuart claim looming during Elizabeth I’s reign. No James VI poised to inherit England in 1603.
So who would have succeeded Elizabeth? A Grey? A distant Plantagenet descendant? A foreign claimant? Would the Union of the Crowns ever have happened at all?
This episode explores the fragile thread of dynastic survival — and how the absence of just one child could have reshaped Scotland, England, and the future of Britain itself.
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Support the show on Patreon! https://patreon.com/tudorsdynasty
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Hosted by: Rebecca Larson & Amy McElroy