Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes historian Dr Elizabeth Norton to discuss her new book, 'Women Who Ruled the World', a global history of reigning queens and female heads of state across 5,000 years.

The episode explains the difference between queens consort and reigning queens, highlights 15th–16th century examples (including Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, and Isabel of Castile), and explores common challenges female rulers faced worldwide—misogyny, succession pressure, and the need for strong propaganda and personality.

Dr. Norton also shares research methods, regional comparisons, and why understanding global patterns of female rulership matters today.

Visit Dr Norton's official website

http://www.elizabethnorton.co.uk/

Join Dr Owen Emmerson & Natalie Grueninger for 'The Rise of a Queen: Anne Boleyn, 1526-1533'

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/the-rise-of-a-queen-anne-boleyn-1526-1533-tickets-1363827166769?aff=oddtdtcreator

Find out more about your host at https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

Support Talking Tudors on Patreon

Architectural Historian Roberto Prieto-Labrador joins Natalie Grueninger to explore the domestic world of the Tudor middling sort — tradespeople, merchants, and prosperous farmers. They trace architectural changes from medieval open-hall houses to floored, chimneyed homes during the Great Rebuilding, discuss materials, reuse and regional differences, and reveal household practices and apotropaic marks used to ward off harm.

The episode also examines how wills and inventories inform building history, compares English and Spanish domestic layouts, and highlights the Weald and Downland Living Museum as a resource for experiencing historic buildings.

Connect with Roberto on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberto-prieto-labrador-339169163/

Find out more about your host at https://www.nataliegrueninger.com

Support Talking Tudors on Patreon