It's a tricky business trying to unravel the reason for Ambulin's sudden fall from grace

and her beheading in May 1536. The official reasons wither under scrutiny. The surviving

sources provide dissonant accounts that feel practically unreconsirable. The accepted

version of events has great holes in it. It is the conviction of today's guest that

the fall of Ambulin cannot be understood by reference only to the immediate preceding

months. I guess a set out therefore to move through the events of An's life from the

spring of 1535 to draw out the family tensions, diplomatic doubts, and marrymaking of An and

her spouse King Henry VIII in the whole final year before her execution. Such a focused,

micro-historical and broadly chronological approach helps enormously with understanding

the circumstances that led to tragedy and reveals insights that have not been perceived

from any other angle. It is the work of Natalie Gruniger in her first solo book, The Final

Year of Ambulin, which she'll be talking to me about today. Natalie will be familiar

to Tudor fans from her website on the Tudor Trail.com and her spin-off books with Sarah Morris

in the footsteps of the six wives of Henry VIII and in the footsteps of Ambulin. She's

also the host of the wonderful Talking Tudor's podcast.

Natalie, it's always a treat to be joined by you and particularly today because we are

celebrating the publication of your new book The Final Year of Ambulin. Congratulations.

Thank you so much, Lizzy. So lovely to be here as always.

Why did you decide to write this book? What was it that sparked it? What was the

impetus behind it, I suppose? So as you know, I think I've been researching this period

quite seriously since 2009. So in that time, of course, I've heard a lot about, you know,

Ends Downfall and that period, there have been many documentaries, there have been some

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