Episode 309 - Anne Boleyn Through the Centuries with Helene Harrison

Talking Tudors

Natalie Grueninger

History

4.7 • 967 Ratings

🗓️ 15 August 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Host Natalie Grueninger welcomes historian Helene Harrison to explore how Anne Boleyn crafted her image and how it was reshaped after her death. They discuss Anne’s coronation symbolism, self-fashioning, and efforts by Henry VIII’s court to win public favour. The conversation examines key portraits and artefacts—from the Hever Rose portrait and the Chequers ring to the 1534 medal—and the ongoing debates around their dating and identification. Helen traces contemporary reactions at home and abroad, Anne’s reappearance in Elizabeth I’s reign, and the clash between Nicholas Sander and John Foxe. She then follows Anne’s evolving legacy through Stuart drama, Victorian myth‑making, and modern screen portrayals, including Anne of the Thousand Days, The Tudors, Wolf Hall, and Six the Musical. Helene also shares details of her new book, The Many Faces of Anne Boleyn, teases a forthcoming study of Henry VIII’s Great Matter, and offers a lighthearted Tudor-themed reading recommendation. Visit Helene's blog https://tudorblogger.com/author/tudorblogger/ Find out more about your host at https://www.nataliegrueninger.com Support Talking Tudors on Patreon

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello and welcome to Talking Tudors, a fortnightly podcast about the ever fascinating Tudor dynasty.
0:07.2	My name is Natalie Gruniger, and I'll be your host and guide on this journey through 16th century England.
0:14.0	Are you ready to step through the veil of time into the dazzling and dangerous world of the Tudor Court?
0:20.2	Without further ado, it's time to talk Tudors. Hello, everyone. Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Talking Tudors.
1:01.8	I'm your host, Natalie Gruniger.
1:03.5	Thank you so much for joining me today.
1:05.5	I'd like to start with a message from today's sponsor.
1:08.5	This September, after a huge success last year, hosting Henry
1:12.7	the 8th returns to West Horsley Place in Surrey, a spectacular Tudor Festival that takes you back in
1:19.2	time to July 1533. This isn't just another Renaissance fair, it's a meticulously researched
1:26.5	recreation of a documented royal visit, set in the
1:30.3	actual location where it happened 500 years ago, walk through the Stone Hall where King Henry
1:35.4	VIII was hosted by Henry and Gertrude Courtney, meet costumed historians, smell the room dressed
1:42.4	with herbs, and listen to live Tudor music, taste real dishes
1:46.9	from the surviving 1533 menu, witness thrilling jousting tournaments and marvel at authentic
1:53.4	falconry displays. Children can enjoy mini-jasting, archery, and attend jester school. It's happening
1:59.9	on the 13th and 14th of September,
2:02.7	and you need to go to westhorsley Place.org to book tickets.
2:07.2	I'd also, of course, like to acknowledge and thank the generous listeners
2:10.3	who continue to support Talking Tudors on Patreon
2:13.4	and extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who's taken the time to rate and review the show.
2:18.8	As an independent podcaster, this means a lot to me.
	...

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