How Persia Influenced Elizabeth I

26 Oct 2026 · 47 min · Episode 577

Episode How Persia Influenced Elizabeth I

0:00 47:23

Could an ancient Persian drama have stopped Mary, Queen of Scots from being executed?

When Queen Elizabeth I faced an agonising dilemma over her captive cousin, a performance about Cyrus the Great offered her a provocative lesson: executing an anointed monarch risked shattering divine protection, while mercy signalled ultimate power.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Ebrahim Joseph whose groundbreaking research shows how early modern England turned to Persian history to navigate existential political threats, foreign policy, and the dangerous limits of crown authority.

When Europe met Islam

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The Elizabethans and Islam

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Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

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