# William Cecil: The Power Behind Elizabeth I

An episode of [Not Just the Tudors](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1564113869), 6 Aug 2026, 39 min.

Audio: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/not-just-the-tudors/e/6a6b1007a585d3be78ce1264/media.mp3?tk=eyJ0ayI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJhZHMiOnRydWUsInNwb25zIjp0cnVlLCJzdGF0dXMiOiJwdWJsaWMifQ==&sig=c6ATHJ2FTyLpYCOYYAT6WuyENDZyjriUgyskQQNUkNA

Who really ruled Elizabethan England? For almost four decades, William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, guided Queen Elizabeth I through religious turmoil, assassination plots, the threat of the Spanish Armada, the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the unresolved question of succession. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Jon Culverhouse to explore the life and legacy of the meticulous, fiercely Protestant statesman who became the indispensable power behind the Tudor throne. More Royal Favourites: Hatton, Elizabeth I's Favourite Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Elizabeth I's Spymaster, Walsingham Listen on Apple Listen on Spotify Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff. Theme music from All3Media. Other music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds. Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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