Quest for an Heir: Henry VIII, Aragon and Boleyn

10 Sep 2026 · 52 min · Episode 564

Episode Quest for an Heir: Henry VIII, Aragon and Boleyn

0:00 52:22

In the 1520s, a dynastic crisis loomed behind the brilliance of Henry VIII's court. Desperate for a male heir after Catherine of Aragon's string of tragic pregnancies, Henry's frustration mounted as his foreign military adventures failed and the pope stalled his annulment. Following grisly executions, public book burnings of Martin Luther's texts, the shocking elevation of an illegitimate son, Henry stood at a dangerous crossroads. Join Professor Suzannah Lipscomb and Dr. Joanne Paul to explore all this, plus the entrance of Anne Boleyn to the Tudor court...

Henry VIII's Billionaire Wardrobe

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Vanity of Henry VIII with Kate Lister

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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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