Category Archives: Talks

Mary I (r. 1553-1558) is often referred to as the first queen regnant of England, but it can be convincingly argued that she is the second, if not the third, following in Matilda (r.February-November 1141) and Jane’s (r. July 1553) paths. At her accession to the throne, throughout her reign, and even after her deathContinue reading “Comparing Queens: Jane and Mary”

Mary I has seldom been the central character of films and television. Most often, Mary comes second to Elizabeth I, to Edward VI, to Henry VIII, and even to Jane Grey Dudley. In productions such as Elizabeth (1998) and even Horrible Histories (Series 3-4) Mary’s role is simplified to her perceived identity as a weak woman ruled by herContinue reading “Ready for her Close-Up: Mary I in Film”

This talk took place on 16 September and was part of the 2023 programme for Winchester Heritage Open Days. It focused on how Mary I’s legacy was created and highlighted how Mary’s influence on England continued even after her death. Mary I, England’s first crowned queen regnant, reigned from 1553 until 1558 and set aContinue reading “Winchester Heritage Open Days – “Remembering Mary I: Creating a Queen’s Legacy””

I joined Deborah Roil of Tudor Places and Sarah Morris of The Tudor Travel Guide to talk about Mary I and Winchester on their Instagram Live, “Visiting Tudor Britain”!

This talk was presented in partnership with the Society of Australian Genealogists as part of their coronation programme.

Hosted by Dr Katelyn Arac, join Dr Johanna Strong, Carlie Visser, Dr Sarah-Louise Miller, and Mike O’Keeffe for their discussion on women’s history, the challenges they face in their research, how the study of women’s history has evolved, and much more. This episode first aired as a livestream on YouTube on 29 March 2023. MoreContinue reading “Women’s History Roundtable”

This talk was drawn from research undertaken as part of my PhD thesis and examined how, from 1558-1660, anti-Catholicism, anti-foreign sentiment, and sex and gender played significant roles in how later English regimes and subjects created, perceived, and perpetuated the legacy of Mary’s reign. Themes analysed included Mary’s Catholicism, her religious policies, and her marriage,Continue reading “Long live the Queen: Mary’s legacy 1558-1660”

This talk was part of “The Education of a Christian Woman” (1523) in the Construction of the Image of Female Power of Queen Mary I of England (1553-1558), a hybrid two-day conference highlighting the influences of Juan Luis Vives’ The Education of a Christian Woman (1523) on conceptions of female power. My contribution to theContinue reading “Happily (N)Ever After: The Posthumous Role of Mary I and Philip II’s Marriage in Visual Remembrances of Mary’s Reign”

This talk was part of the “Discovering Mary I” series organised by Claire Ridgway, of The Anne Boleyn Files, The Elizabeth Files, and the Tudor Society. This series, which happened in January 2023, featured Mary I historians and delved further into Mary’s life and legacy. My talk was entitled “Not so ‘Bloody’ Mary” and examinedContinue reading “Not so ‘Bloody’ Mary”

In celebration of Halloween, we are pleased to present this discussion about fairy tales. Fairy tales and folklore are prevalent across cultures and history, dating back thousands of years. In this talk, we will discuss the history of fairy tales in Western Europe and some of the disagreements that have occurred over defining the genre.Continue reading “A Brief History of Fairy Tales”