Claire Ridgway
@claireridgway.bsky.social
Author, historian, Tudor history lover, owner of The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society, loves talking Tudor and transporting people to the past. Also dog lover, cat lover, fitness fanatic and veggie.
https://linktr.ee/claireridgway
https://linktr.ee/claireridgway
Can you own a historical theory or idea?
And if two historians independently examine the same sources and reach the same conclusion, has one copied the other?
I'm looking at plagiarism, research and who “owns” history in my latest video.
What do you think?
#TudorHistory #History
And if two historians independently examine the same sources and reach the same conclusion, has one copied the other?
I'm looking at plagiarism, research and who “owns” history in my latest video.
What do you think?
#TudorHistory #History
October 5, 2026 at 8:58 AM
Can you own a historical theory or idea?
And if two historians independently examine the same sources and reach the same conclusion, has one copied the other?
I'm looking at plagiarism, research and who “owns” history in my latest video.
What do you think?
#TudorHistory #History
And if two historians independently examine the same sources and reach the same conclusion, has one copied the other?
I'm looking at plagiarism, research and who “owns” history in my latest video.
What do you think?
#TudorHistory #History
A viewer suggested I cover up my tattoos because she found them distracting from my history content… but one of those tattoos is connected to Anne Boleyn, and her words gave me the perfect response nearly 500 years later.
Full story on my YouTube channel.
#AnneBoleyn #TudorHistory #WomenInHistory
Full story on my YouTube channel.
#AnneBoleyn #TudorHistory #WomenInHistory
September 23, 2026 at 1:53 PM
A viewer suggested I cover up my tattoos because she found them distracting from my history content… but one of those tattoos is connected to Anne Boleyn, and her words gave me the perfect response nearly 500 years later.
Full story on my YouTube channel.
#AnneBoleyn #TudorHistory #WomenInHistory
Full story on my YouTube channel.
#AnneBoleyn #TudorHistory #WomenInHistory
Did Catherine Howard actually confess that she intended to sleep with Thomas Culpeper?
I’ve seen this repeated many times, so I went back to Catherine’s examination and Culpeper’s to check exactly who said what.
Full video on YouTube.
#tudorhistory #CatherineHoward #ThomasCulpeper
I’ve seen this repeated many times, so I went back to Catherine’s examination and Culpeper’s to check exactly who said what.
Full video on YouTube.
#tudorhistory #CatherineHoward #ThomasCulpeper
September 18, 2026 at 9:29 AM
Did Catherine Howard actually confess that she intended to sleep with Thomas Culpeper?
I’ve seen this repeated many times, so I went back to Catherine’s examination and Culpeper’s to check exactly who said what.
Full video on YouTube.
#tudorhistory #CatherineHoward #ThomasCulpeper
I’ve seen this repeated many times, so I went back to Catherine’s examination and Culpeper’s to check exactly who said what.
Full video on YouTube.
#tudorhistory #CatherineHoward #ThomasCulpeper
"Henry VIII didn't divorce Catherine of Aragon or Anne of Cleves. Their marriages were annulled."
You've probably seen that correction.
But is "divorce" really historically inaccurate?
I look at the evidence in my latest YouTube video.
#henryviii #sixwivesofhenryviii #Tudors
You've probably seen that correction.
But is "divorce" really historically inaccurate?
I look at the evidence in my latest YouTube video.
#henryviii #sixwivesofhenryviii #Tudors
September 8, 2026 at 2:54 PM
"Henry VIII didn't divorce Catherine of Aragon or Anne of Cleves. Their marriages were annulled."
You've probably seen that correction.
But is "divorce" really historically inaccurate?
I look at the evidence in my latest YouTube video.
#henryviii #sixwivesofhenryviii #Tudors
You've probably seen that correction.
But is "divorce" really historically inaccurate?
I look at the evidence in my latest YouTube video.
#henryviii #sixwivesofhenryviii #Tudors
When we consider Anne Boleyn's life, we tend to focus on her continental education, her relationship with Henry VIII and rise to the throne, and then her dramatic fall. But what about her three years as queen consort?
Find out about Anne Boleyn as queen in my full video on YouTube.
Find out about Anne Boleyn as queen in my full video on YouTube.
August 25, 2026 at 2:07 PM
When we consider Anne Boleyn's life, we tend to focus on her continental education, her relationship with Henry VIII and rise to the throne, and then her dramatic fall. But what about her three years as queen consort?
Find out about Anne Boleyn as queen in my full video on YouTube.
Find out about Anne Boleyn as queen in my full video on YouTube.
I've opened my Tudor history event archive!
Explore 7 Tudor history collections, 50 expert talks from 20 historians, 50 downloadable transcripts and additional resources, with lifetime access.
The complete Back to Tudor School collection is $99 until Monday 24 Aug:
claireridgway.com/history-even...
Explore 7 Tudor history collections, 50 expert talks from 20 historians, 50 downloadable transcripts and additional resources, with lifetime access.
The complete Back to Tudor School collection is $99 until Monday 24 Aug:
claireridgway.com/history-even...
August 16, 2026 at 1:16 PM
I've opened my Tudor history event archive!
Explore 7 Tudor history collections, 50 expert talks from 20 historians, 50 downloadable transcripts and additional resources, with lifetime access.
The complete Back to Tudor School collection is $99 until Monday 24 Aug:
claireridgway.com/history-even...
Explore 7 Tudor history collections, 50 expert talks from 20 historians, 50 downloadable transcripts and additional resources, with lifetime access.
The complete Back to Tudor School collection is $99 until Monday 24 Aug:
claireridgway.com/history-even...
Henry VIII is back on the marriage market... Three wives down, and now he needs wife number four. Who on earth would say yes? Welcome to Tudor Blind Date!
Full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #TheTudors #tudorhistory #AnneOfCleves
Full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #TheTudors #tudorhistory #AnneOfCleves
August 15, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Henry VIII is back on the marriage market... Three wives down, and now he needs wife number four. Who on earth would say yes? Welcome to Tudor Blind Date!
Full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #TheTudors #tudorhistory #AnneOfCleves
Full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #TheTudors #tudorhistory #AnneOfCleves
Did Mary of Guise really use Anne Boleyn's famous "little neck" words to refuse Henry VIII? I spent hours tracing the story through contemporary sources, diplomatic dispatches and Tudor chronicles... and what I found surprised me. Full investigation on YouTube.
#HenryVIII #MaryOfGuise #AnneBoleyn
#HenryVIII #MaryOfGuise #AnneBoleyn
August 7, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Did Mary of Guise really use Anne Boleyn's famous "little neck" words to refuse Henry VIII? I spent hours tracing the story through contemporary sources, diplomatic dispatches and Tudor chronicles... and what I found surprised me. Full investigation on YouTube.
#HenryVIII #MaryOfGuise #AnneBoleyn
#HenryVIII #MaryOfGuise #AnneBoleyn
Did Holbein really "catfish" Henry VIII with his portrait of Anne of Cleves?
What did Henry actually know before Anne arrived in England? Were Holbein's portraits considered accurate? And what did the Englishmen who met Anne before Henry have to say?
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #AnneOfCleves
What did Henry actually know before Anne arrived in England? Were Holbein's portraits considered accurate? And what did the Englishmen who met Anne before Henry have to say?
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #AnneOfCleves
July 31, 2026 at 9:00 AM
Did Holbein really "catfish" Henry VIII with his portrait of Anne of Cleves?
What did Henry actually know before Anne arrived in England? Were Holbein's portraits considered accurate? And what did the Englishmen who met Anne before Henry have to say?
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #AnneOfCleves
What did Henry actually know before Anne arrived in England? Were Holbein's portraits considered accurate? And what did the Englishmen who met Anne before Henry have to say?
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #AnneOfCleves
Did Christina of Denmark really say she'd marry Henry VIII if she had two heads?
It's one of the most famous Tudor put-downs - but when you start tracing the quote back through the sources, things get very interesting...
See my full video on YouTube.
It's one of the most famous Tudor put-downs - but when you start tracing the quote back through the sources, things get very interesting...
See my full video on YouTube.
July 24, 2026 at 11:58 AM
Did Christina of Denmark really say she'd marry Henry VIII if she had two heads?
It's one of the most famous Tudor put-downs - but when you start tracing the quote back through the sources, things get very interesting...
See my full video on YouTube.
It's one of the most famous Tudor put-downs - but when you start tracing the quote back through the sources, things get very interesting...
See my full video on YouTube.
Did Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves ever actually "do it"?
Officially, no. But was Anne really the problem?
An extraordinary allegation from George Boleyn's trial raises another possibility about what was really happening in Henry's bedchamber...
Watch the full investigation on YouTube.
Officially, no. But was Anne really the problem?
An extraordinary allegation from George Boleyn's trial raises another possibility about what was really happening in Henry's bedchamber...
Watch the full investigation on YouTube.
July 22, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Did Henry VIII and Anne of Cleves ever actually "do it"?
Officially, no. But was Anne really the problem?
An extraordinary allegation from George Boleyn's trial raises another possibility about what was really happening in Henry's bedchamber...
Watch the full investigation on YouTube.
Officially, no. But was Anne really the problem?
An extraordinary allegation from George Boleyn's trial raises another possibility about what was really happening in Henry's bedchamber...
Watch the full investigation on YouTube.
Everyone expected Henry VIII to remarry Anne of Cleves after Catherine Howard's fall…
Even Anne herself may have hoped it.
The primary sources tell a fascinating story. Full video now on YouTube.
#AnneOfCleves #HenryVIII #CatherineHoward #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
Even Anne herself may have hoped it.
The primary sources tell a fascinating story. Full video now on YouTube.
#AnneOfCleves #HenryVIII #CatherineHoward #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
July 15, 2026 at 10:27 AM
Everyone expected Henry VIII to remarry Anne of Cleves after Catherine Howard's fall…
Even Anne herself may have hoped it.
The primary sources tell a fascinating story. Full video now on YouTube.
#AnneOfCleves #HenryVIII #CatherineHoward #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
Even Anne herself may have hoped it.
The primary sources tell a fascinating story. Full video now on YouTube.
#AnneOfCleves #HenryVIII #CatherineHoward #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
Every time Henry VIII is mentioned, someone diagnoses him as a narcissist, psychopath or sociopath.
After years of researching Henry VIII, I don't think the evidence allows us to do that.
Here's why...
Watch the full video on YouTube.
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #History
After years of researching Henry VIII, I don't think the evidence allows us to do that.
Here's why...
Watch the full video on YouTube.
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #History
July 5, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Every time Henry VIII is mentioned, someone diagnoses him as a narcissist, psychopath or sociopath.
After years of researching Henry VIII, I don't think the evidence allows us to do that.
Here's why...
Watch the full video on YouTube.
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #History
After years of researching Henry VIII, I don't think the evidence allows us to do that.
Here's why...
Watch the full video on YouTube.
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #History
Did Henry VIII really marry for love or was he searching for the perfect queen?
Most kings put politics first. Henry VIII often put personal choice first. Was he different from other monarchs?
Watch the full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #SixWives #BritishHistory
Most kings put politics first. Henry VIII often put personal choice first. Was he different from other monarchs?
Watch the full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #SixWives #BritishHistory
June 28, 2026 at 5:59 PM
Did Henry VIII really marry for love or was he searching for the perfect queen?
Most kings put politics first. Henry VIII often put personal choice first. Was he different from other monarchs?
Watch the full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #SixWives #BritishHistory
Most kings put politics first. Henry VIII often put personal choice first. Was he different from other monarchs?
Watch the full video on YouTube
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #SixWives #BritishHistory
People call Anne Boleyn the love of Henry VIII's life... but where was that love in 1536?
He sent her to the Tower, didn't see her, and married Jane Seymour days after her execution.
I am not convinced this was a great love at all.
Full video on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #Tudors #SixWives
He sent her to the Tower, didn't see her, and married Jane Seymour days after her execution.
I am not convinced this was a great love at all.
Full video on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #Tudors #SixWives
June 22, 2026 at 10:11 AM
People call Anne Boleyn the love of Henry VIII's life... but where was that love in 1536?
He sent her to the Tower, didn't see her, and married Jane Seymour days after her execution.
I am not convinced this was a great love at all.
Full video on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #Tudors #SixWives
He sent her to the Tower, didn't see her, and married Jane Seymour days after her execution.
I am not convinced this was a great love at all.
Full video on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #Tudors #SixWives
The Rise & Fall of Catherine Howard is already 50% full.
Join me this September as we explore Catherine's life, queenship, downfall, the evidence against her, and the myths that still surround her.
Early-bird price ends 30 June.
claireridgway.com/events/cathe...
#CatherineHoward #HenryVIII
Join me this September as we explore Catherine's life, queenship, downfall, the evidence against her, and the myths that still surround her.
Early-bird price ends 30 June.
claireridgway.com/events/cathe...
#CatherineHoward #HenryVIII
June 18, 2026 at 4:25 PM
The Rise & Fall of Catherine Howard is already 50% full.
Join me this September as we explore Catherine's life, queenship, downfall, the evidence against her, and the myths that still surround her.
Early-bird price ends 30 June.
claireridgway.com/events/cathe...
#CatherineHoward #HenryVIII
Join me this September as we explore Catherine's life, queenship, downfall, the evidence against her, and the myths that still surround her.
Early-bird price ends 30 June.
claireridgway.com/events/cathe...
#CatherineHoward #HenryVIII
African musicians.
Muslim diplomats.
French refugees.
Anti-immigration riots.
All in Tudor England.
History is often far more surprising than people think.
See my full video on YouTube now.
#TudorHistory #BritishHistory #History #immigration
Muslim diplomats.
French refugees.
Anti-immigration riots.
All in Tudor England.
History is often far more surprising than people think.
See my full video on YouTube now.
#TudorHistory #BritishHistory #History #immigration
June 16, 2026 at 10:58 AM
African musicians.
Muslim diplomats.
French refugees.
Anti-immigration riots.
All in Tudor England.
History is often far more surprising than people think.
See my full video on YouTube now.
#TudorHistory #BritishHistory #History #immigration
Muslim diplomats.
French refugees.
Anti-immigration riots.
All in Tudor England.
History is often far more surprising than people think.
See my full video on YouTube now.
#TudorHistory #BritishHistory #History #immigration
Think football is rough today?
In Tudor England, people played a version of football that was so controversial that kings tried to stop it.
What made it so dangerous? And could a modern footballer survive it?
Watch my latest video on Youtube to find out.
#TudorHistory #Football #Soccer #WorldCup
In Tudor England, people played a version of football that was so controversial that kings tried to stop it.
What made it so dangerous? And could a modern footballer survive it?
Watch my latest video on Youtube to find out.
#TudorHistory #Football #Soccer #WorldCup
June 6, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Think football is rough today?
In Tudor England, people played a version of football that was so controversial that kings tried to stop it.
What made it so dangerous? And could a modern footballer survive it?
Watch my latest video on Youtube to find out.
#TudorHistory #Football #Soccer #WorldCup
In Tudor England, people played a version of football that was so controversial that kings tried to stop it.
What made it so dangerous? And could a modern footballer survive it?
Watch my latest video on Youtube to find out.
#TudorHistory #Football #Soccer #WorldCup
England expected a prince in 1533.
Astrologers predicted one. Celebrations were prepared.
Instead, Anne Boleyn gave birth to the future Elizabeth I.
My latest full video on YouTube explores the drama, danger, rituals, and reality of Tudor childbirth.
#AnneBoleyn #ElizabethI #TudorHistory
Astrologers predicted one. Celebrations were prepared.
Instead, Anne Boleyn gave birth to the future Elizabeth I.
My latest full video on YouTube explores the drama, danger, rituals, and reality of Tudor childbirth.
#AnneBoleyn #ElizabethI #TudorHistory
May 26, 2026 at 11:44 AM
England expected a prince in 1533.
Astrologers predicted one. Celebrations were prepared.
Instead, Anne Boleyn gave birth to the future Elizabeth I.
My latest full video on YouTube explores the drama, danger, rituals, and reality of Tudor childbirth.
#AnneBoleyn #ElizabethI #TudorHistory
Astrologers predicted one. Celebrations were prepared.
Instead, Anne Boleyn gave birth to the future Elizabeth I.
My latest full video on YouTube explores the drama, danger, rituals, and reality of Tudor childbirth.
#AnneBoleyn #ElizabethI #TudorHistory
The speed of Henry VIII’s relationship with Jane Seymour shocked many contemporaries.
Just one day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, the king was officially betrothed again.
For the full video, head over to my YouTube channel.
#Tudors #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #JaneSeymour #TudorHistory
Just one day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, the king was officially betrothed again.
For the full video, head over to my YouTube channel.
#Tudors #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #JaneSeymour #TudorHistory
May 20, 2026 at 2:05 PM
The speed of Henry VIII’s relationship with Jane Seymour shocked many contemporaries.
Just one day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, the king was officially betrothed again.
For the full video, head over to my YouTube channel.
#Tudors #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #JaneSeymour #TudorHistory
Just one day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, the king was officially betrothed again.
For the full video, head over to my YouTube channel.
#Tudors #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #JaneSeymour #TudorHistory
Did Richard III really murder the Princes in the Tower, or is that just the story history remembers?
No proven bodies. No eyewitnesses. No definitive proof. And what if one or both of the princes survived?
Watch my full deep dive on YouTube now! #PrincesInTheTower #RichardIII
No proven bodies. No eyewitnesses. No definitive proof. And what if one or both of the princes survived?
Watch my full deep dive on YouTube now! #PrincesInTheTower #RichardIII
May 7, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Did Richard III really murder the Princes in the Tower, or is that just the story history remembers?
No proven bodies. No eyewitnesses. No definitive proof. And what if one or both of the princes survived?
Watch my full deep dive on YouTube now! #PrincesInTheTower #RichardIII
No proven bodies. No eyewitnesses. No definitive proof. And what if one or both of the princes survived?
Watch my full deep dive on YouTube now! #PrincesInTheTower #RichardIII
#OTD in 1536, Sir Thomas Wyatt & Sir Richard Page were implicated in Anne Boleyn’s fall and sent to the Tower. Sir Francis Bryan had also been summoned for questioning…
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-fall-of-...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-fall-of-...
May 5, 2026 at 9:33 AM
#OTD in 1536, Sir Thomas Wyatt & Sir Richard Page were implicated in Anne Boleyn’s fall and sent to the Tower. Sir Francis Bryan had also been summoned for questioning…
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-fall-of-...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/the-fall-of-...
England’s royal family once tore itself apart in a brutal civil war that changed history.
Kings fell, princes vanished, and out of the chaos came the Tudors.
My Beginner’s Guide to the Wars of the Roses is on YouTube now.
#WarsOfTheRoses #TudorHistory #RichardIII #HenryVII
Kings fell, princes vanished, and out of the chaos came the Tudors.
My Beginner’s Guide to the Wars of the Roses is on YouTube now.
#WarsOfTheRoses #TudorHistory #RichardIII #HenryVII
April 30, 2026 at 8:51 AM
England’s royal family once tore itself apart in a brutal civil war that changed history.
Kings fell, princes vanished, and out of the chaos came the Tudors.
My Beginner’s Guide to the Wars of the Roses is on YouTube now.
#WarsOfTheRoses #TudorHistory #RichardIII #HenryVII
Kings fell, princes vanished, and out of the chaos came the Tudors.
My Beginner’s Guide to the Wars of the Roses is on YouTube now.
#WarsOfTheRoses #TudorHistory #RichardIII #HenryVII
Anne Boleyn didn’t just marry Henry VIII once, she may have married him twice.
And both times, he was still married to Catherine of Aragon.
Full story on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
And both times, he was still married to Catherine of Aragon.
Full story on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
April 24, 2026 at 7:41 AM
Anne Boleyn didn’t just marry Henry VIII once, she may have married him twice.
And both times, he was still married to Catherine of Aragon.
Full story on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
And both times, he was still married to Catherine of Aragon.
Full story on YouTube.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #TudorHistory #BritishHistory
The man who helped Henry VIII go to the toilet was one of the most powerful figures at court.
In Tudor England, access was influence.
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #HistoryFacts #RoyalHistory #DidYouKnow
In Tudor England, access was influence.
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #HistoryFacts #RoyalHistory #DidYouKnow
April 19, 2026 at 3:31 PM
The man who helped Henry VIII go to the toilet was one of the most powerful figures at court.
In Tudor England, access was influence.
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #HistoryFacts #RoyalHistory #DidYouKnow
In Tudor England, access was influence.
#TudorHistory #HenryVIII #HistoryFacts #RoyalHistory #DidYouKnow