Step into the drama, intrigue and brilliance of the Tudor age at this immersive day of history. Four leading historians bring the period vividly to life, sharing fresh insights, untold stories and the personalities that shaped a dynasty. Between talks, take time to wander the historic manor house and gardens, and experience the atmosphere of a place steeped in the very history you’re exploring.

Talks By

Joanne Paul- Thomas More
Born during the Wars of the Roses and ultimately destroyed by Henry VIII, Thomas More remains a complex figure—hailed as a saintly scholar and author of Utopia, or condemned as a stubborn zealot. In Thomas More: A Life and Death in Tudor England, Joanne Paul uses new research to reveal a brilliant yet flawed thinker whose life helped shape modern Europe.
Tracy Borman- House of Boleyn
In her new novel The House of Boleyn, Tracy Borman brings to life the drama of Hever Castle, where the Boleyn family lived, loved and schemed. In this richly illustrated talk, she reveals the real history behind the novel and offers a vivid new perspective on the Boleyns and Henry VIII’s pursuit of Anne.
Nicola Clark- The Waiting Game
The Waiting Game uncovers the hidden world of Tudor ladies-in-waiting—confidantes and quiet power-brokers at the heart of court life. Through figures such as María de Salinas, Jane Parker and Anne Basset, it reveals how these women shaped politics and navigated shifting loyalties during Henry VIII’s reign.
Melita Thomas- Elizabeth FitzGerald, Countess of Lincoln
Immortalised by the poet, Surrey, as ‘Fair Geraldine’, Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Countess of Lincoln, was the chatelaine of West Horsley. But what was her background, and how did the daughter of an Irish rebel become the friend of Elizabeth I and one of the great ladies of her court? Find out more about how Elizabeth’s intriguing story took her from Maynooth in Ireland, to West Horsley, via Cowdray Park and Whitehall, in this talk by Dr Melita Thomas.

Historians

Tracy Borman OBE

Tracy is Chief Historian at Historic Royal Palaces and a regular broadcaster, appearing on Channel 5’s Inside the Tower of London and other documentaries. A bestselling author of both fiction and non-fiction, her book The Stolen Crown was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, and her forthcoming novel The House of Boleyn blends history with vivid storytelling.

Nicola Clark

Dr Nicola Clark is a historian of late medieval and early modern women and politics. Her book The Waiting Game: The Untold Story of the Women who Served the Tudor Queens was published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson in 2024 to rave reviews. She is a regular speaker on the festival and podcast circuits and has featured on television and radio. She is Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History at the University of Chichester.

Joanne Paul

Dr Joanne Paul is an award-winning historian, broadcaster and writer specialising in Renaissance and Tudor history. An Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Sussex and former BBC New Generation Thinker, she is the author of The House of Dudley and a critically acclaimed biography of Thomas More, based on over a decade of research.

Melita Thomas

Melita is co-founder and editor of Tudor Times, the popular website covering the Tudor and Stewart periods (1485–1625). She holds a Master’s in Historical Research and is currently a doctoral candidate at UCL, researching the networks of Mary I. She is the author of The King’s Pearl, The House of Grey, and 1000 Tudor People, as well as several Book of Days titles written with her Tudor Times co-founder.