The Restoration Queen: Maria of Modena
**This episode contains discussions of miscarriage**
When a teenage Catholic princess was sent from Italy to marry James II and reunite England with Rome, public scandal and political intrigue fuelled society. Maria of Modena defied all expectations.
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Dr. Breeze Barrington to uncover the hidden world of women at the Restoration Court, a network of female painters, poets, and maids of honour who reshaped the Stuart world. At its heart, Maria built a vibrant female-led court in Protestant England, demonstrating resilience against cruel gossip and societal pressures.
Suzannah and Breeze celebrate how female friendships, creativity, and quiet resistance gave Maria strength in the face of relentless scrutiny, and left an indelible mark on history.
MORE:
Nell Gwynn: Actress and Royal Mistress
https://open.spotify.com/episode/780pqRqcS8BCidbvHWRId7
How to Live Like a Stuart Aristocrat
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0VEpSUUnO1jr8IvM5YNudD
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.
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Not Just the Tudors
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks about everything from the Aztecs to witches, Velázquez to Shakespeare, Mughal India to the Mayflower. Not, in other words, just the Tudors, but most definitely also the Tudors.
Each episode Suzannah is joined by historians and experts to reveal incredible stories about one of the most fascinating periods in history, new releases every Wednesday and Sunday.
A podcast by History Hit, the world's best history channel and creators of award-winning podcasts Dan Snow's History Hit, The Ancients, and Betwixt the Sheets.
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.
- No. of episodes: 445
- Latest episode: 2025-07-31
- History
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