Tudor Crisis Management

How well did the Tudors cope in a crisis?

A four-month online course with Professor Suzannah Lipscomb

Video

The course

Explore the long Tudor century through specific moments of crisis, when the dynasty itself teetered on the brink.

From 1485 to 1603, for 118 years, the Tudors ruled England.

Despite attempted invasions, major rebellions, rivals, enemies, reckless religious policy and a shaky succession, they held on.

But moments of crisis take us under the surface to explore what was really at stake and how this family with a tenuous claim on the English crown managed to evade danger and cling onto power.

In this four-month course, through video lectures, online readings of primary sources, and engaging live discussions, we'll explore eight case studies that take us to the battlefield, altar, stake, and streets, to reckon with how the Tudors walked the tightrope of sixteenth-century politics.

Don't miss this opportunity to delve deep into the weakest moments of the age, and develop a profound understanding of how power operated in the Tudor century.

Course curriculum

1. How to use this course
2. Welcome to the course!
3. Test your knowledge
1. 1.0 Pretender
2. 1.1 Should we call them "Tudor"?
3. 1.2 The Prehistory
4. 1.3 Reflection: Rise to Power
5. 1.4 Early Threats to Henry VII's Throne
6. 1.5 Thomas More's History of King Richard III
7. 1.6 The Princes in the Tower
8. 1.7 The Missing Princes
9. 1.8 Philippa Langley: 'Case Solved'
10. 1.9 Royal History Geeks: 'The Fatal Flaws'
11. 1.10 BBC History Magazine: 'Have we finally unmasked the killer of the princes in the Tower?'
12. 1.11 Matthew Lewis – A Damning Discovery?
13. 1.12 Perkin Warbeck
14. 1.13 Polydore Vergil on Perkin Warbeck
15. 1.14 Other Sprigs
16. 1.15 Reflection: Crisis Management
17. 1.16 Optional Further Reading
18. 1.17 Recording of Module 1 Live Q&A on Zoom
19. Feedback
1. 2.0 Where Did the Idea Come From?
2. 2.1 The Backstory
3. 2.2 Secrets & Lies
4. 2.3 Phase One: Dispensations and Decretal Commissions
5. 2.4 Crisis Management
6. 2.5 Henry's speech at Bridewell, 8 November 1528
7. 2.6 Phase Two: The Brief and The Trial
8. 2.7 Depositions I
9. 2.8 Depositions II
10. 2.9 Depositions III
11. 2.10 Phase Three: Abandoning the Pope
12. 2.11 Propaganda: A Glass of the Truthe
13. 2.12 Act in Restraint of Appeals, 1533
14. 2.13 Phase Four: Supreme Head
15. 2.14 Quiz – Test what you've learnt
16. 2.15 Optional Further Reading
17. 2.16 Module 2 Q&A Zoom Recording
18. Feedback on Module 2
1. 3.0 The Cowdray Engraving
2. 3.1 Examine the Cowdray
3. 3.2 Learning from the Cowdray
4. 3.3 Foreign Policy to 1539
5. 3.4 Extent of the Threat: Wriothesley to Cromwell, 1539
6. 3.5 Wriothesley to Cromwell
7. 3.6 Henry VIII's Device Forts
8. 3.7 Map of Henry VIII's Device Forts
9. 3.8 Invading France
10. 3.9 Neil Murphy, 'Violence, Colonization and Henry VIII's Conquest of France, 1544-46', Past & Present 233 (2016)
11. 3.10 The Mary Rose
12. 3.11 The French Invasion
13. 3.12 Theories on why the Mary Rose sank
14. 3.13 Why did the Mary Rose Sink? Listen to the experts
15. 3.14 Crisis?
16. 3.15 Optional Further Reading
17. 3.16 Module 3 Q&A Zoom Recording
18. Feedback on Module 3
1. 4.1 Hierarchy, Rural Life & Structural Change
2. 4.2 How to Survive a Little Ice Age
3. 4.3 Religious Revolution
4. 4.4 Popular Politics
5. 4.5 Rebellions
6. 4.6 What was Kett's Rebellion About?
7. 4.7 Kett's Demands – the Mousehold Articles
8. 4.8 Neville's Chronicle
9. 4.9 What Could the Government Do?
10. 4.10 Somerset's Letters I
11. 4.11 Somerset's letters II
12. 4.12 Crisis Management
13. 4.13 Listen to Prof. Andy Wood
14. 4.14 Quiz
15. 4.15 Optional Further Reading
16. 4.16 Module 4 Q&A Zoom Recording
17. Feedback on Module 4
1. 5.1 The Crisis
2. 5.2 Edward's illness
3. 5.3 Wading into the primary sources
4. 5.4 My devise for the Succession – original
5. 5.5 My devise for the Succession – transcript
6. 5.6 Letters Patent for the Limitation of the Succession
7. 5.7 Notes for Edward VI's Last Will
8. 5.8 Why did Edward VI change the succession?
9. 5.9 The Devise and Northumberland
10. 5.10 Scheyfve's Judgement
11. 5.11 Announcement of the accession of Lady Jane to the Crown
12. 5.12 Edward's vision and its legality
13. 5.13 After Edward's death
14. 5.14 Jane's Scaffold Speech v1
15. 5.15 Jane's Scaffold Speech v 2
16. 5.16 How was this crisis handled?
17. 5.17 Optional Further Reading
18. 5.18 Module 5 Recorded Q&A
1. 6.0 Was Mary I a failure?
2. 6.1 The Opening of Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth
3. 6.2 Introducing Mary I
4. 6.3 Religious Reformation
5. 6.4 Bishop Bonner's Homilies
6. 6.5 The Burnings
7. 6.6 Foxe on the death of the Alens and Alice Benden
8. 6.7 Thomas S. Freeman on John Foxe's sources
9. 6.8 Success, Severity and Sympathy
10. 6.9 Letter to Philip II on the reaction in London to the burnings
11. 6.10 Ridley and Latimer's deaths
12. 6.11 Foxe on Latimer and Ridley
13. 6.12 Margaret Aston on Foxe's images
14. 6.13 Crisis?
15. 6.14 Optional Further Reading
16. 6.15 Module 6 Recorded Q&A
1. 7.1 The Courtships of Elizabeth I
2. 7.2 Inheriting the Throne
3. 7.3 John Knox, The Monstrous Regiment
4. 7.4 John Aylmer, Concerning the Government of Women
5. 7.5 The Question of Succession
6. 7.6 Robert Dudley, Elizabeth's 'Eyes'
7. 7.7 Paired portraits
8. 7.8 Suitors
9. 7.9 The Final Suit: François, Duc D'Anjou
10. 7.10 Elizabeth I's letter to Anjou, 19 February 1579
11. 7.11 On Monsieur's Departure
12. 7.12 Elizabeth's age at the time of events
13. 7.13 Crisis?
14. 7.14 Optional Further Reading
15. 7.15 Module 7 Recorded Q&A
1. 8.1 Mary, Queen of Scots
2. 8.2 Murder at Kirk O'Field
3. 8.3 Rape, Abdication & Flight
4. 8.4 The Casket Letters
5. 8.5 Analysis of the Casket Letters
6. 8.6 Mary in England
7. 8.7 Mary Queen of Scots' Lost Letters
8. 8.8 The Plot to Entrap Mary
9. 8.9 Mary's Dying Requests
10. 8.10 Mary's Last Letter
11. 8.11 Aftermath and Reflection
12. 8.12 Optional Further Reading
13. 8.13 Module 8 Live Q&A on Zoom
1. 9.0 Which is your favourite?
2. 9.1 Elizabeth I on Film
3. 9.2 Helen Mirren as Elizabeth I
4. 9.3 Trailer for Elizabeth (1998)
5. 9.4 Elizabeth I (1998)
6. 9.5 Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
7. 9.6 Becoming Elizabeth
8. Feedback for the whole course

About this course

£199.00
145 lessons
16.5 hours of video content

Reviews

Fantastic Course!

Rebecca Nunn

If you are going to complete any course on the Tudors, make it this one. A range of topics covered, characters of the era brought vividly to life and all taught with humour, kindness and an impressive depth of knowledge. Truly cannot praise this h...

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An amazing learning experience

Linda Parker

This course has been enlightening and stimulating from beginning to end. Many thanks to Suzannah for doing the hard work in creating it and sharing your vast knowledge. The course shone a light into so many areas I have never explored before. Also...

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Such an in-depth and interesting course

Karen Tomlinson

This was an amazing course, following on from Henry VIII The Tyrant. This has gone deeper and has been a joy to do. Suzannah has a brilliant way of talking about each module in a way that is easy to understand, yet she also lets us ask questions and do more reading around the subject. I will truly miss the course and am hopeful that Suzannah can come up with another one! I would recommend this course to anyone with an interest in this fascinating part of History.

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Perfect

Maja Pantelic

I sincerely appreciated this course and found it to be highly enriching. The extensive reading materials provided an excellent opportunity to delve deeply into the subject matter, and the in-depth lectures significantly enhanced my understanding. I am truly grateful for the structure and quality of the content delivered. Thank you for this valuable learning experience.

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Enriching and wonderful

Ali Nelson

Such an enriching course, starting with the excellent title and then working through modules on Henry VII all the way through to Elizabeth I. This was so much more than I had hoped for with such a wealth of sources, all backed up with the fortnightly zoom with the opportunity to talk more deeply about each module. It has inspired me to keep on Tudor gazing for a long time to come.

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Great course

Shelley Huebner

I am very much an amateur when it comes to history. There was a lot of info, for me, mostly new. I found the modules on Edward and Mary Queen of Scots the most interesting.

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Highly recommended

Itziar Larrabeiti

Great course, informative, thought provoking, enjoyable.

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A wonderful experience

Simon Johnson

I loved this course and would recommend it to anyone who wants to know and definitely feel history through access to primary sources. I enjoyed the challenge of reading 16th century text, reading Henry's speech out loud in my kitchen or being moved by Queen Elizabeth's poetry. The feeling that time was always against them made the course very profound and to see that laid out in Edward's device, the faith driven burnings, royal divorce and finally as the candle ran out on Mary Queen of Scots' life was extremely moving. I was so glad I did this course and so grateful to have a teacher who brings so much warmth, empathy and insight to a subject that is one long crisis of human nature. The Tudors are in good hands. Thank you Suzannah.

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Left me wanting more!

Rachel Carter

Thoroughly engaging, informative and thought provoking course. I learned a lot and enjoyed myself while learning too which is so nice. Thank you :)

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Review by Janet Avery

Janet Avery

another fantastic course from Prof. Lipscomb. Very interesting and thought provoking, as always. Thank you so much.

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All of them

Gilda Hunt

Loved this course as I did the Henry 8th course. Am hoping Suzannah will do another course. Love the Tudor period, but more than glad did not live in that time period.

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Another great course

Victoria Machin

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What's included

16-week course + 1 bonus module

four-month course
8 core modules + 1 bonus module
46 video lectures
8 pre-recorded Q&A sessions with Suzannah
online community
primary sources throughout
closed captions on all videos
further reading lists
lifetime access to the course and all future updates

Your tutor

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb

Suzannah Lipscomb FSA, FRHistS is an award-winning historian, author and broadcaster.

She is Professor Emerita at the University of Roehampton and Senior Member at St Cross College, Oxford. She received a Double First, MSt and DPhil in History from Lincoln and Balliol Colleges, Oxford.

Suzannah is a leading Tudor historian. She has written and edited seven books, including 1536: The Year that Changed Henry VIII, A Visitor's Companion to Tudor England, and The King is Dead: The Last Will and Testament of Henry VIII. She is currently writing a new history of Henry VIII's queens.

Suzannah is also an established television presenter. She has written and presented history series on the BBC, ITV, More 4 and Channel Five, including A History of Royal Scandals, Walking Tudor England, Hidden Killers of the Tudor Home and Henry and Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History.

Suzannah has been a research curator at Hampton Court Palace, royal historian for NBC, columnist for History Today, and is a Trustee of the Mary Rose. In 2024, she was Chair of Judges for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction.

She also hosts the successful Not Just the Tudors podcast from History Hit and Step Into the Past from FindmyPast.

Course Curriculum

8 core modules + 1 bonus module

Module 1

The Pretender: Henry VII and Perkin Warbeck, 1492-7
Module 2

The Schism: Henry VIII's Great Matter, 1527-33
Module 3

The Mary Rose: Attempted Invasion, 1545
Module 4

The Commotion Time: Kett's Rebellion and Fighting in the Streets, 1549
Module 5

The Device: Edward, Lady Jane and Mary, 1553
Module 6

The Burnings: Mary I and the Heretics, 1555-8
Module 7

The Virgin: Elizabeth I and Her Courtships, 1579
Module 8

The Rival: The Challenge of Mary, Queen of Scots, 1586
Bonus Module

Elizabeth I on Film

FAQ

How is this course delivered?

The course is delivered online through a mix of pre-recorded videos, online readings, and recorded Zoom sessions. Every two weeks, a new module – a new bundle of video lectures together with online exercises – will be released. Every video is captioned and available to watch in your own time.
How much is this course worth?

This course is as substantive as those Suzannah taught her students. Therefore, based on university tuition fees in the UK, the value of the course is over £1,500. The price is a fraction of that.
Can I pay in instalments?

Yes, you can divide the regular price of the course into four monthly payments. It is also possible to pay through Paypal and, in some countries, you can also choose Buy Now Pay Later payment methods through Klarna, Clearpay or Afterpay.
How much material will I get?

A lot! There are more than 40 video lectures, 8 Q&A Zoom sessions with Suzannah Lipscomb, a huge number of primary sources, an opportunity to be part of a lively online community of learners, and lists of further reading.
Are they any reduced price places?

It is also possible to divide the regular price of the course into four monthly payments, and there is a limited number of discounted concessionary price places available for those who are carers or unwaged, who truly need it: click on 'Contact Us' at the foot of the page if this applies to you.
Who is this for?

This course is for everyone – from those who know and love the Tudor period to those who know nothing about the Tudors but want to find out more. Whether you're a student, retired, mother of babes in arms, PhD candidate, or just plain ol' history fan, you're welcome here.
Does your company make charitable donations?

Yes. 10% of all income from these courses is donated to charity. In the last year, Wolf & Dagger Ltd has donated to charities that work with poor and marginalised children around the world, a local UK community association, and a charity helping to create equitable opportunities for women in the world of books.

Price

The value of this course is over £1,500, but it is offered to you for less than an eighth of that.

£199.00

Advance price

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4 x £49.75

Instalments

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Dig deep into the Tudors

With one of the world's leading Tudor historians

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Welcome to the course!

Module 1 – The Pretender: Henry VII and Perkin Warbeck, 1492-7

Module 2 – The Schism: Henry VIII's Great Matter, 1527-33

Module 3 – The Mary Rose: Attempted Invasion, 1545

Module 4 – The Commotion Time: Kett's Rebellion and Fighting in the Streets, 1549

Module 5 – The Device: Edward, Jane and Mary, 1553

Module 6 – The Burnings: Mary I and the Heretics, 1555-8

Module 7 – The Virgin: Elizabeth I and Her Courtships, 1558-82

Module 8 – The Rival: Mary Queen of Scots and the Elizabethan Regime, 1568-87

Bonus Mini-Module: Elizabeth I on Film

About this course

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4

Module 5

Module 6

Module 7

Module 8

Bonus Module

£199.00

4 x £49.75