Bloody Tales of the Tower of London, 2011 (airing 2012)

I’ve just finishing filming a three-part series on the Tower of London. Made by production company True North, it will air on National Geographic in March 2012. My co-presenter was the brilliant Joe Crowley.

We explored some of the best stories associated with the Tower of London: from Anne Boleyn’s alleged adultery, to the Duke of Monmouth’s botched execution, and from Father John Gerard’s daring escape from the Tower, to the storming of the Tower by a huge mob of peasants in 1381. In each case we were challenging some of our basic assumptions about the Tower, and learning a lot along the way.

I met a wonderful array of experts, including a former spy and a Home Office pathologist, explored the Tower’s defences, and got to look at some beautiful and moving historical documents. I even spoke to a relative of the last person to be executed at the Tower. Joe learnt how to make an executioner’s axe, shot targets in a firing range, and scaled Tower 42!

Historical Biographies: Red Hot History 2011 (airing, 2012)

I’ve had a lot of fun working on various episodes of Historical Biographies: Red Hot History with Canadian production company Proper TV and director Michelle Metivier (whom I’m pictured with top right).

Recent episodes have focused on Elizabeth I and her extraordinary makeup (see my blog on this) and on the political significance of Marie-Antoinette’s even more astonishing 3-foot hair.

The 14-part series will air in September 2012 on the History Channel.

The Great British Weather Show, 2011

Chris Hollins and I got together on the replica of Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hinde in London in June 2011 to talk about how the weather scuppered the Spanish Armada’s plans to invade England. It aired on 3 August 2011. If you look carefully, you’ll notice that my left arm is in plaster: I’d just broken my hand (all mended now!)

Elizabeth I’s progresses, 2011

I spent a very enjoyable morning in July chatting with Griff Rhys Jones about Elizabeth I’s progress of 1574 in the back of a Rolls Royce Phantom 5. The series is due to air in early 2012.

The Royal Wedding, 2011

On 29 April 2011, I commentated on The Royal Wedding from a historical perspective for CTV. It was a seven-hour live broadcast, and I was on a panel with anchor Lisa LaFlamme, comedian Tracey Ullmann and royal biographer, Christopher Warwick. It was enormous fun. You can see it all online at:

CTV William and Kate: The Royal Wedding

I also did some interviews in the run-up to the big day, which you can also see online…

CTV News, Suzannah Lipscomb

Canada AM, Christopher Warwick and Suzannah Lipscomb

Interview with ‘On the Tudor Trail’, 2011

Natalie Grueninger at On the Tudor Trail very kindly interviewed me for her website in February 2011. You can see the interview in its original context here.

Museum Secrets, Episode 6: Inside The Met, 2010

The Met in New York owns the ‘Wilton Armour’, a suit of armour made for the fat, old Henry VIII. Museum Secrets, produced by Kensington TV in Canada, came to talk to me at the Tower of London about why Henry VIII got so obese. It’s airing as Episode 6, Inside the Met, of their first series on History Channel in January 2011.

Henry VIII: Red Hot History, 2010 (Proper Television, Canada)

In the cold of November 2010, I filmed for a Canadian show about Henry VIII. It involved learning to joust on a wooden horse and assessing the costume of this young Henry VIII!

GMTV, ITV, June 2010

Early one morning, I went to talk to Emma Crosby and John Stapleton about how history is taught in schools, and how it focuses too much on Hitler and even (sadly) Henry VIII.

Globo-News, 2009

The very suave Silio Boccanera came to interview me for a major Brazilian news show in the Great Hall at Hampton Court. I was very impressed that the people of Brazil were interested enough in Henry VIII for a half an hour interview, broadcast in full!

Henry VIII’s Lost Palaces: A Time Team Special, Channel 4, 2009

It was a real pleasure to film with the Time Team crew, especially director Brendan Hughes at the gorgeous Loseley Park.

The One Show, BBC One, 2009

I met the excellent Dan Snow for an interview at the Tower of London and a live broadcast from Hampton Court Palace, all about Henry VIII and 1536, and about our new visitor experience at Hampton Court.

Henry VIII films for Historic Royal Palaces, 2009

When I was at Hampton Court, I commissioned these short films about Henry VIII and life during his reign. I’m interviewed in the short films on Henry VIII and medicine, Henry VIII on film and Henry VIII’s psychology.

Vote for Henry VIII’s best wife! 2009

My vote for Henry VIII’s best wife was Kateryn Parr. Here’s me arguing her case. This was filmed in one take – we were in a rush – in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court!

The Henry VIII talks at Hampton Court Palace, May 2009

I organized a series of talks about Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace in association with History Today in 2009, and participated in the first one, ‘Who was Henry VIII?’ along with leading historians and historical novelists John Guy, Eric Ives, Philippa Gregory, Derek Wilson, and Margaret George. It was chaired by Paul Lay, the Editor of History Today.