Welcome to The Anne Boleyn Files & Tudor Society Channel!
I’m Claire Ridgway, author, historian, and Tudor history enthusiast. If you love exploring the dramatic world of Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII, and the captivating figures of Tudor England, you’re in the right place!
Here, I bring Tudor history to life with stories of ambition, betrayal, love, and tragedy. From Henry VIII’s six wives to Elizabeth I’s reign, I explore both famous and lesser-known figures of this fascinating period.
Since 2009, I’ve shared my research with Tudor enthusiasts worldwide. In 2025, I’m excited to deliver daily “On This Day in Tudor History” videos, plus weekly deep dives into royal scandals, executions, and life at court.
Don’t miss your daily dose of Tudor drama—subscribe and hit the bell icon to join our journey through history. Members get exclusive perks, including livestreams, Tudor trivia, and behind-the-scenes content. Let’s keep Tudor history alive together!
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The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society
I just wanted to post to say that we are safe from the wildfires here in our area. Where they are at the moment is about 40 km away as the crow flies, so we're not that close, although we can see the smoke and smell it.
We have friends who were evacuated and don't know whether their house is still standing, and local social media groups and pages are full of people trying to locate relatives, so it's all incredibly sad and worrying. Our hearts go out to those affected.
Apparently, the winds have died down today so the emergency services are hoping to get it more under control. They are true heroes.
Thank you for the messages of concern.
5 hours ago | [YT] | 133
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The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society
Was Henry VIII a narcissist? A psychopath? A sociopath?
These labels are increasingly applied to England's most famous king, but after years of researching Henry VIII and reading contemporary sources, I don't think the evidence allows us to make that kind of diagnosis.
In this video, I explain why I believe there's an important difference between judging Henry VIII's actions and trying to retrospectively diagnose his personality using modern psychology. I also explore why I don't believe there were "two Henrys", why context matters, and why reducing complex historical figures to a single label can actually stop us asking the most interesting historical questions.
I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Do you think historians should diagnose historical figures using modern psychological terms?
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #History #Tudors
6 days ago | [YT] | 27
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The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society
You can help me inch closer and closer to my goal of 100k subscribers by the end of this year. My short-term goal is to get to 80k by the end of July. With your help, we can do it!
Every 5k more subscribers I get, I do a Tudor quiz with my husband, Tim, and people love to watch him suffer. So if you haven't already, please consider clicking the "subscribe" button. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
1 week ago | [YT] | 365
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The Anne Boleyn Files and Tudor Society
Why did Henry VIII marry so differently from other European monarchs?
Most Renaissance kings married for diplomacy, alliances and dynastic advantage. Personal attraction might have mattered, but politics usually came first.
Henry VIII repeatedly did the opposite.
Instead of choosing the most politically advantageous bride, he often pursued the woman he personally wanted to marry, even when it transformed the course of English history.
In this video, I explore why Henry approached marriage so differently from rulers such as Ferdinand of Aragon, Francis I and Charles V. Was he shaped by his childhood? Did the example of Elizabeth of York influence his idea of the perfect queen? Did the ideals of chivalry and courtly romance leave him expecting too much from marriage?
Join me as we examine each of Henry's six marriages through a different lens and ask whether England's most famous king was searching for something no real woman could ever provide.
I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please leave a comment below. Do you agree with this interpretation, or do you see Henry's marriages differently?
#HenryVIII #TudorHistory #AnneBoleyn #SixWives #History #englishhistory
00:00 Introduction
02:45 Ferdinand
03:09 Francis I
03:40 Charles V
05:09 Prince Arthur
06:18 Elizabeth of York
10:31 Henry VIII
11:36 Katherine of Aragon
15:17 Anne Boleyn
17:40 Jane Seymour
19:25 Anne of Cleves
22:00 Catherine Howard
23:17 Catherine Parr
1 week ago | [YT] | 32
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