Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

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Prisoners in the Tower of London

From an early stage of its history, one of the functions of the Tower of London has been to act as a prison, though it was not designed as one. The earliest known prisoner was Ranulf Flambard in 1100 who, as Bishop of Durham, was found guilty of extortion.

3 episodes

Episodes in this category also belong to the following categories:

CultureHistoryEnglish male poetsSonneteersBurials at Westminster AbbeyEnglish AnglicansPeople of the Elizabethan era16th-century English poetsAlumni of St John's College, CambridgeEnglish women poetsDaughters of kingsEnglish people of Welsh descentHouse of TudorPeople excommunicated by the Catholic Church16th-century English womenFounders of English schools and colleges15th-century English women, Founders of colleges of the University of Cambridge, Ladies of the Garter, People of the Wars of the Roses16th-century English translators16th-century queens regnantEnglish MPs 1542–1544English royal consorts, Women in medieval European warfareFemale Shakespearean charactersLatin–English translators

  1. Margaret of Anjou

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how the Queen of England fought to hold on to power for the sake of her son, when her husband's mental illness made him unable to rule.

    24 May 2018

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    Featuring: Katherine Lewis, James Ross, Joanna Laynesmith

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    HistoryFemale Shakespearean charactersPrisoners in the Tower of LondonEnglish royal consorts, Women in medieval European warfareDaughters of kings15th-century English women, Founders of colleges of the University of Cambridge, Ladies of the Garter, People of the Wars of the Roses15th centuryWar

  2. Sir Thomas Wyatt

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Tudor courtier who found a way to write extraordinary and enduring poetry while under the intense scrutiny of Henry VIII's machinery of state.

    9 May 2024

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    Featuring: Brian Cummings, Susan Brigden, Laura Ashe

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    Culture16th-century English poetsPrisoners in the Tower of LondonLatin–English translatorsSonneteersEnglish male poetsEnglish MPs 1542–1544Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge16th century

  3. The Death of Elizabeth I

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth I and its immediate impact, as a foreign monarch became King in the face of plots and plague.

    15 October 2009

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    Featuring: John Guy, Clare Jackson, Helen Hackett

    wikipedia article ↗
     
    CultureEnglish people of Welsh descent16th-century English womenEnglish AnglicansPrisoners in the Tower of LondonHouse of TudorPeople excommunicated by the Catholic ChurchFounders of English schools and colleges16th-century English translatorsPeople of the Elizabethan eraEnglish women poets16th-century queens regnantBurials at Westminster Abbey16th century