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She-Wolves: England's Early Queens

Helen Castor

Lucy Swingler

Ross Wilson

Sam Anthony

She-Wolves: England's Early Queens: Episode 3: Jane, Mary and Elizabeth

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Jane, Mary and Elizabeth

Episode 3

Episode 3: Jane, Mary and Elizabeth

BBC Four - She-Wolves: England's Early Queens, Jane, Mary and Elizabeth

How the Tudor queens Jane, Mary and Elizabeth struggled with a crown made for a male head.

Helen Castor explores the lives of the Tudor queens Jane, Mary and Elizabeth, and how each struggled with wearing a crown that was made for a male head.

In the medieval and Tudor world there was no question in people's minds about the order of God's creation - men ruled and women didn't. A king was a warrior who literally fought to win power then battled to keep it. Yet despite everything that stood in their way, a handful of extraordinary women did attempt to rule medieval and Tudor England. In this series, historian Dr Helen Castor explores seven queens who challenged male power, the fierce reactions they provoked and whether the term 'she wolves' was deserved.

Helen looks at what happened when England was faced not just with inadequate kings, but no kings at all. In 1553, for the first time in English history all the contenders for the crown were female. In the lives of these three Tudor queens - Jane, Mary and Elizabeth - she explores how each woman struggled in turn with wearing a crown that was made for a male head. Elizabeth I seemed to show that not only could a woman rule, but could do so gloriously. But at what cost?

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Historian Dr Helen Castor explores the lives of seven English queens

Historian Dr Helen Castor explores the lives of seven English queens who challenged male power, the fierce reactions they provoked and whether the term 'she-wolves' was deserved

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She-Wolves: England's Early Queens

Episode 3: Jane, Mary and Elizabeth

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