Was Jane Seymour trapped? Was she used? Or was she playing the game all along?

In Part Two of our Jane Seymour series, we follow Jane from Anne Boleyn's household to the threshold of queenship. Along the way, we explore the role of Elizabeth Seymour, trace the royal progress of 1535, examine Henry VIII's life-changing injury, and uncover what Jane's place at court may have really looked like.

Then we turn to the question at the heart of the episode: the scheme.

Was Jane a pawn in someone else's game, a woman caught in impossible circumstances, or an active participant in one of the most dramatic shifts in Tudor history?

As Anne Boleyn's world begins to collapse, Jane Seymour's rise is only just beginning.

AD‑FREE LISTENING on Patreon + tons of extra content!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

Merch: https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram & Facebook: @spillthemeadpodcast

Credits

Host & Producer: Madi Gervais

Featuring rotating cohosts from the Spill the Mead team

© 2026 Spill the Mead LLC. All rights reserved.

Before the court, there was the country.

Episode 1/5 begins at Wolfhall, where ongoing archaeological excavations are still uncovering the world that Jane would have known. We talk about the fascinating (and not to be dramatic - but groundbreaking) finds they have uncovered as we attempt to understand the elusive Jane Seymour.

Meanwhile at court, Catherine of Aragon’s marriage begins to fracture under the growing influence of Anne Boleyn. Jane will eventually arrive to a household increasingly defined by tension, uncertainty, and divided loyalties. Themes that would prove to be ongoing in her life.

We will watch through Jane's eyes as Catherine’s household collapses around her, ultimately ending Jane's brief court career. Before she knows it, she will find herself back in the country once more, just waiting for her life to begin.

AD‑FREE LISTENING on Patreon + tons of extra content!

Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

Merch: https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram & Facebook: @spillthemeadpodcast

Credits

Host & Producer: Madi Gervais

Featuring rotating cohosts from the Spill the Mead team

© 2026 Spill the Mead LLC. All rights reserved.

Ok, yes, it's a football episode BUT DISCLAIMER: you do NOT have to be familiar with or like football for this episode! As long as you like a WIDE range of historical figures, people fighting for their lives to make a case over an imaginary scenario, and Nicholas Cage... you're in the right place.

Madi & Chris choose their historical dream team with potential "legends of the line" like Julius Caesar, Elizabeth I, Genghis Khan, and an absolute legendary woman with a cooking pot on her head (cheers to you if you know based off of just that!)

Buckle up, the Historical 2026 Draft is NOW OPEN!

AD FREE LISTENING on Patreon as well as tons of extra content!

https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

You can purchase Spill the Mead merchandise here https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram, and Facebook @spillthemeadpodcast

Find Madi @myladygervais on Instagram

Find Chris @chrisrileyhistory on Instagram

Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

"Ra-Ra-Rasputin, love of the of the Russian Queen!" Except he probably wasn't.

In this episode, we really get to know Rasputin. From what he preached, to his alleged healing abilities, to a trip to his apartment for tea... we give you the nitty gritty of all of the gossip surrounding the man who helped bring an end to the House of Romanov.

We also look at an alternate theory to what happened on the night of this murder.

The book used for this Episode is called "Rasputin, The Last Word" by Edvard Radzinsky

AD FREE LISTENING on Patreon as well as tons of extra content!

https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

You can purchase Spill the Mead merchandise here https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram, and Facebook @spillthemeadpodcast

Find Madi @myladygervais on Instagram

Find Gabby @so_dym_gabulous on Instagram

Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

Welcome to our brand-new segment: Movies & Mead

In this series, Madi & Gabby watch a listener-chosen historical film and break down the real historical context, the key players, the cast, the gossip, and of course all the behind-the-scenes drama. We wrap it up by handing out our very official AcadeMEAD awards and rating the movie.

For our first episode, we’re diving into The VVitch — a spooky tale set in 1630s New England. We hope you also like to live deliciously HoneyBees, because we give this one 5/5!

AD FREE LISTENING on Patreon as well as tons of extra content!

https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

You can purchase Spill the Mead merchandise here https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram, and Facebook @spillthemeadpodcast

Find Madi @myladygervais on Instagram

Find Gabby @so_dym_gabulous on Instagram

Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

Imagine growing up surrounded by the harsh beauty of wild moorlands. A gothic, windswept, haunting landscape right outside - and a few steps from your front door is a church graveyard that you watch slowly fill up with members of your own family. Welcome to growing up Bronte!

Let Coco take you on a journey through the Bronte childhood experience, where hardship and loss were in no short supply and fierce sibling bonds formed through imagination and a love for literature.

Coco and Madi chat about formative experiences that translate right into the books these women wrote, and discuss the part that the moors play in the books - almost a character themselves.

Follow that up with a summary of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Yes Honeybees - spoiler alerts for both, but we think you’ll agree the spoilers are so worth it.

AD FREE LISTENING on Patreon as well as tons of extra content!

https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

You can purchase Spill the Mead merchandise here https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram, and Facebook @spillthemeadpodcast

Find Madi @myladygervais on Instagram

Find Betsy @betsy.hegge on Instagram

Find Coco @spill_it_coco on Instagram

Find Gabby @so_dym_gabulous on Instagram

Find Chris @chrisrileyhistory on Instagram

Find Taylor @tjonesarmoredamma on Instagram

Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

Part two of our season opener finds us in the middle of France during the Hundred Years War, where we meet a young but capable man with knighthood in his blood.

Boucicaut’s name struck fear into the hearts of men - a legend from a young age. His determination and dedication to training made him fast, fearless and impossibly strong. Losing a duel to this man was a mark of prestige.

Though not known as “the Greatest Knight” as Marshall was, Boucicaut was certainly one of the greatest knights in history. Let Coco tell you why this man, who literally wrote the book on knightly chivalry and also the ultimate hardcore training manual for knights, could absolutely square up with Marshall.

Then settle in for a little story time as Madi and Coco set the scene for a grand duel between these two legendary knights. Take notes, keep score and be ready to place your bets on the knight you think would win!

AD FREE LISTENING on Patreon as well as tons of extra content!

https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

You can purchase Spill the Mead merchandise here https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram, and Facebook @spillthemeadpodcast

Find Madi @myladygervais on Instagram

Find Betsy @betsy.hegge on Instagram

Find Coco @spill_it_coco on Instagram

Find Gabby @so_dym_gabulous on Instagram

Find Chris @chrisrileyhistory on Instagram

Find Taylor @tjonesarmoredamma on Instagram

Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com

Welcome to a new season! And our new annual series, where we research 2 historic knights and give you all the information you need to decide who would win in a duel today!

First up is William Marshal, they one who they call "the world's greatest knight".

Madi goes over all of details you need to know to make your decision: the armor, the sword, the fighting style of William Marshal. We also hear about several highlights of his knightly career, and give you a peak into levels of loyalty we have yet to see on this podcast.

We also give you a peak into the world of Buhurt, the sport of modern-day armored combat.

This man is a KNIGHT! But how will he hold up to his hypothetical opponent?

Listen to Part 2 to find out! And stay tuned for an expert analysis from our very own in-house-knight soon!

GOD FOR THE MARSHAL!

Please leave us a 5 star review! It helps us expand our reach!

AD FREE LISTENING on Patreon as well as tons of extra content!

https://www.patreon.com/c/spillthemead

You can purchase Spill the Mead merchandise here https://linkpop.com/spillthemeadpodcast/

Find us on Instagram, and Facebook @spillthemeadpodcast

Find Madi @myladygervais on Instagram

Find Betsy @betsy.hegge on Instagram

Find Coco @spill_it_coco on Instagram

Find Gabby @so_dym_gabulous on Instagram

Find Chris @chrisrileyhistory on Instagram

Find Taylor @tjonesarmoredamma on Instagram

Music is composed by Nicholas Leigh nicholasleighmusic.com