From humble origins, Charles Brandon rose through charm and skill to become Henry VIII's closest companion, earning wealth and power through loyalty and sport.

His secret marriage to Princess Mary sparked scandal and nearly cost him his life, yet his devotion and political restraint kept him in the king's favor as he led military campaigns and enforced royal authority.

Brandon's later years were marked by loss and steady service; he died honored and remembered not for grand reforms but for surviving the dangers of Henry's court as the king's faithful friend.

Before England's religious and political storm, Catherine of Aragon rose from Spanish infanta to queen through duty, faith, and education.

Her marriages to Arthur and then Henry VIII brought power, regency, and personal tragedy as she bore miscarriages and a single surviving daughter, Mary.

When Henry sought an annulment, Catherine resisted publicly and legally, becoming a symbol of steadfastness and the old Catholic faith, enduring exile until her death in 1536.

Her legacy is resilience and honor, remembered for defending her marriage, her dignity, and shaping the future queen Mary.

Anne Boleyn rose from a determined noble household to become the catalyst of Henry VIII's Great Matter, reshaping England through her presence, political influence, and support for religious reform.

Her coronation and hopes for a male heir gave way to miscarriages, courtly intrigue, arrest, and execution — yet her impact lived on in the Reformation and in her daughter Elizabeth I, whose reign would define an era.

History remembers the victors, but the people who shaped the world are often lost in the shadows. This episode pulls back the curtain on ambition, love, loyalty, and betrayal as we explore the lives behind the headlines.

Meet history makers like Anne Boleyn, the queen whose choices split a kingdom, and Charles Brandon, a man whose loyalty defied convention, and many others lost to the annals of history. Join "Witness to History" for a journey through palaces, power, and scandal — stories that still echo today. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.