About this Event
With the Coronation of King Charles III taking place in May 2023, Southwark Cathedral is devoting a whole day to Britain’s greatest and most influential monarchs. From King Edward III to Queen Elizabeth II, some of the country’s leading historians will give the audience a quick-fire introduction (15 minutes) to their chosen monarch in the hope of securing their vote.
Once all the historians have presented, there will be an audience vote and the opportunity for those who attend to ask questions before hearing more about Britain’s greatest monarch.
This event takes place in the Nave and tickets allow entry for the whole day.
Doors open at 9.30am.
Lunch or refreshments will not be provided but ticket holders will receive 10% off in the Cathedral Cafe and Shop.
The monarchs chosen by our panel of historians consist of the following so far...
- King Henry V - presented by Dr Michael Jones
- King Henry VII presented by Nathen Amin
- King Henry VIII presented by Alison Weir
- Queen Elizabeth I presented by Sarah Gristwood
- Queen Victoria - TBC
- Queen Elizabeth II presented by The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn, Dean of Southwark
- King Edward III presented by Ian Mortimer
- Queen Anne - presented by Siobhan Clarke
- King John - presented by Julian Humphrys
Please note that this event is in-person only and will not be streamed or recorded.
Our speakers...Sarah Gristwood
Sarah Gristwood is a bestselling biographer and commentator on royal affairs. She regularly contributes to documentary series such as The Royal House of Windsor, The Windsors: Inside the Crown, The Queen Mother, and Inside... Balmoral/Windsor Castle/St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, as well as appearing on international news channels from CNN to Sky News, and BBC World to CBC. A former film journalist, she has also authored or co-authored books on the history of royal weddings; Beatrix Potter; Winston Churchill; and Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West; while her Tudor histories include, most recently, Game of Queens and The Tudors in Love.
Dr Michael Jones
Michael Jones is a writer, battlefield tour guide and media presenter. He is the co-author, with Philippa Gregory and David Baldwin, of The Women of the Cousins' War; and, with Philippa Langley, of The King's Grave: The Search for Richard III.
Alison Weir
Alison Weir is a bestselling historical novelist of Tudor fiction, and the leading female historian in the United Kingdom. She has published more than thirty books, including many leading works of non-fiction, and has sold over three million copies worldwide.
Her novels include the Tudor Rose trilogy, which spans three generations of history's most iconic family - the Tudors, and the highly acclaimed Six Tudor Queens series about the wives of Henry VIII, all of which were Sunday Times bestsellers.
Alison is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an honorary life patron of Historic Royal Palaces.
Nathen Amin
Nathen Amin is an author and researcher from Carmarthenshire, West Wales, who focuses on the 15th Century and the reign of Henry VII. He wrote ‘Tudor Wales’ in 2014 and ‘York Pubs’ in 2016, followed by the first full-length biography of the Beaufort family, ‘The House of Beaufort’ in 2017, an Amazon #1 Bestseller in three historical categories. His fourth book, ‘Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders; Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick‘, also an Amazon #1 Bestseller, was released in April 2021.
Nathen is an experienced public speaker, presenting talks on the Beauforts, Wars of the Roses, and Henry VII, for more than fifty societies and book festivals, including the BBC History Weekend, Windsor Castle, HistFest, Gloucester History Festival, Lichfield Literature Festival, Oundle Festival of Literature, Lancaster Historical Writing Festival, Bosworth Medieval Festival, Barnet Medieval Festival, Richard III Society, and as guest expert for Alison Weir Talks. He has also featured on British, Australian and German radio and television, as well as in print and online media across the UK. As of 2020, he is a trustee and founding member of the Henry Tudor Trust, and in 2022 was elected a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Dr Ian Mortimer
Dr Ian Mortimer is the Sunday Times-bestselling author of the Time Traveller's Guides to Medieval England, Elizabethan England, Restoration Britain and Regency Britain, as well as four critically acclaimed medieval biographies. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society in 1998. His work on the social history of medicine won the Alexander Prize in 2004 and was published by the Royal Historical Society in 2009. He lives with his wife and three children in Moretonhampstead, on the edge of Dartmoor.
Siobhan Clarke
Siobhan Elizabeth Clarke has a BA in Modern History and has worked for Historic Royal Palaces for seventeen years, writing tours and lectures on Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London and the Banqueting House, Whitehall Palace. She lectures abroad for several luxury cruise lines and, within the UK, for the National Trust and various arts and historical societies. Her specialist periods are Tudors and Stuarts and she has featured on BBC Radio Woman's Hour and PBS Television's Secrets of Henry VIII's Palace.
Julian Humphrys
A qualified blue-badge guide, Julian set up English Heritage’s Tours Through Time programme of guided visits to historic properties and its battlefield hikes programme which he now leads. he also guides on a wide range of tours for special interest travel companies, both in the UK and overseas.
From 2009-2020 he was Development Officer of the Battlefields Trust, the UK Charity dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of Britain’s historic battlefields and is now a Trustee. Julian lectures and writes on many aspects of British history – he is a contributor to BBC History Magazine and History Revealed Magazine and his published books include Clash of Arms: Twelve English Battles, and Enemies at the Gate: English Castles under Siege (both for English Heritage).
The Very Reverend Andrew Nunn
The Very Revd Andrew Nunn was born in Leicester in 1957. He grew up there and attended primary and secondary schools in Wigston, where he was also a member of the choir of All Saints, Wigston Magna.
Andrew was installed as Dean of Southwark in January 2012. Prior to that, he was Sub Dean and Precentor of Southwark (1999-2010) and Acting Dean from November 2010.
He is a member of the General Synod and the Diocesan Synod.
He is a Foundation Governor of St Saviour's & St Olave's Girls' School in Southwark. He is also Chaplain to the Worshipful Company of Launderers, the Worshipful Company of Innholders and the Whitsters Club.
Andrew contributes to the local church by teaching and speaking at a number of courses and events in the Diocese of Southwark and further afield outside the Diocese. He is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and on the Panel of Chairs of the Synod. He has served as a member of the Crown Nominations Commission since 2011. He was Rector General of the Society of Catholic Priests until October 2017.
His many interests include theatre, cinema, reading and travel.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Southwark Cathedral, Southwark Cathedral, London, United Kingdom
GBP 25.00