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historyJul 7, 202526:05pending

Was Elizabeth I a man?

About this episode

In her most famous speech, delivered on 9 August 1588, Queen Elizabeth I declared that she had the "heart and stomach of a king". Was that just rhetoric? Or could England’s iconic Tudor queen actually have been a man masquerading as a woman? In this episode of History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories, Tudor historian Tracy Borman speaks to Rob Attar about the bizarre 'Bisley Boy' conspiracy theory that was popularised by none other than Dracula author Bram Stoker. History’s Greatest Conspiracy Theories is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. For more fascinating stories from the past, head to HistoryExtra, the home of ‘History’s Greatest’ podcasts. There you can find other feeds including History’s Greatest Cities and HistoryExtra LongReads. Find out more at ⁠historyextra.com/podcast⁠. We'd love to know what you think about the podcast, so leave us a review and let us know the topics you think we should be covering. Or, follow us on ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠X⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠ or ⁠YouTube⁠ to keep in touch. You can listen ad-free to this episode and more by subscribing to HistoryExtra Plus here: https://historyextra.supportingcast.fm/ This episode was hosted by Rob Attar and produced by Jack Bateman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Was Elizabeth I a man?

History's Greatest Conspiracy Theories

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