Queens, Feuds and Faith

In "Queens, Feuds, and Faith," David Threlfall narrates the 16th-century battle for religious dominance between Protestants and Catholics, exploring how art, language, and even fashion served as battlegrounds.

Author Stephanie Merritt decodes the nationalist propaganda in John Foxe's "Book of Martyrs." The impact of colonialism is evident as William Shakespeare tackles race in "Othello." And William Morgan undertakes the ten-year task of translating the Bible into Welsh. Monarchs weren't above the fray, with Mary, Queen of Scots, weaving coded messages into her clothing to sway public opinion, and Queen Elizabeth I strategically using symbolic imagery. The Ora Singers perform the subversive Catholic work “Mass for Four Voices” by William Byrd, a favorite of Queen Elizabeth I.