The 400th anniversary of the second most powerful woman in Tudor England
On the 400th anniversary of her death we celebrate the extraordinary life of Bess of Hardwick. Born a commoner, Bess succeeded in becoming the second most powerful woman in Tudor England after Elizabeth I. Builder and dynast, her houses included Chatsworth and Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire, her descendants Princess Diana and Katharine Hepburn.
Bess's biographer Mary Lovell, and Denise Edwards of the National Trust join Jenni to discuss a woman who truly was the mistress of her own destiny at a time in history when women had few if any rights at all.
'Bess of Hardwick' by Mary Lovell is published by Little Brown, ISBN: 0-349-11589-3.
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