Lincolnshire historian becomes university Chancellor

Dr Tracy Borman will be the University’s second Chancellor following Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas’ decade-long tenure, who prior to this also served as Provost of the University College.

Lincoln-born Dr Borman specialises in the Tudor period, and her best-selling books include Elizabeth’s Women, Sunday Times best-seller Thomas Cromwell: the untold story of Henry VIII’s most faithful servant, The Private Lives of the Tudors and Henry VIII and the Men Who Made Him.

Dr Borman studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded a PhD in 1997, as well as an honorary DLit in 2017. In January 2021, she was awarded an honorary professorship from Bishop Grosseteste University.

Dr Borman has had a successful career in heritage and has worked for a range of historic properties and national organisations, including the Heritage Lottery Fund, The National Archives and English Heritage.

She is also joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that manages Hampton Court Palace, the Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Kew Palace, the Banqueting House, Whitehall and Hillsborough Castle.

Dr Borman is a regular broadcaster and has presented a range of historical documentaries, including Inside the Tower of London and The Fall of Anne Boleyn. She is a contributor to BBC History Magazine and gives talks on her books across the country and abroad.

Speaking of her appointment Dr Borman said: “It is a privilege and honour to serve Bishop Grosseteste University as its second Chancellor, at such an exciting time in its history. I look forward to supporting the University through the next phase of its development.”

The Revd Canon Professor Peter Neil, Bishop Grosseteste University’s Vice-Chancellor , said: “I am delighted to welcome Dr Borman to the University. She is joining at an important juncture in our history.

"She has been a great supporter of the work of Bishop Grosseteste University for many years.”