Doran read History at St Anne's College, Oxford before obtaining a PGCE and beginning a teaching career at St Paul's Girls' School in Hammersmith. In the 1970s Doran completed a PhD at University College London, with her thesis being a political biography of Thomas Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Sussex. Beginning in 1986 she taught early modern British and European history at St Mary's University College in Strawberry Hill, serving as head of the History Department for several years.^[2] When she left the college in 2001, she was Reader in History.

Doran returned to the University of Oxford as a lecturer at Christ Church in 2002. In 2004 she was elected a Fellow of St Benet's Hall, Oxford, and in 2009 was elected a Senior Research Fellow at Jesus College, Oxford.^[3] In 2016 the university awarded her the title of Professor of Early Modern British History.^[4] In 2018 Doran served as acting Master of St Benet's Hall while Werner Jeanrond was on sabbatical.^[5]

Doran is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and an Honorary Fellow of the Historical Association.^[6]

Broadcasting edit

Doran has appeared in many historical documentaries and podcasts as an expert commentator.

Doran has participated in numerous Tudor history documentaries produced by the BBC. In 2016 she appeared in an episode of A Timewatch Guide focused on Elizabeth I, presented by Vanessa Collingridge.^[7] In 2020 she appeared in Royal History's Biggest Fibs, presented by Lucy Worsley, discussing the Spanish Armada and the relationship between Elizabeth I and Philip II of Spain.^[8] She also appeared in 2021's The Boleyns: A Scandalous Family, discussing Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn.^[9]

Other documentary appearances include the 2010 National Geographic film Secrets of the Virgin Queen^[10] and an episode of the 2015 Yesterday series Medieval Murder Mysteries focused on the death of Amy Robsart.^[11] In 2018 she acted as a historical consultant for an episode of Britain's Most Historic Towns, presented by Alice Roberts, exploring the city of Norwich in the Tudor period.^[12]

In April 2024 Doran was the guest for the first ever live recording of Suzannah Lipscomb's podcast Not Just the Tudors at the Gloucester History Festival's spring weekend, where she discussed the succession of James I to the English throne.^[13]

Doran is married with two children, including the writer Bathsheba Doran, and three grandchildren.^[2]

Books edit

• Susan Doran (1986). England and Europe, 1485-1603. Longman. ISBN 9780582354128.
• Susan Doran; Christopher Durston (1991). Princes, pastors, and people: the Church and religion in England, 1500-1700. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-20578-8.
• Susan Doran (1994). Elizabeth I and religion, 1558-1603. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-07352-3.
• Susan Doran (1996). Monarchy and matrimony: the courtships of Elizabeth I. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-11969-6.
• Susan Doran (1998). England and Europe in the sixteenth century. Macmillan Education. ISBN 9781349269907.
• Susan Doran (2000). Elizabeth I and foreign policy, 1558-1603. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-15355-3.
• Susan Doran (2003). Queen Elizabeth I. New York University Press. ISBN 978-0-8147-1957-2.
• Susan Doran (2007). Mary Queen of Scots: an illustrated life. British Library. ISBN 9780712349161.
• Susan Doran (2008). The Tudor chronicles. Quercus. ISBN 9781847244222.
• Susan Doran (2015). Elizabeth I and her circle. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780191033551.
• Susan Doran (2016). The Connell guide to the Tudors. Connell Guides. ISBN 9781911187486.
• Susan Doran (2024). From Tudor to Stuart: the regime change from Elizabeth I to James I. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780198754640.

Edited volumes edit

• Susan Doran, ed. (2003). Elizabeth: the exhibition at the National Maritime Museum. Chatto & Windus. ISBN 9780701174767.
• Susan Doran; Thomas Freeman, eds. (2003). The myth of Elizabeth. Macmillan Education. ISBN 9780333930830.
• Susan Doran; Glenn Richardson, eds. (2005). Tudor England and its neighbours. Macmillan Education. ISBN 9780333946114.
• Susan Doran; David Starkey, eds. (2009). Henry VIII: man and monarch. British Library. ISBN 9780712350259.
• Susan Doran; Thomas Freeman, eds. (2009). Tudors and Stuarts on film: historical perspectives. Macmillan Education. ISBN 9781403940704.
• Susan Doran; Norman Jones, eds. (2011). The Elizabethan world. Routledge. ISBN 9780415409599.
• Susan Doran; Thomas Freeman, eds. (2011). Mary Tudor: old and new perspectives. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9780230004634.
• Robert J. Blyth; Susan Doran, eds. (2012). Royal river: power, pageantry and the Thames. Scala Books. ISBN 9781857597004.
• Susan Doran; Paulina Kewes, eds. (2014). Doubtful and dangerous: the question of succession in late Elizabethan England. Manchester University Press. ISBN 9780719086069.
• Susan Doran, ed. (2021). Elizabeth and Mary: royal cousins, rival queens. British Library. ISBN 9780712353489.