The Kings and Queens podcast

Elizabeth II (1952-2022) ruled for 70 years, the second longest verifiably recorded reign of any monarch in world history behind Louis XIV. For 4 out of 5 Brits, she was the only monarch they had ever known. In a reign that was characterised by a redefinition of monarchy and empire. She offered calmness, reassurance, comfort, leadership and perspective over perhaps the most significant period of social, economic and technological change of any reign in British history. Despite the challenges of modern perspectives around the principles and practicalities of monarchy her adaptability and strong sense of civic duty ensured its survival.

Elizabeth II - Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms (1952-2022)

Prince Philip - Duke of Edinburgh, Consort of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms (1952-2021)

George VI - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Emperor of India (1936-47), father of Elizabeth

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Empress of India (1936-47), mother of Elizabeth

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1936), uncle of ElizabethGeorge V - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), grandfather of Elizabeth

Mary of Teck - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), grandmother of Elizabeth

Princess Margaret - sister of Elizabeth

Prince Charles - eldest son of Elizabeth and heir

Princess Anne - daughter of Elizabeth

Prince Andrew - son of Elizabeth

Prince Edward - son of Elizabeth

Prince William - son of Charles and Diana, grandson of Elizabeth

Prince Harry - son of Charles and Diana, grandson of Elizabeth

Princess Diana - first wife of Charles

Camilla Parker-Bowles - second wife of Charles

Marion Crawford - governess to Elizabeth and Margaret

Cosmo Lang - Archbishop of Canterbury

Winston Churchill - Prime Minister 1940-45, 51-55

Anthony Eden - Prime Minister 1955-57Harold MacMillan - Prime Minister 1957-63Alec Douglas-Home - Prime Minister 1963-64

Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister 1979-1990

Tony Blair - Prime Minister 1997-2007

Liz Truss - Prime Minister 2022

Michael Fagan - Buckingham Palace intruder

Credits

Jerusalem - Hubert Parry, Edward Elgar

A Moonlit Night On The Spring RiverZadok The Priest - George Friedrich Handel

We Wait For Thy Loving Kindness - William McKie

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George VI (1936-52) led Britain through one of the most consequential periods in world history. His modest and undramatic style of rule in stark contrast to the controversy and drama which surrounded the short reign of his brother was required to guide Britain through the Second World War and the death of the British Empire. He was a steady hand, who overcame his own personal limitations and won the respect of the British people.

Characters

George VI - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Emperor of India (1936-47)

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Empress of India (1936-47)

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1936), brother of GeorgeGeorge V - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), father of George

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1901-10), grandfather of George

Victoria - Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1837-1901) and Empress of India (1876-1901), Great-grandmother of George

Mary of Teck - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), mother of George

Wallis Simpson - Wife of Edward VIII

Princess Elizabeth - elder daughter of George and Elizabeth

Princess Margaret - younger daughter of George and Elizabeth

Prince Philip - husband of Princess Elizabeth

Prime Ministers

Stanley Baldwin (1935-37)Neville Chamberlain (1937-40)

Winston Churchill (1940-45, 1951-55)

Clement Attlee (1945-51)

Aneurin Bevan - Labour Minister of Health, co-founder of the NHS

Duff Cooper - anti-appeasement Conservative politician 

Alec Hardinge - Private Secretary of George VI

Lionel Logue - Australian speech therapist

Freda Dudley Ward - Edward VIII’s former mistress

Phyllis Monkman - George’s former love interest

Sheila Chisholm - George’s former mistress

Cosmo Lang - Archbishop of Canterbury

Adolf Hitler - Fuhrer of Germany (1934-45)

Benito Mussolini - Dictator of Italy (1922-43)

Richard Grigg - Historian

Credits

Wenn die Soldaten

I was glad Hubert Parry

King Oliver s Jazz Band

The Planets - Jupiter - Gustav Holst

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Edward VIII (1936) ruled for 325 days, the shortest reign of any English monarch since Lady Jane Grey in the 16th century. The first monarch to abdicate since James II in 1688 and the first to do so voluntarily. The abdication crisis shook the British establishment to its core. His connections to Nazi Germany has undoubtedly shrouded his life in ignominy. Even after the war, he was known to describe Hitler as ‘not such a bad chap’. Shunned by the royal family for the crisis he had created and for putting private desire above public duty. It could also have been because they knew, unlike the country, that he was a traitor.

Characters

Edward VIII - King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions. Emperor of India (1936). Duke of Windsor (1937-72)

Wallis Simpson - Duchess of Windsor (1937-86), wife of Edward 

George V - King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions. Emperor of India (1910-36), father of Edward VIII and George VI

Mary of Teck - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and British Dominions. Empress of India (1910-36), mother of Edward VIII and George VI

George VI - King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions (1936-52). Emperor of India (1936-47). Younger brother of Edward. 

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and British Dominions (1936-52. Empress of India (1936-47). Wife of George VI

Queen Victoria - Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901), great-grandmother of Edward

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom (1901-10), grandfather of Edward

Herbert Warren - Edward’s tutor and President of Magdalen college, Oxford

Lord Kitchener - Secretary of War

Cosmo Lang - Archbishop of Canterbury

Alec Hardinge - Private Secretary to the Sovereign 

Louis Mountbatten - British Statesman and friend of Edward

David Lloyd George - Leader of the Liberal Party, Prime Minister (1916-22)

Stanley Baldwin - Leader of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister (1935-37)

Winston Churchill - Leader of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister (1940-45, 51-55)

Clement Attlee - Leader of the Labour Party, Prime Minister (1945-51)

Anthony Eden - Foreign Secretary, Prime Minister (1955-57)

Winifred Dudley Ward - mistress of Edward 

Thelma Furness - mistress of Edward

Ernest Simpson - husband of Wallis (1928-37)

Lord Rothermere - media mogul, founder of the Daily Mail

Lord Beaverbrook - owner of the Daily Express

Oswald Mosley - leader of the British Union of Fascists

Ricardo Espirito Santo - Portuguese banker and associate of Edward

Adolf Hitler - Chancellor of Germany (1933-45), Fuhrer (1934-45)

Joseph Goebbels - Reichminister of Propaganda

Hermann Goering - Reichsmarschall and leading Nazi figure

Joachim von Ribbentrop - German ambassador to the United Kingdom, Reichminister of Foreign Affairs, Wallis Simpson’s lover.

Credits

Pomp and Circumstance No. 3Erika (German Soldier’s song)

When Eliza Rolls Her Eyes

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George V's reign (1910-36) stretched across perhaps the most tumultuous period in world history. It saw the bloodiest war to date, the financial markets melt and the rise of fascism and communism

His calm, dutiful leadership would be put to the test, the British monarchy faced perhaps its biggest existential threat as Europe faced unparalleled political and social change. 

Characters

George V - King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, Emperor of India (1910-36)

Mary of Teck - Queen of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, Empress of India (1910-36)

Edward VII - Father of George, King (1901-10)

Alexandra of Denmark - mother of George, Queen consort (1901-10)

Albert ‘Eddy’ - brother of George

Victoria - Grandmother of George, Queen (1837-01)

Albert - Grandfather of George, Prince consort (1837-61)

David - eldest son of George and future Edward VIII

Bertie - younger son of George and future George VII

John Neale Dalton - tutor

Emmeline Pankhurst - leader of the Suffragette movement

Emily Davison - Suffragette killed during the 1913 Derby

Edward Carson - Irish Unionist politician

Bertrand Edward Dawson - George’s physician

Winston Churchill - Minister of Munitions, First Lord of the Admiralty, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Field Marshal John French - Commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force

Field Marshal Douglas Haig - Commander of the Expeditionary Force on the Western Front

Lord Kitchener - Secretary of State for War

Tsar Alexander III - Emperor of Russia (1881-94)

Tsar Nicholas II - Emperor of Russia (1894-1917), cousin of George 

Kaiser Wilhelm II - Emperor of Germany (1888-1918), cousin of George

Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary

Gavrilo Princip - Serbian nationalist and Franz Ferdinand’s assassin

Prime Ministers

Herbert Asquith - 1908-16

David Lloyd George - 1916-22

Andrew Bonar Law - 1922-23

Stanley Baldwin - 1923-24, 24-29, 35-37

Ramsey MacDonald - 1924, 1929-35

Pomp and Circumstance no. 4

The Last Post

Wo alle Straßen enden

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Politips host Ed Castel deep dives into the remarkable reign of Aethelstan, the man recognised as the first King of England as well as the Anglo-Saxons themselves. Many key questions are answered:

Who were the Anglo-Saxons?

What were the seven kingdoms and how did the deal with Viking invasions?

How are sources found?

The reign of Athelstan: his rise and consolidation of power, his historic coronation, becoming ‘King of the whole of Britain’, the Battle of Brunanburh and the birth of English national identity, his foreign and domestic policy, and his legacy

Twitter - @kingsqueenspod

Instagram - @kingsqueenspodcast

Facebook - The Kings and Queens Podcast

Email - thekingsandqueenspodcast@gmail.com

For Politips

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/poli-tips

Instagram and Twitter - @politipspodcast

It was a real privilege to interview Ben Kane. We spoke about his Lionheart series, his new book Napoleon’s spy, as well as the challenges faced and rewards gained from writing historical fiction.

Initially well known for his excellent trilogies set in ancient Rome including the Forgotten Legion and the Spartacus series. More recently he has ventured into medieval England with his Lionheart series focussing on the reign of Richard I of England. His most recent book is set in the Napoleonic era.

You can follow Ben on twitter - @BenKaneAuthor or on his website benkane.net I was joined by Ed Castel, a fellow History and Politics teacher, colleague and host of my other podcast – politips – politics for a-level and beyond.

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/poli-tips

In the words of the Edward VII (1901-1910) ‘I don’t mind praying to the Eternal Father, but I must be the only man in the country afflicted with an eternal mother. He had to wait 59 years to become king. Though only 9 years, the king also lent his name to an era. The Edwardian era was distinct in its social and cultural change with a rejection of certain Victorian values. The era saw significant social mobility, reform yet also hedonism. In the words of W. B. Yeats ‘everybody got down off their stilts.' He was perhaps the final monarch to hold true political power. The power and influence was held over the great monarchs of Europe, his relatives, who would soon succumb to republicanism, to socialism and to war.

Politips for A-Level and Beyond https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/poli-tips

Characters

Edward VII ‘Bertie’ – King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions, Emperor of India (1901-10)
Alexandra of Denmark – Queen consort of the United Kingdom and British Dominions, Empress consort of India (1901-10)
Victoria – Queen of the United Kingdom and British Dominions (1837-1901, Emperor of India (1876-1901), mother of Edward
Prince Albert – Consort of the British monarch (1840-61), father of Edward
Victoria, Princess Royal – German Empress consort, sister of Edward
Prince Albert ‘Eddie’ – eldest son of Edward and Alexandra
Prince George – second eldest son of Edward and Alexandra and heir apparent.
Mary of Teck – former fiancé of Eddie and wife of Prince George.

Canon Birch – tutor of Edward
Frederick Gibbs – tutor of Edward

Frederick Johnstone – close university friend ofEdward
Henry Chaplin ‘Magnifico’ – close university friend of Edward

Mistresses and alleged mistresses

Nellie Clifden
Harriet Mordaunt
Daisy Greville
Lady Aylesford
Alice Keppel
Lady Randolph Churchill – mother of Winston Churchill

Charles Mordaunt – husband of Harriet
Randolph Churchill – father of Winston Churchill
Lord Blandford
Lord Aylesford
William Gordon-Cumming – army officer accused of cheating at baccarat.

Prime Ministers
Benjamin Disraeli – 1868, 1874-80
William Gladstone – 1868-74, 80-85, 86, 92-94
Lord Salisbury – 1895-1902
Arthur Balfour – 1902-05
Henry Campbell-Bannerman – 1905-08
Herbert Asquith – 1908-16

Joseph Chamberlain – Conservative MP, Colonial secretary under Balfour
David Lloyd-George – Liberal MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer under Asquith

Winston Churchill – Liberal MP, Trade Secretary and Home Secretary under Asquith
Keir Hardie – Founder of the Labour party

Lord Kitchener – British commander during the Boer War

Joseph Lister – British surgeon and medical scientist

Social reformers

Charles Booth Seebohm Rowntree Maud Pember Reeves

Credits

Land of Hope and Glory – Edward Elgar
Egyptian Fantasy – Sucre d’Orge Burlesque
Gilbert & Sullivan – Cow and Box
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On the death of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), Arthur Balfour wrote, ‘I suppose that, in all the history of the British Monarchy, there never has been a case in which the feeling of national grief was so deep-seated as it is at present, so universal, so spontaneous. And that grief affects us not merely because we have lost a great personality, but because we feel that the end of a great epoch has come upon us—an epoch the beginning of which stretches beyond the memory, I suppose, of any individual whom I am now addressing, and which embraces within its compass sixty-three years, more important, more crowded with epoch-making change, than almost any other period of like length that could be selected in the history of the world.’

Characters

Queen Victoria – Queen of the United Kingdom and Ireland (1837-1901)
Prince Albert – Prince Consort of the United Kingdom and Ireland (1837-61)
Prince Edward (Bertie) – Duke of Edinburgh, son of Victoria and Albert, heir apparent
Duchess of Kent – mother of Victoria
Prince Edward, duke of Kent – father of Victoria

Previous Kings of the United Kingdom and Ireland

George III –1760-1820
George IV – 1820-30
William IV – 1830-37

John Conroy – comptroller to the duchess of Kent
Louise Lehzen – governess of the Victoria’s household
Feodore – Victoria’s half-sister
Leopold I – King of Belgium

Ernest Augustus – King ofHanover, uncle of Victoria

Prime Ministers

Lord Melbourne – 1835-41
Robert Peel – 1841-46
John Russell – 1846-52, 65-66
Earl of Derby – 1846-52, 66-68
Earl of Aberdeen – 1852-55, 58-59
Lord Palmerston – 1855-58, 59-65
Benjamin Disraeli – 1868, 74-80
William Gladstone – 1868-74, 80-85, 86, 92-94
Earl of Rosebury – 1894-95
Lord Salisbury – 1885-86, 86-92, 95-02
Arthur Balfour – 1902-05

Flora Hastings – lady-in-waiting for the Duchess
John Snow – physician and leader in the development of anaesthesia
Mary Seacole – nurse who set up the ‘British Hotel’
Florence Nightingale – social reformer and founder of modern nursing
Sultan Khaleefah Abdul-Majid – Sultan of the Ottoman Empire
Bahadur Shah Zafar – Mughal Emperor of India
Cecil Rhodes – mining magnate and politician
General Charles Gordon – army officer
Lili’uokalani – Heir apparent and later Queen of Hawaii
John Brown – Victoria’s personal attendant
Abdul Karim – Victoria’s India Secretary
Kaiser Wilhelm II – Emperor of Germany, grandson of Victoria

Credits

Cherry Ripe
Sail the Ocean Blue – HMS pinafore – Gilbert and Sullivan
Hallelujah – George Frideric Handel

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When William IV (1830-37) was a teenage sailor drinking and debauching his way across the empire alongside such esteemed friends as Horatio Nelson, no one expected that one day he would king. He was taught no royal graces or decorum, yet his time would come. He was described as unassuming and disinterested in pomp and as hard-working and conscientious. Despite a short rule, he would provide royal assent to some of the most significant acts in British history. He had political views and his lack of royal training meant; he would not be lightly brushed aside.

Characters

William IV – King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1830-37)
Queen Adelaide – Queen consort of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1830-37)
George IV - King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1820-30), elder brother of William IV
George III - King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820), father of William IV and George IV
Queen Charlotte – Queen consort of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1761-1818), mother of William IV and George IV
Prince Frederick – elder brother of William IV
Prince Adolphus – younger brother of William IV
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent – younger brother of William IV, father of Victoria
Victoria, Duchess of Kent – wife of Edward, mother of Prince Victoria
Princess Victoria – niece of William IV and heir to the throne
George, Earl of Munster – illegitimate son of William IV and Dorothea Jordan
Dorothea Jordan – long-time mistress of William

Horatio Nelson – British flag officer in the Royal Navy

William Wilberforce – leading abolitionist

George Canning – Prime Minister (1827)
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington – Commander at the Battle of Waterloo, Prime Minister (1828-30, 1834)
Charles Grey, Earl Grey – Prime Minister (1830-34)
William Lamb, Viscount Melbourne – Prime Minister (1834, 1835-41)
Robert Peel – Prime Minister (1834-35)
John Russell – Home Secretary
Henry John Temple, Viscount Palmerston – Foreign Secretary
Edward Smith-Stanley, Earl of Derby – War Secretary
Henry Brougham – Lord High Chancellor

John Nash - architect

Charles Greville – Diarist
Emily Eden - Poet

George Washington – Commander-in-chief of the Continental army, 1stPresident of the United States

Credits

Beethoven’s 6th symphony ‘Pastorale’

Freesound.org and BBC sound effects

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I have started a new podcast with my teaching colleagues. Politips... Politics for A-Level and Beyond. Reviewing the biggest stories in the world of politics in the UK and the US. Give it a try - links below for more episodes.
https://anchor.fm/poli-tips 

Also available on Spotify, Google, Amazon and Apple podcasts

Napoleon III, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte holds a unique distinction. He became the first President of France in 1848 before becoming its last monarch when he ruled as Emperor between 1852-1870 founding the second French empire. He oversaw the modernisation of the French economy, the grand reconstruction of Paris, considerable social reform, further colonisation overseas and renewed rivalries in Europe. The impact of his rule would be felt deep into the 20th century. I was lucky enough to speak to Sam, my British housemate who grew up in France about Napoleon III.

Contemporary poet and critic Leigh Hunt described George IV (1820-30) as a violator of his word, a libertine, over head and ears in debt, a disgrace, a despiser of domestic ties, the companion of demi-reps and gamblers without a single claim on the gratitude of his country, nor the respect of posterity. 

Characters

George IV – King of Great Britain, Ireland and Hanover (1820-30)
George III – King of Great Britain and Ireland (1760-1820), King of Hanover (1814-20)
Charlotte of Mecklenberg- Strelitz – Queen consort of Great Britain and Ireland (1761-1818), Queen consort of Hanover (1814-18)
Princess Charlotte of Wales – daughter of George and Caroline
Prince Frederick, duke of York – younger brother of George and one-time heir presumptive
Prince William – younger brother of George and eventual heir to the throne

Maria Fitzherbert – illegitimate Catholic wife of George
Caroline of Brunswick – legitimate wife of George
Mary Robinson – a lady-in-waiting for Queen Charlotte, love interest of George

Charles James Fox – Whig statesman and friend of George
William Pitt the Younger – Prime Minister (1783-1801, 1804-06)
Henry Addington – Prime Minister (1801-04)
Lord Liverpool – Prime Minister (1812-27)
George Canning – Prime Minister (1827)
Duke of Wellington – Commander at the Battle of Waterloo, Prime Minister (1828-30, 1834)
Robert Peel – Home Secretary, founder of the Metropolitan Police
Daniel O’Connell – political leader of Ireland’s Catholic majority, later an MP
Elizabeth Fry – Prison and social reformer

Henry Hunt – radical speaker and agitator

John Nash – Architect

James Gilray – contemporary cartoonist
Leigh Hunt – contemporary poet and critic
Richard Sheridan – Irish satirist

Napoleon Bonaparte – Emperor of France

Richard II – King of England (1377-99)
Charles II – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1660-85)

The US declaration of Independence described George III (1760-1820) as “marked by every act which may define a tyrant.” At home he was described as one of the most conscientious sovereigns who ever sat upon the English throne. Yet, he vehemently opposed catholic emancipation and the abolition of slavery. His characterisations are almost as broad as the events that unfolded during long reign. It saw an independent United States and a revolutionary France. It saw the age of enlightenment, the age of industry, science and technology and the age of imperialism that would see Europe reach the peak of its global power.

Characters

George III – King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (1760-1820) and Ireland (1801-20)
Charlotte of Mecklenberg-Strelitz – Queen consort of the United Kingdom of Great Britain (1760-1820) and Ireland (1801-20)
Prince Frederick – father of George III, son of George II, Prince of Wales (1729-51)
Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha – mother of George III
Prince George – son of George III, Prince of Wales, Prince Regent of the United Kingdom (1811-20)
Prince Henry – duke of Cumberland, brother of George III

France

Maximillien Robespierre – leading Jacobin revolutionary
Charles Danton – leading Jacobin revolutionary
Napoleon Bonaparte – Emperor of France
Louis XVI – King of France (1774-92)
Louis XVIII – King of France (1814-15, 1815-24)
Marie Antoinette – Queen consort of France, wife of Louis XVI (1774-92)
Pierre-Charles Villaneuve – French vice-admiral at the Battle of Trafalgar
Joseph Bonaparte – King of Spain and Naples, brother of Napoleon
Louis Bonaparte – King of Holland, brother of Napoleon

United States

Thomas Paine – English-born American revolutionary activist
Benjamin Franklin – writer, diplomat and philosopher
George Washington – military officer and statesman. 1st President of the United States (1789-97)
James Madison – President of the United States (1809-17)
Andrew Jackson – general and statesman, President of the United States (1829-37)

Prime Ministers

Thomas Pelham, Duke of Newcastle (1757-62)
John Stuart, Earl of Bute (1762-63)
George Grenville (1763-65)
Charles Watson-Wentworth, Marquess of Rockingham (1765-66, 82)
William Pitt (the elder), earl of Chatham – Prime Minister (1766-68)
Augustus FitzRoy, Duke of Grafton (1768-70)
Frederick, Lord North (1770-82)
William Petty, Earl of Shelburne (1782-83)
William Cavendish-Bentinck, Duke of Portland (1783, 1807-09)
William Pitt (the younger) (1783-1801, 1804-06)
Henry Addington (1801-04)
William Grenville (1806-07)
Spencer Perceval (1809-12)
Robert Jenkinson, Earl of Liverpool (1812-27)

Charles Fox – Whig politician
Lord Effingham – in charge of the coronation

Horatio Nelson – Admiral and flag officer in the Royal Navy
Cuthbert Collingwood – Admiral in the Royal Navy
Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington – commander at the Battle of Waterloo
William Howe – commander-in-chief of the British land forces during the American War of Independence
John Burgoyne – British general during the American War of Independence
Charles Cornwallis – British general during the American War of Independence

Thomas Gray – British poet and scholar
Sarah Lennox – favourite of George
John Harrison – British clockmaker and inventor of the marine chronometer
Abel Tasman – Dutch seafarer and explorer
James Cook – British captain and explorer
Capability Brown – British gardener and landscape architect
Benjamin West – American artist
William Herschel – German-born British astronomer

Pope Pius VI – head of the Catholic Church (1775-99)

George II's (1727-60) temper was warm and impetuous but was good natured and sincere. He was unskilled in royal of talent of dissimulation, he always was what he appeared to be. He might offend but he never deceived. What you saw was what you got. Could Britain’s second Hanoverian king provide calm composure against the immense challenges presented by a new Jacobite claimant and the first true global conflict in an unforgiving environment led by burgeoning prime ministers? 

Characters

George II – King of Great Britain, Elector of Hanover (1727-60)
Caroline of Ansbach – Queen consort of Great Britain, Electress consort of Hanover (1727-37)
George I – King of Great Britain (1714-27, Elector of Hanover (1698-1727), father of George II
Sophia Dorothea of Celle – mother of George II
Sophia of Hanover – Electress of Hanover (1692-98), heiress presumptive to the British throne, grandmother of George II
Ernest Augustus – Elector of Hanover (1692-98), grandfather of George II
Frederick, prince of Wales – eldest son of George II and Caroline, heir apparent to British throne
William, duke of Cumberland – youngest son of George II and Caroline, British army general
Philip Christoph von Konigsmarck – Swedish count and lover of Sophia Dorothea of Celle

Anne – Queen of Great Britain (1702-14)
John Churchill, the duke of Marlborough – British military commander under Queen Anne

James Stuart (the Old Pretender) – son of James II and Jacobite pretender
Charles Edward Stuart (Bonnie Prince Charlie) – grandson of James II and Jacobite pretender, son of James Stuart

Robert Walpole – Prime Minister of Great Britain (1721-42)
Charles Townshend – Statesman and director of foreign policy under Walpole
Spencer Compton, earl of Wilmington - Prime Minister of Great Britain (1742-43)
Henry Pelham - Prime Minister of Great Britain (1743-54)
Thomas Pelham, duke of Newcastle - Prime Minister of Great Britain (1754-57, 57-62)
William Pitt – British statesman and informal leader (1756-61)
Horace Walpole – statesman and son of Robert Walpole

Mary Bellenden – mistress of George II
Henrietta Howard – mistress of George II
Amalie von Wallmoden – mistress of George II
John Hervey – courtier and political writer
George Friderich Handel – German-British composer

Robert Jenkins – Welsh mariner who sparked the War of Jenkin’s Ear
Robert Clive – general and governor of the Bengal Presidency
John Byng – British admiral at the Battle of Minorca
James Wolfe – general at the Battle of Quebec

Elizabeth Montagu – social reformer and literary critic
James Caulfeild, earl of Charlemont – Irish statesman

Credits

Music for the Royal Fireworks – George Frideric Handel
Concerto for flute in A minor – Johann Sebastian Bach
bbc_18th-centu_07019161
bbc_period-bat_07019148
bbc_period-bat_07019002
bbc_large-outd_07019156
bbc_period-bat_07019151
451958__kyles__flag-flaps-back-and-forth-between-2-flags-in-high-wind-on-mountain-good-crisp-fabric-detail
bbc_animals--h_07024150 horses resting
bbc_700-people_07010060
bbc_atmosphere_07030054
505272__diegolar__surrounded-by-horse close perspective
464490__elynch0901__human-knocked-over
427972__lipalearning__male-grunt
365676__mr-alden__dinner-table-ambience
344145__brokenphono__swig-of-whiskey-001
275581__hinzebeat__cutlery-throwing-2
155589__leafs67__walking-in-long-grass
139973__jessepash__crowd-yay-applause-25ppl-long
98055__tomlija__wine-bottle-break-2
82019__benboncan__distant-hunt-with-shots or countryside

Author Simon Jenkins described the Georgian kings not as monarchs but as princelings, who came to power not by the sword or politics but merely descent from a distant protestant mistress. They were mostly bewigged, powdered non-entities who couldn’t even control their own children, nor say boo to a goose.

The first, George I (1714-27), faced a perilous threat from the moment he stepped on British shores, the shadow of the Jacobites was widening. The foreigner would need to heavily rely upon his new British statesmen to ensure the House of Hanover would survive.

Characters

George I – King of Great Britain (1702-27), Elector of Hanover (1698-27)
Sophia Dorothea of Celle – wife of George I (1682-94)
Ernest Augustus – Elector of Hanover (1692-98), duke of Brunswick-Luneberg (1679-98), father of George I
Sophia of the Palatinate – Electress consort of Hanover, former heir apparent to the British throne, mother of George I
Prince George Augustus – son of George I

Count Christoph von Konigsmarck – lover of Sophia Dorothea
Melusine von der Schulenberg – mistress of George I
Sophia von Kielmansegg – half-sister and companion of George I
Mustapha and Mahomet – Turkish servants of George I
Peter the wild boy – feral child brought to the court of George I

Robert Walpole – British statesman, first de facto Prime Minister of Great Britain
Charles Townshend – British statesman and ally of Robert Walpole
James Stanhope – British statesman and chief minister (1717-21)
Charles Spencer – British statesman and ally of Earl Stanhope
Horace Walpole – son of Robert Walpole
Duke of Shrewsbury – chief minister and Whig (1714)
John Younger – dean of Salisbury

James Stuart ‘the Old Pretender’ – chief Jacobite claimant to the British throne
James Butler, duke of Ormonde – Commander-in-chief of the British forces, supporter of the Jacobite rebellion (1715)
John Churchill, duke of Marlborough – commander-in-chief of the British forces
Henry St. John – leader of the Tories and supporter of the Jacobite rebellion (1715)
John Erskine, earl of Mar – leader of the Jacobite rebellion (1715)
John Campbell, duke of Argyll – senior commander of the British army during the Jacobite rebellion (1715)

George Frideric Handel – Baroque composer

Louis XIV – King of France (1643-1715)
Louis XV – King of France (1715-74), great-grandson of Louis XIV
Philippe II, Duke of Orleans – regent of France under Louis XV
Giulio Alberoni – Spanish cardinal and statesman
Philip V – King of Spain (1700-46)

William III – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689-1702)
Anne – Queen of Great Britain (1702-14)
James II of England and VII of Scotland – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1685-88)
James I of England and VI of Scotland - King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1603-25)

Simon Jenkins – historian
Lord Chesterfield – contemporary statesman and writer

Credits

Suite in D major – The Water Music – George Frideric Handel
bbc_18th-centu_07019161
bbc_period-bat_07019148
bbc_period-bat_07019002
bbc_large-outd_07019156
451958__kyles__flag-flaps-back-and-forth-between-2-flags-in-high-wind-on-mountain-good-crisp-fabric-detail
bbc_atmosphere_07030054
97382__soundbytez__lion-distant
33658__sagetyrtle__laughter

Anne (1702-14) was described as stubborn, miserable, weak-willed, vapid, grossly obese. A woman of ordinary character. Yet, she became the first Queen of Great Britain. Her reign would have long-lasting consequences, the establishment of the Bank of England meant the nation was now punching above its weight. The nation became the military force not seen since the days of Edward III and Henry V. Within the fledgling kingdom of Great Britain, the economic and political base was built for the golden age of the 18th century.

Characters

Anne – Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1702-07), Queen of Great Britain and Ireland (1707-14)
Prince George of Denmark – husband of Anne
Prince William, duke of Gloucester – son of Queen Anne and Prince George

Mary II – Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689-94), sister of Anne
William III – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689-1702), Stadholder (1672-1702), prince of Orange
James II – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1685-88), father of Anne
Anne Hyde – mother of Anne, first wife of James II
Mary of Modena – Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland (1685-88)
Charles II – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1660-85), uncle of Anne
Charles I – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1625-49), grandfather of Anne
Henrietta Maria – Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland (1625-49), grandmother of Anne
Henrietta Anne – Aunt of Anne, sister of Charles II and James II

Sarah Churchill, duchess of Marlborough – courtier of Anne, keeper of the privy purse
John Churchill, duke of Marlborough – captain general of the British forces, husband of Sarah
Abigail Masham – courtier of Anne
Henry Compton – bishop of London, one of the immortal 7
Lord Sidney Godolphin – First Lord of the Treasury
Robert Harley – Chief Minister of Great Britain
Henry St. John – Secretary of State and leader of the Tories

Prince Eugene of Savoy – field marshal in the Holy Roman Empire
Louis XIV – King of France (1643-1715)
Sophia, Electress of Hanover – granddaughter of James I, heiress presumptive to the thrones of England and Scotland
George, Elector of Hanover – son of Sophia, Anne’s successor

Daniel Defoe – writer, journalist and spy
Jonathan Swift - satirist

Credits

The Prince of Denmark’s march – Jeremiah Clarke
438405__craigsmith__g29-45-western-bar-fight
564664__garuda1982__lace-up-leather-boots-sound-effect
157121__slave2thelight__soup-slurp
377041__milankovanda__eating-soup
618113__nachtmahrtv__walking-through-dry-bushes
422582__martin-sadoux__countryside-at-the-night-crickets
437090__craigsmith__g52-22-carriage-and-voices
475499__o-ciz__steps-stone-2-running
408202__170084__small-metal-objects-shaken
bbc_period-bat_07019147 4
bbc_18th-centu_07019158 NC
194982__soundmary__wild-horses-running

William III (1689-1702) had limited interest in the affairs of England, Scotland and Ireland. His interest lay in keeping the King of France at bay and would use England as weapon to achieve his goals. It was perhaps the king’s indifference that allowed parliament to gain permanent supremacy over the nation leading to a remarkable transformation in the political and religious affairs of England. During William's reign, along with Mary II (1689-94) the parliamentary state was established, to this day it remains the enduring feature of the British political system.

Characters

William III – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689-1702), Stadholder (1672-1702), prince of Orange
Mary II – Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland (1689-94)
James II – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1685-88), father of Mary II
Charles II – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1660-85), uncles of Mary II and William III
Charles I – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1625-49), grandfather of Mary II and William III
Princess Anne – sister of Mary II
William II – Prince of Orange, father of William III
Mary – Princess Royal, mother of William III
Anne Hyde – mother of Mary II, first wife of James II
Mary of Modena – Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland (1685-88)
James Stuart – son of James II and Jacobite claimant
Johan de Witt – Grand Pensionary of Holland
Sophia, Electress of Hanover – granddaughter of James I, heiress presumptive to the thrones of England and Scotland
Louis XIV – King of France (1643-1715)
Phillip V – King of Spain, grandson of Louis XIV
Leopold I – Holy Roman Emperor (1658-1705)
Archduke Charles – son of Leopold I
John Branston – Essex MP
Adam de la Prynne – English antiquary
John Locke – philosopher and enlightenment thinker

Mary I – Queen of England (1553-58)
Philip II – King of Spain, King of England (jure uxoris)

Credits

Sound the trumpet – Henry Purcell
Man that is born a woman – Henry Purcell
bbc_tennis--ha_07012117
IMSLP312077-PMLP237007-S001-02-hbr
bbc_period-bat_07019001 5
194982__soundmary__wild-horses-running CREDIT

James II of England and VII of Scotland (1685-59) followed in the footsteps of his predecessors. He too, struggled with the scope and nature of government. He believed it his duty as a Roman Catholic prince to level the religious playing field and did not learn the lessons of the civil war. He woefully underestimated the power of parliament. His rule saw the beginnings of the modern British state and the ultimate death knell of absolute monarchy.

Characters

James II of England and VII of Scotland
Charles I – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1625-49), father of James
Charles II – King of England, Scotland and Ireland (1660-85), brother of James
Henrietta Maria – Queen consort of England, mother of James
Anne Hyde – Queen consort of England, 1st wife of James
Mary of Modena – Queen consort, 2nd wife of James
Princess Mary – eldest daughter of James
Princess Anne – eldest daughter of James
James, prince of Wales – son of James

Oliver Cromwell – 1st Lord Protector of the English commonwealth
Richard Cromwell – 2nd Lord Protector of the English commonwealth
George Monck – English general

Titus Oates – English priest and fabricator of the Popish plot
Duke of Monmouth – illegitimate son of Charles II and claimant to the throne
Earl of Argyll – Scottish peer and soldier, ally of the duke of Monmouth
Nell Gwynne – mistress of Charles II
Henry Compton – bishop of London
Robert Spencer, earl of Sunderland – Lord President of the council
William Penn – quaker and founder of the province of Pennsylvania
John Churchill – English general and statesman

William of Orange – Prince of Orange, husband of Princess Mary
Louis XIV – King of France
Henri de La Tour D’Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne – Marshall general of France
Charles-Maurice Le Tellier – Archbishop of Reims

Mary I – Queen of England and Ireland (1553-58)
Henry VI – King of England (1422-61, 70-71)
Richard II – King of England (1377-99)
Edward II – King of England (1307-27)

John Callow – Historian
Gilbert Burnet - Historian

CREDITS

Courante – Henry Eccles
Adagio – Henry Eccles

411087__jimsim__creaking-sailing-boat C
77696__benboncan__seven-bells-ship-time C
bbc_700-people_07010060
202535__abolla__books01
bbc_footsteps-_07004171
168420__gurek__bushes-01
471761__lextao__48-cortandocarne
bbc_babies---a_07011219
bbc_exterior-a_07044003
bbc_footsteps-_07004179
bbc_battle-cro_07019150
Soundmary – Wild horses
400632__inspectorj__ambience-seaside-waves-close-a
218488__danmitch3ll__distant-horns

The Commonwealth of England - 1649-60
In a weary speech to parliament on 4 February 1658 Oliver Cromwell told MPs that ‘I would have been glad, as to my own conscience and spirit, to have been living under a woodside to have kept a flock of sheep, rather than to have undertaken such a place as this’. In the 1630s, Oliver Cromwell raised chickens and sheep for their eggs and wool. 20 years later he was offered the crown. He helped lead an army to defeat and execute Charles I, becoming one of the most successful military leaders in British history. He now led a country that had become a republic, it had sailed into unchartered waters. As the nation leaned on the leadership and dogged personality of Oliver Cromwell would it be strong enough to sustain the religious and political ideals upon which it had been founded?

Characters

Oliver Cromwell – 1st Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland
and Ireland (1653-58)
Richard Cromwell – 2nd Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland
and Ireland (1658-59), son of Oliver Cromwell
Charles I – King of England (1625-49)
Charles II – King of England (1660-85), son of Charles I
Thomas Fairfax – Commander of the New Model Army
George Monck – Prominent military leader under the Commonwealth
John Lambert – Prominent Parliamentarian and military leader
Arthur Aston – Prominent Royalist and military leader, Governor of Drogheda
Prince Rupert – Royalist cavalry commander, nephew of Charles I
David Leslie – Scottish cavalry commander
Praise-God Barebone – Puritan preacher and MP, gave his name to Barebone’s parliament
Menasseh Ben Israel – Portuguese rabbi

John Morrill – Historian
GM Trevelyan – Historian
John Evelyn – contemporary writer and diarist

Edward the Confessor – King of England (1042-66)

Credits

Music - The Old Bachelor - Henry Purcell

chamonesteyn brush-strokes-on-a-canvas
inspectorj ambience-seaside-waves-close-a
richardemoore cw-battle-endsinvictory

For his obdurate and reckless governance Charles I (1625-49) faced an equally obdurate and formidable parliament and he lost. The monarchy too lost, yet Charles grasped a martyr’s crown becoming the first saint of the Church of England. His reign may have contributed hugely to the destruction of the monarchy but his conduct during the trial and the dignity he displayed afterwards also helped maintain the prestige of monarchy and contributed to its ultimate restoration.

CHARACTERS

Charles I – King of England, Scotland and Ireland
Henrietta Maria – Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland, wife of Charles
James I & VI – King of England, Scotland and Ireland, father of Charles
Anne of Denmark – Queen consort of England, Scotland and Ireland, mother of Charles
Prince Henry – elder brother of Charles
Elizabeth – Electress consort of the Palatinate, elder sister of Charles
Prince Charles – son of Charles I and Henrietta Maria, heir apparent

George Villiers – duke of Buckingham
William Laud – Archbishop of Canterbury
Roger Manwaring – anti-Calvinist bishop of St. David’s
Richard Montagu – anti-Calvinist bishop of Chichester
Thomas Wentworth – earl of Stafford, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland
Prince Rupert of the Rhine - nephew of Charles, Royalist cavalry commander

Parliamentarians

John Eliot
John Pym
Denzil Holles
William Strode
Arthur Heselrig
John Hampden
John Rolle

William Prynne – prominent Puritan and lawyer

Oliver Cromwell – parliamentarian and military commander
Thomas Fairfax – commander of the New Model Army
Robert Devereux – earl of Essex, chief commander of the Parliamentarian army
John Bradshawe – President of the High Court of Justice for the trial of Charles I
John Finch – speaker of the House of Commons (1628-29)
William Lenthall – speaker of the House of Commons (1640-47)
John Felton – army lieutenant and assassin

Francis Bacon – Lord Chancellor

Infanta Maria Anna – suitor for Charles I, daughter of Philip III of Spain
Philip III – King of Spain
Louis XIII – King of France, father of Henrietta Maria
Ferdinand II – Archduke of Further Austria

Peter Paul Rubens – Flemish poet and diplomat

Henry VII – King of England (1485-1509)
Edward III – King of England (1327-77)

John Milton – contemporary poet and civil servant
GM Trevelyan - historian

CREDITS

Juan Baptiste Lully – Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme
Henry Purcell – The Old Bachelor
75201__robinhood76__01113-knight-fight-orginal
Dan Mitch3ll – Wild Horses
267297__claudius__cellar-atmo-large-building
380825__komal22moiz__tug-boat-horn-sound-effect
bbc_period-bat_07019005
bbc_period-bat_07019147
bbc_battle-cro_07019150
490800__jordishaw__stabbing-sound
408391__turchinoa__paper-crumple
151769__gnrja__storm-wind-2

James I's (1603-25) ultimate aim was to unite the kingdoms of England and Scotland under one banner. However, his belief in the divine right of kings meant his relationship with parliament would be bitter, sour and destructive, with consequences long outlasting the reign of the first King of Great Britain.

CHARACTERS

James I & VI – King of England and Scotland
Anne of Denmark – Queen consort of England, wife of James
Mary, Queen of Scots – Queen of Scotland, mother of James
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley – father of James
Prince Henry – first son of James
Princess Elizabeth – daughter of James
Prince Charles – second son of James
Frederick V – Elector Palatine of the Rhine, King of Bohemia, husband of Princess Elizabeth

James Stewart, earl of Moray – uncle and 1stregent of James
Matthew Stewart, earl of Lennox – grandfather and 2nd regent of James
Earl of Mar – keeper of James and his 3rd regent
James, Douglas, earl of Morton – 4th regent of James

Esme Stewart, earl of Lennox – cousin and favourite of James
George Buchanan – tutor of James
Francis Stewart, Lord Bothwell – third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots

Henry VII – King of England (1485-1509), great-grandfather of James
Henry VIII – King of England (1509-1547)
Elizabeth I – Queen of England (1558-1603)

Robert Cecil – Secretary of State under Elizabeth I and James
Francis Bacon – Lord High Chancellor
Robert Carr, earl of Somerset – politician and favourite of James
George Villiers, duke of Buckingham – politician and favourite of James
Christopher Pigott – Member of Parliament
Walter Raleigh – explorer and privateer
William Parker, Baron Monteagle – peer who discovered the Gunpowder Plot

Frances Howard – wife of Thomas Overbury and Robert Carr
Thomas Overbury – wife of Frances Howard
Hugh O’Neil – Irish lord and rebel

Robert Catesby – chief architect of the Gunpowder Plot
Guy Fawkes – mercenary and Gunpowder plotter
Thomas Percy – gunpowder plotter
Francis Tresham – gunpowder plotter

Frederick II – King of Denmark and Norway (1559-88), father of Anne and Christian IV
Christian IV – King of Denmark and Norway (1588-1648)
Charles IX – King of France (1560-74)
Louis XIII – King of France (1610-43)
Henrietta Maria – wife of Prince Charles, sister of Louis XIII of France
Philip III – King of Spain (1598-1621)
Maria Anna – daughter of Philip III and suitor of Prince Charles

William Tyndale – early Protestant reformer
Edward II – King of England (1307-27)

William Shakespeare – contemporary playwright

Charles Dickens – 19th century writer
John Philipps Kenyon – 20th century historian

Music

Rondo_in_'Abdelazar'
Corelli sonata op5.12 – Follia Sonatori-Fiorentini

According to contemporary John Hayward, ‘no one knew better than Elizabeth I (1558-1603) the art of commanding men.’

Even at 17 her tutor said the constitution of her mind is exempt from female weakness and she is endued with a masculine power of application. No apprehension quicker, no memory more retentive.

With the nation perhaps more divided by religion than at any point in English history, the young Queen would require every ounce of skill, of nous, of guile afforded to her. 

CHARACTERS

Elizabeth I – Queen of England
Henry VIII – King of England (1509-47), father of Elizabeth, Mary I and Edward VI
Edward VI – King of England (1547-53)
Mary I – Queen of England (1553-58)
Catherine of Aragon – 1st wife of Henry VIII, mother of Mary I
Jane Seymour – 3rd wife of Henry VIII, mother of Edward VI
Catherine Parr – 6th wife of Henry VIII

Margaret Tudor – sister of Henry VIII, Queen consort of Scotland, wife of James IV, grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots
Mary Tudor – sister of Henry VIII, Queen consort of France, grandmother of Lady Jane Grey
Mary, Queen of Scots – cousin of Elizabeth, Mary and Edward, Queen of Scotland, France and claimant to the English throne
James VI – King of Scotland, son of Mary, Queen of Scots
Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley – 2nd husband of Mary, Queen of Scots, father of James VI
David Rizzio – confidant of Mary, Queen of Scots
Lord Bothwell – 3rd husband of Mary, Queen of Scots


Henry II – King of France (1547-59)
Francois II – King of France (1559-60), husband of Mary, Queen of Scots

Thomas Seymour – 2nd husband of Catherine Parr
Edward Seymour – Lord Protector under Edward VI, brother of Thomas Seymour
John Dudley – Lord President of the Council under Edward VI
Lady Jane Grey – pronounced Queen of England (1554), cousin of Elizabeth, Mary and Edward
Guildford Dudley – husband of Lady Jane Grey, son of John Dudley
Thomas Wyatt – leader of the Wyatt rebellion


Robert Dudley – Privy councillor, suitor of Elizabeth I, son of John Dudley
William Cecil – Secretary of State, Lord High Treasurer
Francis Walsingham – Secretary of State, Elizabeth’s ‘spymaster’
Christopher Hatton – Lord Chancellor of England
Robert Cecil – Lord Privy seal, son of William Cecil
Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex – nobleman, stepson of Robert Dudley
Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk – politician implicated in the Ridolfi plot
Francis Drake – Explorer, captain and privateer
Walter Raleigh – statesman and explorer

Roberto Ridolfi – banker and agent who planned the Ridolfi plot
Amy Robsart – 1st wife of Robert Dudley

Philip II – King of Spain, former husband of Mary I
Duke of Medina Sedonia – commander of the Spanish Armada
Ivan the Terrible – 1st Tsar of Russia
Francois, duke of Anjou and Alencon – suitor to Elizabeth I, son of Henry II, King of France
Pius V – Pope (1566-72)
Sixtus V – Pope (1585-90)
William of Orange – leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish
Juan Bentivollo – Italian who witnessed the Spanish Armada set sail
Hugh O’Neil – Earl of Tyrone and Irish rebel
John White – governor of Roanoke colony
Virginia Dare – the first English child born in the New World
William Adams – English explorer and western samurai

William Shakespeare – playwright
Christopher Marlowe - playwright

Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII and Edward VI
Edmund Dudley – financial agent of Henry VII, father of John Dudley

William Camden – contemporary historian
Rosalind Marshall - Historian
John Hayward - contemporary

Mary I (1553-58) led the only successful revolt in 16th century England becoming the first anointed Queen regnant. She had witnessed the decimation of the Roman Catholic church in England for her father's ultimate goal of siring a son. According to G.R. Elton, the vicious attack on her mother and her own bastardisation and the treatment of her religion ought to have turned Mary into a fierce instrument of hatred and vengeance upon ascending the throne but how merciful would be?

CHARACTERS

Mary I - Queen of England
Philip - King of Spain, King of England (jure uxoris)

Henry VIII – King of England (1509-47)
Catherine of Aragon – Queen of England, mother of Mary I
Anne Boleyn – Queen of England, 2nd wife of Henry VIII
Jane Seymour – Queen of England, 3rd wife of Henry VIII
Anne of Cleves – Queen of England, 4th wife of Henry VIII
Catherine Howard – Queen of England, 5th wife of Henry VIII
Catherine Parr – Queen of England, 6th wife of Henry VIII

Edward VI - King of England (1547-53), brother of Mary I
Princess Elizabeth – sister of Mary I
Lady Jane Grey - cousin of Mary I, 9-day Queen, claimant to the English throne
Guildford Dudley - husband of Lady Jane Grey
John Dudley - Duke of Northumberland, de facto Lord Protector under Edward VI
Robert Kett - leader of Kett's rebellion
Mary - Queen of Scots, cousin of Mary I

Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry VIII
Reginald Pole - Archbishop of Canterbury under Mary I
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley - Anglican bishops under Edward VI

Charles V – Holy Roman Emperor, father of Philip II

At the beginning of 1553, Henry VIII’s only son King Edward VI was dying. For the first time in English history all potential claimants were women. Henry’s daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and their cousins Jane Grey (1553) and Mary, Queen of Scots. For the first time in history, England would have a Queen regnant. Partisan councillors would jockey for position in order to secure their own futures and the religious destiny of the nation.

CHARACTERS

Lady Jane Grey – Queen of England (disputed)
Guildford Dudley – husband of Lady Jane Grey
Henry VIII – Jane great uncle and King of England (1509-47)
Edward VI – Jane’s cousin and King of England (1547-53)
Henry Grey, duke of Suffolk – father of Lady Jane Grey
Frances – mother of Lady Jane Grey
Mary – daughter of Henry VIII
Elizabeth – daughter of Henry VIII
Mary, Queen of Scots – cousin of Lady Jane Grey

Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset – Lord Protector under Edward VI
John Dudley, duke of Northumberland – president of the council under Edward VI, father of Guildford Dudley
Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Seymour – brother of Edward Seymour and husband of Catherine Parr
Thomas Harding – tutor of Lady Jane Grey, family chaplain
John Aylmer and Michelangelo Florio – tutors of Lady Jane Grey

Catherine of Aragon – 1st wife of Henry VIII, mother of Mary
Anne Boleyn – 2nd wife of Henry VIII, mother of Elizabeth
Catherine Howard – 5th wife of Henry VIII
Catherine Parr – 6th wife of Henry VIII

Alison Plowden – Historian

Richard II – King of England (1377-99)
Henry IV – King of England (1399-1413), known as Henry Bolingbroke before his reign

CREDITS

Alfonso Ferabosco – Amor Mia Sprona
BalGas9
gidion owi-spit
aarnnoo – woman crying
metzik – medieval market

In 1547, the last minority in English history was formed for 9 year old Edward VI (1547-53). After the titanic reign of his father Henry VIII, a contemporary may have wondered if the country may be engulfed in civil war once more.Had the rampant religious and administrative upheaval been possible due to the colossus at the helm? Would the country accept such terms under a new king? Or would the country yield to the familiar squabbles of grasping councillors?If there were nerves, they were hidden on the 20th February 1547 when the 9-year-old walked through the nave of Westminster Abbey. The nation stood on a precipice and history was not on their side.

CHARACTERS

Edward VI – King of England
Henry VIII – King of England, father of Edward VI (1509-47)
Jane Seymour – Queen of England, mother of Edward VI, 3rd wife of Henry VIII
Princess Mary – half-sister of Edward VI
Princess Elizabeth – half-sister of Edward VI
Catherine Parr – Queen of England, 6th wife of Henry VIII

Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset – Lord Protector, uncle of Edward VI
Thomas Seymour – uncle of Edward VI, brother of Edward Seymour
John Dudley, duke of Northumberland – Lord President of the Council
Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Wriothesley – Lord Chancellor
Hugh Latimer – Bishop of Worcester
William Paget – statesman and ally of Edward Seymour, duke of Somerset
Thomas Cromwell – Chancellor of the Exchequer under Henry VIII
John Cheke and Richard Cox – Tutors of Edward VI
Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk – nobleman and uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard
Robert Kett – leader of Kett’s rebellion

Lady Jane Grey – cousin of Edward VI
Mary, Queen of Scots – Queen of Scotland
Francis – French dauphin, husband of Mary, Queen of Scots
Richard Chancellor – explorer
Ivan the Terrible – First Tsar of Russia
Edmund Dudley – financial agent of Henry VII, father of John Dudley, duke of Northumberland
Robert Dudley – son of John Dudley, duke of Northumberland
Guildford Dudley – son of John Dudley, duke of Northumberland, husband of Lady Jane Grey

Anne Boleyn – Queen of England, 2nd wife of Henry VIII
Catherine Howard – Queen of England, 4th wife of Henry VIII
Henry VII – King of England, grandfather of Edward VI (1485-1509)
Henry VI – King of England (1422-61, 70-71)
Richard II – King of England (1377-99)

CREDITS

Charpentier – Prelude aue dem Te Deum 2019
Tielman Susato – La Mourisque

freesound.org
jg booysen – pistol gunshot
anton – dog bark Staffordshire bull terrier
robin hood 76 – sledge ride 1
tiisetso – scrubbing floor
mushroomjesus – baby noises 2-3 month old
j-zazvurek – woman scream 5
roxis boy – chain rattling 2
hinzebeat – plate with cutlery
f-r-a-g-i-l-e – medieval lute chords
nickh69 -quill and parchment
tim Kahn – footsteps bare feet
soundmary – wild horses running

Does Juana Loca (Joanna the Mad) Queen of Castile (1504-55) and Aragon (1516-55) deserve her title? Was she really unfit for rule or was she merely a victim of her father's, her husband's and her son's political machinations? Find out with Cristina Sanchez Gomez.

CHARACTERS (names in Spanish)

Juana - Queen of Castile (1504-55) and Aragon (1516-55)
Fernando II - King of Aragon (1479-1516), King of Castile (jure uxoris) (1475-1504), father of Juana
Isabel I - Queen of Castile (1474-1504), Queen consort of Aragon (1479-1504), mother of Juana
Philip - King of Castile (1506), husband of Juana
Catherine of Aragon - Queen consort of England (1509-33), sister of Juana, first wife of Henry VIII of England
Charles - King of Castile and Aragon (1516-66), Holy Roman Emperor (1519-56), son of Juana

Henry VIII (1509-47) was described by historian Simon Jenkins as the ‘Hercules of English history – part tyrant, part polymath, part renaissance prince, who tore up the Plantagenet rulebook’. He was a prolific builder of English monarchy giving the nation a new identity, free from the shackles of Rome. His impact on religion, on government and on society was unprecedented, leaving a significant imprint on 21st century Britain. His countless iniquitous deeds, his disastrous marriages and the gratuitous purges of his foes and friends alike have done more to amalgamate his greatness than to tarnish is colossal legacy.

CHARACTERS

Henry VIII – King of England
Catherine of Aragon – Queen of England
Anne Boleyn – Queen of England
Jane Seymour – Queen of England
Anne of Cleves – Queen of England
Catherine Howard – Queen of England
Catherine Parr – Queen of England
Henry VII – King of England (1485-1509), father of Henry VIII
Elizabeth of York – Queen of England, mother of Henry VIII
Prince Arthur – eldest son of Henry VII
Mary - Queen of France, daughter of Henry VII
Margaret Tudor – daughter of Henry VII, Queen of Scotland, wife of James IV
Princess Mary – daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon
Princess Elizabeth – daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn
Prince Edward – son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour

Thomas Wolsey – Lord Chancellor
Thomas More – Lord Chancellor
Thomas Cromwell – Chancellor of the Exchequer
Thomas Cranmer – Archbishop of Canterbury
Thomas Howard, duke of Norfolk – nobleman and uncle of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard
Anthony Denny – Groom of the stool to Henry VIII
Edmund Dudley and Richard Empson – financial agents of Henry VII

Martin Luther – leading figure of the Protestant Reformation
William Tyndale - leading figure of the Protestant Reformation
Robert Aske – lawyer and leader of the Pilgrimage of Grace
Margaret Pole – daughter of George, duke of Clarence

Elizabeth Blount – mistress of Henry VIII
Henry FitzRoy – illegitimate son of Henry VIII and Elizabeth Blount
Mary Boleyn – mistress of Henry VIII and sister of Anne
Thomas Culpeper – courtier of Henry VIII and associate of Catherine Howard
Francis Dereham - courtier and associate of Catherine Howard

Ferdinand II of Aragon – King of Aragon and Castile
Charles V – Holy Roman Emperor
Louis XII - King of France
Francis I – King of France
James IV – King of Scotland
James V – King of Scotland

Simon Jenkins – Historian
Thomas Wyatt – contemporary politician
Lord Mountjoy – contemporary

Characters referenced from the past

Edward III, King of England (1327-77)
Henry V, King of England (1413-22)
Edward IV, King of England (1461-70, 71-83)
George, duke of Clarence – brother of Edward IV
Thomas Becket – Archbishop of Canterbury under Henry II

CREDITS

John Dowland - The King of Denmark’s galliard
Tu es Petrus – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Roxis boy – chain rattling
hinzebeat – plate with cutlery
kyles – window small trailer rv glass smash with an axe debris fall metal grill
bulbastre – wooden boat row water
arthni – clothing rustle
sagetyrtle – distant cheer
inspector – fireworks distant b
bockelsound – glas weinglas einschenken trinken abstellen
craigsmith – r09-12 wooden thuds and slams
1skyland – walking on grass
soundmary – wild horses running
danmitch3ll – distant horns
jergonda – hangmans rope
black snow – sword slice 5
ensasz – wooden door smash open
Jordishaw – stabbing sound
Tim Kahn - footsteps

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was the longest serving consort in British history. His commitment was remarkable with over 22,000 royal engagements. If Queen Elizabeth II is remembered as the greatest monarch in British history, it will be largely due to the support of her husband Prince Philip. On their golden wedding anniversary in 1997 she said, ‘Philip is a man who doesn’t take too easily to compliments, he has quite simply been my strength and stay all these years and I and his family owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim or he shall ever know.’

CHARACTERS

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – consort of the United Kingdom, husband of Queen Elizabeth II
Princess Elizabeth/ Elizabeth II – Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms (1952-present)
Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark – father of Prince Philip
Princess Alice of Battenburg – mother of Prince Philip
Constantine I – King of Greece (1913-17, 1920-22) uncle of Prince Philip
George I – King of Greece (1863-1913), grandfather of Prince Philip
Louis Mountbatten – uncle of Prince Philip
Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward – children of Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
Princess Margaret – sister of Elizabeth II
Princess Diana – former wife of Prince Charles
Prince William and Prince Harry – children of Prince Charles and Princess Diana
Camilla, duchess of Cornwall – second wife of Prince Charles
Meghan Markle – wife of Prince Harry
Kurt Hahn – headmaster of Gordonstoun
Victoria – Queen of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (1837-1901)

According to the chronicler Vergil, ‘Henry VII's (1485-1509) spirit was distinguished, wise and prudent; his mind was brave and resolute and it never, even at moments of great danger, deserted him’.

He was the last king to win the crown on the battlefield in one of the most significant moments in English history. But history does not remember him as a warrior but as a rather grey miser, as Vergil added, ‘all his virtues were obscured by avarice’.

He was the only Tudor to be omitted from Shakespeare’s plays yet by combining the white and red roses of York and Lancaster he brought an end to over 30 years of brutal civil war, to create a new flourishing hybrid, the Tudor rose, consolidating perhaps the most famous dynasty in English history.

CHARACTERS

Henry VII – King of England
Elizabeth of York – Queen of England
Prince Arthur – son of Henry and Elizabeth
Prince Henry – son of Henry and Elizabeth, future Henry VIII
Princess Katherine – daughter of Henry and Elizabeth

Margaret Beaufort – Mother of Henry VII
Edmund Tudor – Father of Henry VII
Jasper Tudor – Uncle of Henry VII
Owain Tudor – Grandfather of Henry VII
Catherine of Valois – Grandmother of Henry VII, former Queen of England and wife of Henry V
John de Vere, earl of Oxford – general loyal to Henry VII
William Stanley – general sometimes loyal to Henry VII
Henry Percy, the earl of Northumberland

Edward Plantagenet, earl of Warwick – son of George, duke of Clarence
Lambert Simnel – pretender to the throne, impersonated Edward Plantagenet
Perkin Warbeck - pretender to the throne, impersonated Richard of Shrewsbury
Margaret of Burgundy – sister of Edward IV, Richard III, duke of Clarence, aunt of Edward Plantagenet and Richard of Shrewsbury
John de la Pole – cousin of Edward Plantagenet

John Fisher – bishop of Rochester
Edmund Dudley and Richard Empson – financial agents of Henry VII
John Morton – financial agent and Archbishop of Canterbury

Francis II, duke of Brittany
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Isabella of Castile
Catherine of Aragon – wife of Prince Arthur
Maximilian – Holy Roman Emperor
James IV of Scotland
Gerald Fitzgerald, earl of Kildare and Lord Deputy of Ireland

Erasmus – Dutch philosopher and scholar of the Renaissance
John Colet – scholar and Renaissance humanist
Christopher Columbus – Italian explorer and navigator
John Cabot – Italian explorer and navigator

Vergil - Chronicler
Edward Hall - Chronicler
William Shakespeare - playwright

Edward III – King of England (1327-77)
Henry IV – King of England (1399-1413)
Henry V – King of England (1413-22)
Henry VI – King of England (1422-61, 70-71)
Edward IV – King of England (1461-70, 71-83)
Edward V – King of England (1483)
Richard III – King of England (1483-85)
John of Gaunt – son of Edward III
George, duke of Clarence – brother of Edward IV and Richard III
Richard of Shrewsbury – son of Edward IV
Richard, duke of York – Yorkist claimant and father of Edward IV
Owain Glyndwr – Welsh leader during War of Independence
Elizabeth Woodville – Queen of England, wife of Edward IV
Henry Stafford, duke of Buckingham – one-time ally of Richard III

CREDITS

John Dowland – Mistress Nichols Alman Lachrimae
Byrd – Ave Verum Corpus
Jergonda – hand mans rope
Falconbeard – short toed eagle call
Hazure – seagull
Jordishaw – stabbing sound
Tim Kahn – footsteps
liamg sfx – battle cry 4
soundmary – wild horses running

Edward IV (1461-70, 71-83) represented everything Henry VI didn’t. He offered courage, leadership and political intelligence but his promiscuous lifestyle and the overestimation of the power of his charm meant he was exposed to the sinister 15th century culture of deceit and treachery.

CHARACTERS

Edward IV – King of England (House of York)
Elizabeth Woodville – Queen of England (House of York)
Henry VI – King of England (House of Lancaster)
Margaret of Anjou – Queen of England (House of Lancaster)
George, Duke of Clarence – Brother of Edward IV
Isabella Neville – Wife of the Duke of Clarence
Richard, Duke of Gloucester – Brother of Edward IV
Prince Edward – son of Henry VI (House of Lancaster)
Duke of York – Descendant of Edward III, father of Edward IV and claimant to the English throne through the house of York
Cecily Neville – mother of Edward IV
Henry Tudor – young claimant to the throne (House of Lancaster)

Earl of Warwick – powerful noble from the Neville family, nicknamed ‘the kingmaker’
Richard Woodville – father of Elizabeth and chancellor
John Woodville – brother of Elizabeth
Louis XI – King of France

Armagnacs – warring faction of the French Civil War and the hundred years war, fighting for the dauphin/Charles VII
Burgundians – Warring faction of the French civil war and the hundred years war, initially fighting for the English claim for France

Edward III – former king of England
John of Gaunt – son of Edward III, focus for future descendants and claimants for the house of Lancaster
Lionel, duke of Clarence - son of Edward III, focus for future descendants and claimants for the house of York
Richard II – former King of England
Henry IV – former king of England, grandfather of Henry VI

Colin Richmond – Historian
Phillip de Comine – Chronicler
Thomas More – Chronicler
Dominic Mancini - Chronicler

CREDITS

Music: Prepare for war by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Shades – laugh women
Audioman – multnomahfallsupperfallcalmwatertricklet
Gnrja – storm wind 2
zimbot – longbowvolleys
Soundmary – wild horses running
Metzik – medieval market
snaginneb – male grunt
danmitch3ll – distant horns

Henry VI (1422-61, 70-71) was the antithesis of a warrior king, he was the first since the Norman conquest never to command an army. Yet it was his incompetence and inertia that contributed to the unbridled, unparalleled bloodshed of his deeply turbulent reign.

CHARACTERS

Henry VI – King of England
Margaret of Anjou – Queen of England
Henry V – Father of Henry VI, former King of England
Catherine of Valois – Mother of Henry VI, former Queen of England
Prince Edward – son of Henry VI
John, Duke of Bedford – Regent of France under his nephew, Henry VI
Humphrey, duke of Gloucester – Regent of England under his nephew, Henry VI

Earl of Suffolk – stalwart of Henry VI
Duke of Somerset – stalwart of Henry VI
Duke of York – Descendant of Edward III, uncle of Henry VI and claimant to the English throne through the house of York
Edward – son of the duke of York
Jack Cade – Kentish rebel
Earl of Warwick – from the Neville family, loyal to the house of York

Charles VII – King of France
Joan of Arc – French peasant who supported Charles VII
Louis XI – King of France, son of Charles VII
Armagnacs – warring faction of the French Civil War and the hundred years war, fighting for the dauphin/Charles VII
Burgundians – Warring faction of the French civil war and the hundred years war, initially fighting for the English claim for France

Charles VI – King of France, father of Charles VII and Catherine of Valois
Edward III – former king of England
John of Gaunt – son of Edward III, focus for future descendants and claimants for the house of Lancaster
Lionel, duke of Clarence - son of Edward III, focus for future descendants and claimants for the house of York
Richard II – former King of England
Henry IV – former king of England, grandfather of Henry VI

Robin Storey – historian
John Wythensteed – chronicler

CREDITS

Music: Now we ride by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Shades – laugh women
Audioman – multnomahfallsupperfallcalmwatertricklet
Gnrja – storm wind 2
zimbot – longbowvolleys
Soundmary – wild horses running
Metzik – medieval market
snaginneb – male grunt
danmitch3ll – distant horns

Picking up the reins of a deeply fractured country, Henry V (1413-22) transformed it into a united, dominant force. He believed strongly in the divine right of kingship and used it to reignite the hundred years war. Beloved and revered by future kings, his success in all facets of rule is unparalleled. According to historian KB McFarlane, he was perhaps the greatest man who ever ruled England.

CHARACTERS

Henry V – King of England
Henry IV – Henry V’s father, King of England
Richard II – King of England, Henry V’s cousin
Edward III – King of England, great-grandfather of Henry V
Prince Henry – son of Henry V and future Henry VI
Catherine of Valois – Queen of England, wife of Henry V
Mary de Bohun – former Queen of England, mother of Henry V
John, Thomas, Humphrey – brothers of Henry V

Charles VI – King of France, nicknamed the ‘mad king’
The dauphin – son of the king of France and heir
The Burgundians and the Armagnacs – rival factions seeking power in France

Edmund Mortimer the elder – cousin of Henry IV and claimant to his crown
Edmund Mortimer the younger – Nephew of Edmund Mortimer and potential claimant to Henry V’s crown
Owain Glyndwr – Welsh leader and rebel under Henry IV
Harry Hotspur – Rebel under Henry IV, tutor to Henry V
Richard Scrope – Archbishop of York, rebel under Henry IV
The Lollards – Religious sect critical of the Roman Catholic church
John Oldcastle – leader of the Lollards
Thomas Walsingham – Chronicler and Benedictine monk

Characters mentioned from the past

Henry II – King of England in the 12th century
Richard the lionheart – King of England in the 12th century

CREDITS

Music: Mjolnir by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Music: Gavin Gamboa 08 – Duplex iii

Metzik – medieval market
mativve – mud leaves walking heavy shoe
zimbot – longbowvolleys
soundflakes – axe throwing hitting flesh
dobroide – horse at walk
visualaslyum – unsheathing a sword

DESCRIPTION
The manner of Henry IV’s (1399-1413) ascent not only consumed the king with almighty guilt for the rest of his life, accusations of his illegitimacy completely dominated his reign. So deep was the rift, so potent was the suspicion and so rampant was the opportunism that it served as a precursor for the violent theatre of the war of the roses.

CHARACTERS

Henry IV – King of England
Richard II – King of England, Henry VI’s cousin
The Black Prince – Father of Richard II
Edward III – King of England, father of the Black Prince and grandfather of Henry IV and Richard II
John of Gaunt – Duke of Lancaster, father of Henry VI
Blanche of Lancaster – Mother of Henry VI
Prince Henry – son of Henry IV and the future Henry V

Rebels

Edmund Mortimer – cousin of Henry IV and claimant
Owain Glyndwr – Welsh leader
Earl of Northumberland
Harry ‘Hotspur – son of the earl
Richard Scrope – Archbishop of York

Lords Appellant – group of nobles who sought to restrict rule of Richard II and impeach his favourites at court. Included Henry and Thomas Mowbray
The Lollards – critics of the Roman Catholic church
Thomas Walsingham – Chronicler and Benedictine monk
William Rees - Historian

Characters mentioned from the past

Saint Thomas Becket – Archbishop of Canterbury assassinated apparently on the orders of King Henry II in 1170.
King William the Conqueror
King Henry I
King Henry II
King Edward I – longshanks
King Edward II
Matilda – daughter of Henry I and claimant to the English throne

CREDITS

Music: Grundar by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Danmitch3ll – distant horns
rickaldo09 – olive oil
xserra – notre dame paris 1
Soundmary – wild horses running
zimbot – longbowvolleys

An era of camaraderie, chivalry and glory was a distant memory. Richard II's (1377-99) reign demonstrated just how rapidly tethered royal powers of post-Magna Carta could be dashed, how deep schisms could be dug and how susceptible England still was to absolute tyranny.

CHARACTERS
Richard II – King of England
The Black Prince – Father of Richard II
Edward III – King of England, father of the Black Prince and grandfather of Richard II
John of Gaunt – Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III, uncle of Richard II

Robert de Vere – earl of Oxford, companion of Richard II
Michael de la Pole – Chancellor, companion of Richard II
Anne of Bohemia – Queen of England, wife of Richard II
Edward II – King of England, father of Edward III
Edward the Confessor – King of England in the 11th century

Lords Appellant – group of nobles who sought to restrict rule of Richard II and impeach his favourites at court

Duke of Gloucester – son of Edward III
Earl of Arundel
Earl of Warwick
Thomas Mowbray
Henry Bolingbroke – cousin of Richard II, son of John of Gaunt

John Wycliffe – leader of the lollards – critics of the Catholic church
John Ball – radical priest and leader of the Peasant’s revolt
Wat Tyler – Kentish leader of the Peasant’s revolt
Jack Straw – Essex leader of the Peasant’s revolt

Thomas Walsingham – Chronicler and Benedictine monk
Simon Burley – Tutor of Richard II

CREDITS

Music: Blacksmith by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

Metzik – medieval market
Tim Kahn – Cheering
Sergenious – bridge
Tim Kahn – cupboard creak
Juan merie venter – cupboard door
soundsforhim – knife sword stab 2
Juan merie venter – dog bark

Edward III (1327-77) combined the regal majesty of Henry the third and the military prowess of Edward longshanks in marshaling the cult of chivalry. It produced the most glorious age in English history. 

CHARACTERS 

Kings of England 

Edward III
Edward II – Father of Edward III
Edward I (Longshanks) – Father of Edward II
Henry III – Father of Edward I (Longshanks)
John – Father of Henry III
Richard the Lionheart – Brother of John

Queen Philippa – Wife of Edward III
Queen Isabella – Mother of Edward III and wife of Edward II
Roger Mortimer – lover of Isabella, earl of March and de facto ruler of England
Edward of Woodstock (The Black Prince) – son of Edward III
John of Gaunt – son of Edward III
William Montagu – friend of Edward III
Thomas, earl of Lancaster
Richard of Bordeaux – son of Edward of Woodstock (The Black Prince)
Scotland Robert the Bruce – King of Scots
David Bruce – King of Scots, son of Robert
Edward Balliol – King of Scots, son of John
John Balliol – King of Scots 

Kings of France 

Charles V
John II
Philip VI
Charles IV

Chroniclers 

Henry Knighton
Jean le Bel
Jean de Vallette
King of Bohemia

CREDITS
Music: Celebration by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com) Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 

Akrythael – bard melody 

Sergenious – bridge 

aarnnoo – woman crying 

enaesz – wooden door smash open 

soundmary – wild horses running 

danmitch3ll – distant horns 

vedas – fight fighting men 

liamg sfx – battle cry 4 

zimbot – longbow volleys

In an extra episode we look at Michael (1927-30, 40-47)
With Soviet troops approaching Bucharest in 1944, the apparent puppet king in Romania made a daring decision to defy Adolf Hitler and imprison his acolyte. After Soviet rule left Romania in decades of shadow, the king’s body was returned to his country 70 years after his banishment for full state honours. 

Answers to questions that have been sent in to the show!

The reign of Richard the Lionheart (1189-99) was a brief but costly interlude in English monarchy characterised by war and chivalry. He would not continue his father’s legacy of law and order, instead the Lionheart was transfixed by honour and conquest. He was a masterful campaigner and a fine soldier who struck terror into the hearts of his enemies, but his conquests would come at a tremendous cost to his people both financially and with the leader to which his empire would be bequeathed.

Credits

Music: Battle of the Creek by Alexander Nakarada (www.serpentsoundstudios.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

freesound.org

Soundmary – wildhorses

Jordishaw – stabbing sound

Srehpog – light crate smash 2

Ogsoundfx – footsteps walking in chainmail loop

Vedas – fight fighting men

Ajexk – beheading 1 & 2

Zimbot – longbowvolleys

Metzik – medieval market

Liamg-sfx – battle cry 4

Henry II (1154-89) was the absolute image of a king, he was thick set, red-haired, strong, broad and powerful. As a contemporary claimed, he had a face upon which a man might gaze a thousand times and still feel drawn to gaze again. His accomplishments during his 34-year reign were unmatched in English history, he was Europe’s trailblazer.
CREDITS
Editing – Richard Gough Thomas
sofonisbamusic – Trinity College Cambridge - Miserere, Gregorio Allegri
visualasylum – unsheathing a short
soundmary – wild horses running
bone666138 – fanfare
jordishaw – stabbing sound
klankbeeld – choir singing christe adoramus te
cgeffex – whip crack 01
xserra – notre dame paris 1
vedas – fight fighting men
ogsoundfx – footsteps walking in chainmail

King Stephen’s reign (1135-1154) was dominated by The Anarchy. A war between cousins vying for the crown which plagued England for nearly two decades. It led a country once rich and overflowing with luxuries into one that was wretched and desolate.

CHARACTERS

Stephen – King of England
Matilda of Boulogne – Queen of England, wife of Stephen
Henry of Blois – brother of Stephen, bishop of Winchester
Eustace – son of Stephen
Empress Matilda – daughter of Henry I, main claimant to the English throne
Geoffrey Plantagenet – husband of Empress Matilda, count of Anjou
Henry Plantagenet – son of Empress Matilda
Henry I – King of England (1100-35)
Adelaide (Adeliza) of Louvrain – 2nd wife of Henry I, stepmother of Empress Matilda
Robert Curthose – brother of Henry I, eldest son of William the Conqueror
David I – King of Scotland
Louis VII – King of France
Ranulf – earl of Chester
Robert Fitzhubert – mercenary
Robert – earl of Gloucester, illegitimate son of Henry I

William I (The conqueror) – King of England (1066-87), grandfather of Stephen

William of Malmesbury – chronicler
John Gillingham – chronicler
Gusta Stephani – chronicler
William of Newburgh - chronicler

Credits
Kevin McLeod - Teller of Tales (incompetech.com)
Danmitche3ll - distant horns
Soundflakes – axe throwing hitting flesh
Liamg sfx – battle cry 4
Soundmary – wild horses running
73181 lg – torrential rain
Lukeirl – 10 lightning kohchang
Richard Gough Thomas - editing