This is History: A Dynasty to Die For

Royal favourites, we want your voice notes in our new miniseries on historical failures. Look out for Producer Al’s callout post on patreon.com/thisishistory  

England’s grip on France is collapsing. After more than a century of brutal conflict, English forces across the Channel are exhausted, bankrupt, and beaten down.

In London, hopes rest on King Henry VI — now an adult and expected to rescue his father’s dying empire. But Henry is no warrior king, and the French are dismantling England’s hard‑won gains with shocking ease.

Then, a new force enters the fray: Margaret of Anjou. Young, formidable, and newly crowned Queen of England, she becomes a lightning rod for ambition, fear, and bitter factional rivalries. Some believe she can save England’s fortunes in France; others fear she is about to upend the entire balance of power at court.

As defeat looms and alliances fracture, this episode traces how Margaret of Anjou steps into a failing war — and begins reshaping the fate of the Hundred Years’ War, the English crown, and the violent political battles still to come.

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And don’t forget, you can now WATCH every This Is History episode on YouTube. Subscribe at youtube.com/@thisishistorypod 

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A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

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Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole 

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

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Owen Tudor is running out of time. With Queen Mother Catherine de Valois dead, their once‑secret marriage — and the Tudor bloodline it produced — is suddenly exposed. The English court is alarmed, the line of royal succession is in question, and powerful enemies are closing in.

But political panic is only the beginning. When Eleanor Cobham is accused of witchcraft and plotting against King Henry VI, England is convulsed by one of the most explosive scandals of the 15th century. Accusations of sorcery, prophecies of regicide, and ruthless factional battles collide at the heart of the medieval court.

Power, prophecy, and the birth of the Tudor dynasty meet head‑on in this gripping chapter of medieval English history — as paranoia, ambition and fear push a fragile kingdom toward chaos.

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Want to delve deeper? Become a This Is History Royal Favourite subscriber on Patreon, where you can listen to this week’s bonus episode — ad-free— with Dan and Producer Al. In this episode, they discuss all things medieval astronomy and witchcraft, and why Catherine de Valois’ death is such a big dynastic deal. Plus, you get ad free listening, exclusive behind the scenes videos, and lively chat rooms over at patreon.com/thisishistory

And don’t forget, you can now WATCH every This Is History episode on YouTube. Subscribe at youtube.com/@thisishistory 

–

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

–

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole 

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The royal court isn’t exactly celebrating after the death of Joan of Arc. A dangerous liaison erupts between the widowed Queen of England, Catherine de Valois, and a Welsh suitor called Owen Tudor. 1430s England is not a safe place for the Welsh, let alone someone who risks muddying the royal lineage. It has become vanishingly thin after the death of King Henry V, and the crowning of nine-year-old King Henry VI as King of France hasn’t allayed the court’s fears about a fragile crown.

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Want to delve deeper? Become a This Is History Royal Favourite subscriber on Patreon, where you can listen to this week’s bonus episode with Dan and Producer Al. In this episode, they discuss the enduring legacy of Joan of Arc, and England’s anti-Welsh apartheid laws that came after the rebellions of Owain Glyn Dwr. Plus, you get ad free listening, exclusive behind the scenes videos, and lively chat rooms over at patreon.com/thisishistory

And don’t forget, you can now WATCH every This Is History episode on YouTube. Subscribe at youtube.com/@thisishistorypod 

–

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

–

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole 

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You can now WATCH this episode over on YouTube at youtube.com/@thisishistorypod 

Henry VI now rules England… as a kid. As the adults take charge around him, the English war effort in France has been held together increasingly with a shoestring. But now the English have a new problem on their hands: a peasant girl who says she has God on her side. Her name is Joan of Arc.  

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Want to delve deeper? Become a This Is History Royal Favourite subscriber on Patreon, where you can listen to this week’s bonus episode with Dan and Producer Al. In this episode, they discuss the origins of Joan of Arc, and why England continued to pin its hopes on a seven-year-old. Plus, you get ad free listening, exclusive behind the scenes videos, and lively chat rooms over at patreon.com/thisishistory

–

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

–

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole 

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Henry V gone, we kick off this new season with a baby on the throne and all the resulting complications that come with this complex scenario. Power is tussled over between the king’s uncles, as a new cast of figures come into play under Henry VI. Meanwhile, across the Channel a new problem begins to surface for the English in the iconic form of Joan of Arc.

You can now WATCH this episode over on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thisishistorypod

Want to delve deeper? Become a This Is History Royal Favourite subscriber on Patreon. You get ad free listening, exclusive behind the scenes videos, and a weekly bonus episode.

–

A Sony Music Entertainment production.

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected]

Learn more about your ad choices.

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri

Production coordinator: Eric Ryan

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content – Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices