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From the misty shores of Celtic Britain to the twilight of the British Empire, Lucas and Luna trace the thousand-year saga of a small island that shaped the modern world....
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From the misty shores of Celtic Britain to the twilight of the British Empire, Lucas and Luna trace the thousand-year saga of a small island that shaped the modern world. This show delves into the dynasties that fought for the crown—Normans, Plantagenets, Tudors, Stuarts, and Hanoverians—and the wars that forged a nation: the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War, and the global conflicts of the 18th and 19th centuries. Explore the Magna Carta's legacy, the Glorious Revolution's constitutional shifts, and the slow unraveling of empire. From Alfred the Great's defense against Vikings to Churchill's wartime leadership, each episode unpacks the decisions and individuals that defined an era. We examine the social fabric: the Black Death's demographic devastation, the Industrial Revolution's urban transformation, and the rise of parliamentary democracy. The show also confronts Britain's imperial contradictions—the slave trade, colonial exploitation, and the complex legacy of the Raj. Why does the history of this rainy archipelago still resonate in everything from language to law? Tune in to understand how England's past became the world's inheritance.
#History #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire #MedievalEngland #Tudors #Stuarts #MagnaCarta #HundredYearsWar #WarsOfTheRoses #EnglishCivilWar #IndustrialRevolution #VictorianEra #Churchill #AlfredTheGreat #NormanConquest #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory #Podcast
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#History #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire #MedievalEngland #Tudors #Stuarts #MagnaCarta #HundredYearsWar #WarsOfTheRoses #EnglishCivilWar #IndustrialRevolution #VictorianEra #Churchill #AlfredTheGreat #NormanConquest #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory #Podcast
The History of England: Kings, Empires, and the Birth of Britain — Fexingo History
The History of England: Kings, Empires, and the Birth of Britain — Fexingo History
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13 MAY 2026 · In 1536, as Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII dismantled England's monasteries, a massive uprising erupted in the North. This episode focuses on the Pilgrimage of Grace, the largest rebellion in Tudor England. Lucas and Luna explore the motivations of the rebels—a mix of religious conservatism, economic grievance, and anger at Cromwell's reforms. We meet the charismatic leader Robert Aske, a lawyer from Yorkshire who organized tens of thousands of protesters under the banner of the Five Wounds of Christ. They marched on York, Lincoln, and Doncaster, demanding the restoration of the abbeys, the removal of Cromwell, and a return to traditional Catholicism. Lucas explains how Henry VIII initially negotiated, promising pardons and a parliament to hear their grievances, only to betray the leaders once the rebels dispersed. Aske was executed at Tyburn, and Cromwell's revenge was brutal. The episode also touches on the broader context of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the Lincolnshire Rising, and the aftermath that crushed northern opposition. It's a story of faith, fear, and the ruthless consolidation of Tudor power.
#PilgrimageOfGrace #RobertAske #ThomasCromwell #HenryVIII #DissolutionOfTheMonasteries #TudorEngland #Rebellion #LincolnshireRising #FiveWoundsOfChrist #Doncaster #Tyburn #Yorkshire #Monasteries #Reformation #History #FexingoHistory #EnglishHistory #TudorRebellions #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
12 MAY 2026 · In episode 40 of The History of England, Lucas and Luna explore the meteoric rise and brutal fall of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII's most enigmatic minister. From his humble beginnings as a blacksmith's son to becoming the king's chief minister, Cromwell engineered the English Reformation, dissolving monasteries and reshaping the kingdom's governance. They discuss his early career as a merchant and lawyer, his role in the Act of Supremacy and the Break with Rome, the brutal Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion, and his eventual downfall over the disastrous Anne of Cleves marriage. Along the way, they examine Cromwell's controversial legacy—was he a ruthless bureaucrat or a visionary reformer? They also touch on his patronage of arts and literature, his role in establishing the Court of Augmentations, and the personal rivalry with Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk that led to his execution in 1540. A nuanced look at a man who remade England and paid the ultimate price.
#ThomasCromwell #TudorHistory #EnglishReformation #HenryVIII #DissolutionOfMonasteries #PilgrimageOfGrace #ActOfSupremacy #AnneOfCleves #ThomasHoward #CourtOfAugmentations #BreakWithRome #Holbein #England #16thCentury #History #FexingoHistory #Podcast #BritishHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
12 MAY 2026 · In Episode 39, Lucas and Luna dive into the story of Anne Boleyn—not just as Henry VIII's second wife, but as a formidable political and religious force. They explore her upbringing at the French court, her role in the English Reformation, the fall of Cardinal Wolsey, the Break with Rome, and the quiet influence of Thomas Cranmer. They discuss the Boleyn family's rise, the annulment crisis, the Act of Supremacy, and Anne's final months, including the charges of adultery and the execution that changed England forever. Along the way, they touch on key figures like Thomas Cromwell, Catherine of Aragon, and Mary I, and examine how Anne's evangelical sympathies shaped the Church of England. This is not the caricature of the scheming seductress, but the story of a woman who, for a few short years, held immense power and helped spark a revolution.
#AnneBoleyn #HenryVIII #EnglishReformation #BreakWithRome #ThomasCromwell #ThomasCranmer #CardinalWolsey #ActOfSupremacy #TudorHistory #BoleynFamily #CatherineOfAragon #MaryI #ElizabethI #TowerOfLondon #16thCentury #Reformation #History #FexingoHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
11 MAY 2026 · Before Henry VIII broke with Rome, one man dominated English politics: Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Born the son of a butcher in Ipswich, Wolsey rose to become Henry's Lord Chancellor, a papal legate, and the second most powerful man in England after the king. He built Hampton Court Palace, launched the disastrous 'Amicable Grant' tax, and tried and failed to secure Henry's annulment from Catherine of Aragon. This episode explores Wolsey's astonishing ascent, his grip on foreign and domestic policy from 1515 to 1529, the lavish display of his cardinal's court, his ruthless dissolution of small monasteries to fund his colleges, and his dramatic fall when he couldn't deliver the divorce. We look at his role in the Field of Cloth of Gold, his manipulation of the Star Chamber, and the legacy of a man who believed he could serve both pope and king—until he couldn't.
#ThomasWolsey #CardinalWolsey #HenryVIII #TudorEngland #HamptonCourt #FieldOfClothOfGold #AmicableGrant #Annulment #CatherineOfAragon #PapalLegate #StarChamber #Ipswich #Dissolution #LegatineCourt #Wolsey #History #FexingoHistory #TudorHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
11 MAY 2026 · In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the life and legacy of Catherine of Aragon, the Spanish princess who became Henry VIII's first queen and a pivotal figure in English history. They discuss her childhood in the Alhambra, her marriage to Arthur Tudor, the diplomatic shifts that led to her betrothal to Henry, and her crucial role as Regent of England during the Battle of Flodden in 1513. Lucas explains Catherine's intellectual background, including her education by humanist scholars like Juan Luis Vives, and her religious devotion as a Catholic. The episode covers the origins of 'the King's Great Matter'—Henry's quest for an annulment—which led to the English Reformation. They also examine Catherine's defiance, her famous speech at the legatine court in 1529, and her final years in exile at Kimbolton Castle. The conversation touches on her daughter Mary I, the fate of her marriage, and how Catherine remains a symbol of resilience. This episode offers a fresh angle on a key figure from the Tudor dynasty, focusing on her early life and political influence rather than just the divorce.
#CatherineOfAragon #TudorHistory #HenryVIII #SpanishPrincess #BattleOfFlodden #KimboltonCastle #EnglishReformation #JuanLuisVives #QueenRegent #MaryI #LegatineCourt #Alhambra #ArthurTudor #Annullment #FerdinandOfAragon #IsabellaOfCastile #History #FexingoHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
10 MAY 2026 · In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Henry VII, the first Tudor king, who seized the throne at Bosworth Field in 1485 and ended the Wars of the Roses. They discuss how Henry stabilized England after decades of civil war, marrying Elizabeth of York to unite the warring houses. Lucas explains Henry's shrewd financial policies, including the Court of Star Chamber and bonds of good behavior, which curbed the power of overmighty nobles. They delve into his foreign policy—avoiding costly wars, negotiating the Treaty of Étaples with France, and securing the Intercursus Magnus trade agreement with the Netherlands. The episode also covers the pretenders Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, who threatened Henry's early reign. Lucas highlights how Henry's careful governance, from efficient tax collection to dynastic marriages (including Arthur's marriage to Catherine of Aragon), laid the foundation for the Tudor dynasty's stability and power. A must-listen for understanding how England transitioned from medieval chaos to early modern monarchy.
#HenryVII #TudorDynasty #WarsOfTheRoses #BosworthField #ElizabethOfYork #CourtOfStarChamber #TreatyOfTaples #IntercursusMagnus #LambertSimnel #PerkinWarbeck #CatherineOfAragon #ArthurTudor #EnglishMonarchy #15thCentury #LateMedievalEngland #TudorHistory #History #FexingoHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
10 MAY 2026 · This episode of The History of England dives into one of the most controversial figures in English history: Richard III. We explore the mystery of the Princes in the Tower—the two young sons of Edward IV who vanished in 1483. Who was Richard III? Was he the villain Shakespeare painted, or a capable ruler caught in a web of ambition and survival? We discuss the historical evidence: the Titulus Regius that declared Edward IV's marriage invalid, the disappearance of Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury, and the competing claims of Henry Tudor. We also look at the discovery of Richard's skeleton under a Leicester car park in 2012, which confirmed his scoliosis but not his guilt. Along the way, we cover the Battle of Bosworth Field, the role of the Woodville family, and the enduring mystery that keeps historians debating. Join Lucas and Luna as they untangle fact from legend in the final chapter of the Plantagenet dynasty.
#RichardIII #PrincesInTheTower #WarsOfTheRoses #BosworthField #Plantagenet #Tudor #HenryVII #EdwardV #TitulusRegius #Scoliosis #Leicester #MedievalEngland #History #FexingoHistory #EnglishMonarchy #Mystery #15thCentury #Shakespeare #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
9 MAY 2026 · Episode 34 of The History of England continues the Wars of the Roses saga, focusing on the dramatic reign of Edward IV. After his father Richard of York's death at Wakefield, Edward seized the throne, only to lose it in a rebellion led by his former ally Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick—the Kingmaker. Warwick's defection to the Lancastrian cause restored Henry VI to power in 1470, a period known as the Readeption. But Edward fought back, returning from exile in Burgundy to win decisive victories at Barnet and Tewkesbury. This episode explores Warwick's motivations, the shifting allegiances of the nobility, the role of Queen Margaret of Anjou, and the brutal end of the Lancastrian male line. We also discuss the execution of Prince Edward of Westminster and the mysterious death of Henry VI in the Tower. Discover how Edward IV's triumph paved the way for the eventual rise of the Tudors.
#EdwardIV #WarwickTheKingmaker #WarsOfTheRoses #Readeption #BattleOfBarnet #BattleOfTewkesbury #HouseOfYork #HouseOfLancaster #HenryVI #MargaretOfAnjou #PrinceEdwardOfWestminster #MedievalEngland #15thCentury #TowerOfLondon #Yorkist #Lancastrian #History #FexingoHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
9 MAY 2026 · Episode 33 of our English history series shifts focus from the fierce battles of the Wars of the Roses to the peculiar tragedy of Henry VI. While prior episodes have covered Richard II's fall and the early conflict, we now explore how Henry VI inherited two crowns—England and France—and lost both. We examine his minority rule under a regency council, the influence of his ambitious wife Margaret of Anjou, and his debilitating bouts of mental illness that left a power vacuum. Key figures include the Duke of Suffolk, whose unpopular peace with France sparked Jack Cade's revolt, and Richard of York, whose claim to the throne Henry could not contain. We also discuss the loss of English territories in France, culminating in the final Battle of Castillon in 1453, which ended the Hundred Years' War. Henry's piety and patronage of education (Eton College and King's College, Cambridge) contrast starkly with his political weakness. This episode reveals how a gentle, scholarly king became the catalyst for civil war through no malice of his own—only incapacity.
#HenryVI #WarsOfTheRoses #DualMonarchy #HundredYearsWar #MargaretOfAnjou #RichardOfYork #JackCade #Castillon #EtonCollege #KingSCollege #MentalIllness #15thCentury #EnglishHistory #MedievalKings #Lancastrian #Yorkist #History #FexingoHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
Transcribed
8 MAY 2026 · In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the turbulent reign of Richard II, who became king at just ten years old and was eventually deposed and murdered. They discuss his early struggles with the Lords Appellant, his teenage bravery during the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and his later authoritarian turn. Richard's obsession with royal prerogative, his exile of Henry Bolingbroke, and the seizure of John of Gaunt's lands led directly to Bolingbroke's invasion and Richard's deposition. The episode delves into Richard's controversial use of blank charters, his reliance on favorites like Robert de Vere and Michael de la Pole, and the Merciless Parliament that executed his allies. Lucas explains how Richard's belief in divine right clashed with the English nobility, culminating in his abdication at the Tower of London and his mysterious death at Pontefract Castle. Along the way, they touch on the significance of the Wilton Diptych, Richard's artistic patronage, and the shifting political landscape that set the stage for the Wars of the Roses.
#RichardII #Plantagenets #PeasantsRevolt #LordsAppellant #HenryBolingbroke #TowerOfLondon #PontefractCastle #WiltonDiptych #JohnOfGaunt #BlankCharters #MercilessParliament #MedievalEngland #Deposition #EnglishMonarchy #14thCentury #DivineRight #History #FexingoHistory #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-england-kings-empires-and-the-birth-of-britain-fexingo-history--6985238/support.
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From the misty shores of Celtic Britain to the twilight of the British Empire, Lucas and Luna trace the thousand-year saga of a small island that shaped the modern world....
show more
From the misty shores of Celtic Britain to the twilight of the British Empire, Lucas and Luna trace the thousand-year saga of a small island that shaped the modern world. This show delves into the dynasties that fought for the crown—Normans, Plantagenets, Tudors, Stuarts, and Hanoverians—and the wars that forged a nation: the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War, and the global conflicts of the 18th and 19th centuries. Explore the Magna Carta's legacy, the Glorious Revolution's constitutional shifts, and the slow unraveling of empire. From Alfred the Great's defense against Vikings to Churchill's wartime leadership, each episode unpacks the decisions and individuals that defined an era. We examine the social fabric: the Black Death's demographic devastation, the Industrial Revolution's urban transformation, and the rise of parliamentary democracy. The show also confronts Britain's imperial contradictions—the slave trade, colonial exploitation, and the complex legacy of the Raj. Why does the history of this rainy archipelago still resonate in everything from language to law? Tune in to understand how England's past became the world's inheritance.
#History #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire #MedievalEngland #Tudors #Stuarts #MagnaCarta #HundredYearsWar #WarsOfTheRoses #EnglishCivilWar #IndustrialRevolution #VictorianEra #Churchill #AlfredTheGreat #NormanConquest #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory #Podcast
show less
#History #EnglandHistory #BritishEmpire #MedievalEngland #Tudors #Stuarts #MagnaCarta #HundredYearsWar #WarsOfTheRoses #EnglishCivilWar #IndustrialRevolution #VictorianEra #Churchill #AlfredTheGreat #NormanConquest #FexingoHistory #WorldHistory #Podcast
Information
| Author | Fexingo |
| Organization | Fexingo |
| Categories | History , Society & Culture , Education |
| Website | www.fexingo.com |
| podcasts@fexingo.com |
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