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This is History: The Tudors

Sony Music Entertainment

200 episodes · in order · Explicit

Historian Dan Jones returns with This Is History: The Tudors. Season one gives you the extraordinary origin story of England’s most iconic royal family.

More about the show

This is the ultimate story of kings and queens, seduction and spectacle, where power is seized in private chambers, performed in public and, too often, lost on an executioner’s block. In just over a century, the Tudors alter the fabric of the state and Church. Theirs is the era of the Reformation, of Shakespeare, and of voyages to the New World.

Their story starts on 22 August 1485. At the bloody Battle of Bosworth Field, Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III, ending more than three centuries of Plantagenet rule and claiming the English throne as Henry VII.

As the embers of the Wars of the Roses finally cool, Henry VII discovers that winning a crown is far easier than keeping one.

Too soon, die-hard Richardians team up with a vengeful English princess and plot to replace Henry with pretenders. One is a ten-year-old boy, another, a Flemish teenager who reinvents themselves as long-lost princes. England is once more plunged into chaos.

It's a far cry from the story Henry VII hoped to tell.

To dive deeper into Tudor lore, subscribe to bonus episodes on Apple podcasts or become a Royal Favourite in Dan’s royal court on patreon/thisishistory.

A Sony Music Entertainment production.

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Episodes page 2 of 4

  1. Season 3 | 9. The Army of God

    · 23 min · S3 E9

    John returns from his humiliating defeat at Bouvines to an unhappy kingdom. His barons have finally reached their limit, sick of John’s extortionate taxes, failed campaigns and vicious vendettas. They demand he changes…

  2. Season 3 | 10. Magna Carta

    · 30 min · S3 E10

    The Army of God secures a shocking victory in London. King John is totally blindsided and forced to negotiate. At Runnymede, in 1215, he gathers his barons and together they produce one of the most famous documents in…

  3. Season 3 | 11. Into the Fire

    · 20 min · S3 E11

    Magna Carta has failed and the country is plunged into war. John devises a cruel plan that involves taunting his starving enemies with the delicious smell of bacon. Meanwhile, Louis the Lion, the son of the French…

  4. Season 3 | 12. Salvation

    · 28 min · S3 E12

    John desperately clings on to power while Louis the Lion declares himself king in London. Meanwhile, the rebels close in. This could be the end for John, and the House of Plantagenet. But standing in the way of ruin,…

  5. Season 3 | Bonus: How to live like a monk - with Danièle Cybulskie

    · 25 min · S3 E13 · Bonus

    The new season of This is History will be landing on your feeds on February 20th. In the meantime, you can listen to hours of bonus content over on This is History Plus, where Dan has been interviewing the great and…

  6. Introducing… Season 4 of a Dynasty to Die For

    · 2:20 · Trailer

    Power, greed, religion and sex: historian Dan Jones brings the drama of mediaeval history alive through compelling stories, larger-than-life characters and vivid scenes. Season 4 tells the story of two kings, Henry…

  7. Season 4 | 1. A Simple Man

    · 30 min · S4 E1

    What happens when you make a nine-year-old boy king of England? It turns out, it’s a recipe for unscrupulous advisers and a king unlike any the nation has ever known. Henry III is the opposite of his cruel father: he…

  8. Season 4 | 2. Brothers in Arms

    · 32 min · S4 E2

    Henry III’s younger brother Richard returns from victory abroad and is rewarded with a wealthy area of English land. There’s just one problem: Henry has already granted key pieces of that land to someone else. This…

  9. Season 4 | 3. The In-Laws

    · 28 min · S4 E3

    Henry III’s mild and agreeable nature attracts all sorts of ambitious hangers-on and manipulators into the royal court. The most dangerous of these is a pious nobleman called Simon de Montfort. Simon easily charms the…

  10. Season 4 | 4. Simon Says

    · 26 min · S4 E4

    Henry III decides to reclaim the lost Plantagenet lands in France. He, his brother Richard and Simon de Montfort head out on an ill-fated campaign against the powerful French King, Louis IX. What goes down between…

  11. Season 4 | 5. The Magnificent Seven

    · 29 min · S4 E5

    Crusading fever is in the air again, and Henry III decides it’s his turn to give it a try. This is only the beginning of a series of calamitous royal decisions, including a hair-brained scheme to conquer Sicily. Soon,…

  12. Season 4 | 6. The Battle of Lewes

    · 27 min · S4 E6

    When Queen Eleanor makes a move to restore Plantagenet power, the barons launch into all out war. Simon de Montfort assembles a small but powerful army to take on Henry and his family on a hillside in Southern England.…

  13. Season 4 | 7. Edward Strikes Back

    · 32 min · S4 E7

    Prince Edward has escaped the clutches of Simon de Montfort, and is determined to wreak revenge on him for humiliating his family. The two sides reassemble for a second battle, but this time they’re taking no…

  14. Season 4 | 8. A New Arthur

    · 29 min · S4 E8

    Edward I is the new king of England, but he has ambitions far beyond that. He wants to be like his idol, the legendary King Arthur, and that means uniting all of Britain under the Plantagenet banner. His first target…

  15. Season 4 | 9. Blood Money

    · 30 min · S4 E9

    Edward I puts his plan of a united Britain into motion, building some of the most magnificent castles the world had ever seen. These castles could secure his legacy, but they are eye-wateringly expensive. Edward’s…

  16. Season 4 | 10. Dead Queens

    · 33 min · S4 E10

    Margaret of Norway is a six-year-old child who has just found out she’s the only surviving heir to the throne of Scotland. She’s summoned to make the crossing from Norway, where Edward I intends to marry her to his…

  17. Season 4 | 11. The Sword and the Stone

    · 29 min · S4 E11

    Edward announces the new King of Scotland, revealing his master plan to take over the country himself. Scotland is outraged, and refuses to go down without a fight. While Edward is distracted squashing rebellions, an…

  18. Season 4 | 12. The Reckoning

    · 34 min · S4 E12

    Edward I is forced to spend his old age fighting multiple political crises. He desperately needs the aid of his barons if he’s going to have any chance of returning Gascony to Plantagenet hands. But time is of the…

  19. Introducing...The Iron King

    · 17 min · Trailer

    This is History is taking a trip to France, to bring you the bloody tale of one of the canniest, cruellest and most handsome kings in all of the Middle Ages: Philip the Fair. Dan Jones speaks to Danièle Cybulskie about…

  20. The Iron King | 1. The Vespers

    · 26 min · S4 E13

    A suspected royal poisoning. A bloody rebellion in Sicily. A dying king fleeing across the mountains. The stage is set for the reign of one of the coldest rulers from all of the Middle Ages: Philip the Fair. A Sony…

  21. The Iron King | 2. The Double Cross

    · 28 min · S4 E14

    Philip the Fair begins his reign with a strange, robot-like attitude and a fevered dedication to restoring the glory of France. As naval skirmishes in the channel escalate with the most unusual war tactics, Philip is…

  22. The Iron King | 3. The Pope Slap

    · 28 min · S4 E15

    Philip the Fair’s vindictive nature ignites when a drunken bishop mouths off about him, calling him “a useless owl”. Possibly not the most devastating burn, but Philip isn’t one to suffer insults, however slight. This…

  23. The Iron King | 4. The Battle of the Golden Spurs

    · 26 min · S4 E16

    Philip the Fair is determined to take control of the kingdom of Flanders, in his dream of a united France. But when he attacks, the people of Flanders throw up an astonishing resistance, defeating the French army and…

  24. The Iron King | 5. The Last Templar

    · 30 min · S4 E17

    Philip the Fair turns his owl-like gaze onto the mighty order of the Knights Templar. They have amassed a huge amount of wealth: wealth Philip wants. He and his lawyer concoct a plan to take on one of the most famous…

  25. The Iron King | 6. The Curse

    · 30 min · S4 E18

    Philip the Fair’s beloved daughter Isabella comes to his rooms in the dead of night with scandalous news: his son’s wives are having affairs. Philip reacts to this revelation with an explosion of paranoia, violence and…

  26. Introducing… Season 5 of a Dynasty to Die for

    · 2:06 · Trailer

    The Plantagenets are back! This season we meet Edward II, a king who is head over heels with his favourite knight, Piers Gaveston. Their relationship sparks off a mighty conflict in court, pitching Edward against his…

  27. Season 5 | 1. Generation Kill

    · 27 min · S5 E1

    Edward I is getting too old to fight his enormous list of enemies, and so begins handing over the reins of war to his son and a brand new generation of knights. But the old king has a gnawing feeling he can’t shake –…

  28. Season 5 | Bonus: Beasts at feasts

    · 27 min · S5 E1 · Bonus

    To mark the launch of season 5, we are dishing out a free sample of This is History Plus. Each week Dan and producer Georgia explore strange tangents and delicious Medieval gossip. This episode serves up some of the…

  29. Season 5 | 2. Bros with Benefits

    · 29 min · S5 E2

    King Edward physically attacks his son, the heir to the throne, in a shocking display of violence. The reason for this outburst? The young prince’s relationship with his favourite knight, Piers Gaveston. The way Edward…

  30. Season 5 | 3. Revenge of the Black Dog

    · 34 min · S5 E3

    Edward II is king, and he makes it clear to his people that nothing is more important to him than his best knight, Piers Gaveston. His focus on Gaveston causes major political upsets, including insulting his barons and…

  31. Season 5 | 4. Long Live the Queen

    · 28 min · S5 E4

    While Edward II mourns, his young Queen Isabella steps into the spotlight. She provides her husband with both an heir and the holiday of a lifetime, as they go to visit her father in France. While Edward finally starts…

  32. Season 5 | 5. The Battle of Bannockburn

    · 29 min · S5 E5

    *Attention UK listeners* Come and meet Dan in person at The London Podcast Festival. This is History is having its first ever live show on the 6th September. Get your tickets and reserve your spot for an evening of…

  33. Season 5 | 6. The Jinx

    · 32 min · S5 E6

    Reeling from his failure in Scotland, Edward II needs to up his game, unite his kingdom and keep the peace with Thomas Earl of Lancaster. But before he can get started, Edward and his people are flung into one of the…

  34. Season 5 | 7. The Queen’s Wrath

    · 29 min · S5 E7

    A strange man arrives in Edward II’s court with an outrageous claim: could the King of England be a fake? While Edward finds this all very funny, Queen Isabella is not amused. She decides it's time to take matters into…

  35. Season 5 | 8. Eye for an Eye

    · 30 min · S5 E8

    Isabella finds herself the target of an assassination attempt as the secret rumblings of discontent suddenly explode into full-blown rebellion. King Edward sees his chance for personal revenge and amasses his troops to…

  36. Season 5 | 9. The Dictators

    · 26 min · S5 E9

    Revenge has not satisfied Edward II, and he and the Despensers begin a reign of terror across England, executing former friends and plundering the nation’s resources. There’s only one person left who might be able to…

  37. Season 5 | 10. Ghosted

    · 30 min · S5 E10

    A daring escape from the Tower of London sends an unlikely ally into Queen Isabella’s hands. Edward and Despenser are totally out of control, but fortunately for Isabella, they’re about to deliver her the one thing she…

  38. Season 5 | 11. Return of the She-Wolf

    · 24 min · S5 E11

    This episode contains descriptions of violence. Edward has lost control of the country as violent riots run amok. Soon, he and the Despensers are on the run. Isabella returns in the middle of the chaos and sees her…

  39. Season 5 | 12. To Kill a King

    · 30 min · S5 E12 · Explicit

    This episode contains extreme violence. Queen Isabella and Roger Mortimor are victorious. They have usurped the old tyrant king, Edward II, and are in control of the heir to the throne, his son. But all is not well…

  40. Introducing… This is History: In Conversation

    · 1:50 · Trailer

    For a special run of episodes, Dan Jones is joined by world-class historians and authors. Find out about the sordid history of the Catholic Church, and the erotic musings of mystics with Diarmaid MacCulloch. Hear about…

  41. In Conversation | Sexy poets and killer queens - with Alice Loxton

    · 36 min · S5 E13

    For This is History’s first ever live show, Dan is joined at the London Podcast Festival by author Alice Loxton. Alice’s most recent book, Eighteen, examines the teenage years of some of history’s biggest legends,…

  42. In Conversation | The tyrant and the usurper - with Helen Castor

    · 38 min · S5 E14

    Dan is joined by his friend and mentor, the renowned historian and author of The Eagle and The Hart, Dr Helen Castor, for a rundown of the wildest rivalry in Plantagenet history. Richard is a king, with the ego to…

  43. In Conversation | Mediaeval sex and bishop brothels - with Diarmaid MacCulloch

    · 28 min · S5 E15

    This episode contains frequent references to sex. Dan Jones is joined by Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, author of Lower than the Angels, for a look at the long and complicated relationship between the Church and our…

  44. In Conversation | Greek myths in the Middle Ages- with Stephen Fry

    · 36 min · S5 E16

    Stephen Fry joins Dan to discuss his latest book, Odyssey, and how Greek myths have delighted people for thousands of years, right through the Middle Ages to the current day. Plus, Britain’s secret origins as “a new…

  45. In Conversation | Flying dreams and X-rated rhymes - with Glaire Anderson

    · 36 min · S5 E17 · Explicit

    Long before Leonardo Da Vinci was born, there was a genius poet and astronomer who dreamed of human flight. Dan is joined by the University of Edinburgh’s Glaire Anderson, historical advisor to the latest Assassin’s…

  46. In Conversation | Mediaeval Feasts and Foraging - with Annie Gray

    · 39 min · S5 E18

    Dan is joined by food historian Annie Gray, to take a culinary voyage back in time to the feasts of the Plantagenet courts, and for a peek inside a peasant’s pantry. Along the way, Annie busts plenty of Mediaeval food…

  47. Introducing… Season Six of a Dynasty to Die for

    · 2:14 · Trailer

    The times they are a changin’ in the Middle Ages, as we step into the tumultuous reign of Edward III. This Plantagenet is a warrior, tactician, and party prince through-and-through, but with a dangerously ambitious…

  48. Season 6 | 1. The Raid

    · 30 min · S6 E1

    A young king finds himself locked out of power by his mother and her tyrannical lover. Time is running out, so he decides to take a huge risk and try to take back his country. A Sony Music Entertainment production.…

  49. Season 6 | 2. The Flying Scotsman

    · 25 min · S6 E2

    Turmoil in Scotland leads an unexpected ally to Edward III’s door. What Edward doesn’t know is that this is the first step towards the longest war the world has ever seen. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find…

  50. Season 6 | 3. The Hundred Years’ War

    · 27 min · S6 E3

    A woman executed for her crimes. An outlaw fleeing from his king. A heron killed by a hawk. The stage is set for Edward III to walk England into a war unlike anything seen before. A Sony Music Entertainment…

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