Episode notes
England gets a counterfeit king… well, almost. Determined to destroy Henry VII, the implacable Margaret of Burgundy backs an audacious Yorkist conspiracy. Its secret weapon is Lambert Simnel, an organ-maker’s son remodelled as a royal heir, crowned in Dublin and shipped towards England with German mercenaries and half-naked Irish warriors. – Don’t forget to catch this week’s bonus episode where Dan delves deeper into the history behind each episode. This week, Dan tells producer Al some tips on how to become an imposter king. That means getting to know more about Margaret of Burgundy — the…
This is History: The Tudors
by Sony Music Entertainment · English · History
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. This is the ultimate story of kings and queens, seduction and spectacle, where power is seized in private chambers, performed in public and, too
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S11 · E3 · 6 Oct 2026 · 35 min
S1 E3: The Coin Toss
It turns out, that saying you’re the king just because you’ve put a crown on your head, means plenty of others can get the same idea. And in 1487, a 10-year-old boy claims that he is England’s true king. A cast of Irish rebels, German mercenaries, and renegade Yorkist lords throw their weight behind him. Pretty soon, the challengers find themselves at the Battle of Stoke. The trouble is, Henry doesn’t show up. – Don't forget to catch this week's bonus episode where Dan delves deeper into the Tudor’s rocky reign. This week, Dan tells producer Al how the Battle of Stoke came to be fought and…
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S11 · E1 · 22 Sep 2026 · 39 min
S1 E1: The Red Rose and The White
Henry VII’s reign starts with dirty feet and a dirty little problem. Fresh from the Battle of Bosworth, Henry Tudor is trying to sell England on his brand-new dynasty. Tasks include: marry the right princess, rewrite the rules, invent a royal myth and hope nobody notices the joins. But when a diehard Ricardian slips through the net and whips up a rebellion, Henry has no time to lose. From plague-ridden London to rebellious Northern Yorkshire, the story of England’s first Tudor king begins with panic, propaganda and rapid peril. – Don’t forget to catch this week’s bonus episode where Dan…
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S11 · 15 Sep 2026 · 2 min
Who’s afraid of Henry Tudor?
He’s the man who schemed, smashed and slashed his way to power. But as it turns out, winning a crown is far easier than keeping one. This Is History: The Tudors traces the unlikely rise of King Henry VII — the man responsible for creating England’s most iconic royal family. Their story begins on 22 August 1485, a day that changed English history forever. At the 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. He inherits a fractured kingdom, weakened by the Wars of the Roses,…
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S10 · E17 · 8 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Paul Greengrass: Turning Andrew Garfield Into a Medieval Rebel
The story of disgruntled citizens feeling the need to rise up against a rigged system and distant elites is one that defines our moment. But we’re not unique in that feeling. Mistrust of the elite goes back a long way — like when England’s peasants almost toppled the ancien regime of King Richard II in 1381. And that’s the focus of Oscar-nominated director Paul Greengrass’s latest film, The Uprising. Starring Andrew Garfield as a disgruntled ploughman, Cosmo Jarvis as Wat Tyler — and with our very own Dan Jones serving as historical consultant — the film takes us into the tumult of…
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S10 · E16 · 1 Sep 2026 · 34 min
What King Arthur Reveals About Ourselves
Did King Arthur exist? Amy Jeffs isn't fussed. In this episode, the historian and artist behind Arthur: A New Life takes Dan Jones beyond Camelot and the search for a "real" Arthur, into a world of Welsh myth, Breton storytelling, medieval chronicles, haunted landscapes and hyperbolically violent kings. Together, they try to understand why one of Britain's most compelling legends has endured, and why centuries of writers, artists and dreamers keep remaking him. – If you want a deeper dive into the medieval world with Dan and Amy, grab their accompanying bonus episode at…
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S10 · E15 · 25 Aug 2026 · 34 min
Did the Hundred Years war ever really end?
Two men and two hundred years of history… On this week’s This Is History: In Conversation, Dan Jones meets Mike Livingston — award-winning historian and novelist from across the pond — to discuss the Hundred Years War. A former Secretary-General for the United States Commission on Military History and professor at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, Livingston knows a thing or two about battles. They delve into Livingston’s latest book ‘The Two Hundred Years War’ and discuss : when did the war actually start and end? What did the French really think about it? Is the longbow…
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18 Aug 2026 · 52 min
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Dr Harini Bhat is a clinical pharmacist and science storyteller obsessed with questions that don't have answers. Every week she unravels real events from history that still can't be fully explained. Mass hysterias. Medical oddities. Vanished civilisations. Strange signals. Unexplained phenomena that keep repeating, centuries apart, as if history is trying to tell you something. In this episode, uncover the chilling mystery of the Mary Celeste, the infamous ‘ghost ship’ found drifting in the Atlantic in 1872 with its entire crew vanished without a trace. From explosive alcohol fumes and…
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S10 · E14 · 18 Aug 2026 · 36 min
Dan Snow is taking Dan Jones places
It’s time for a Dan-off. To celebrate the return of This Is History: In Conversation, Dan Jones meets the other history podcaster called Dan. Dan Snow’s an award-winning historian, best-selling author, and host of Dan Snow’s History Hit. Together, the history Dans have racked up quite a lot of air miles, and in this special episode, they discuss their FAVOURITE destinations teeming with historical intrigue. From the water meadows that birthed the Magna Carta, to the mysteries of Easter Island, let our Dans take you away… – If you want MORE of our Dan-off, grab their accompanying bonus…
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S10 · E12 · 11 Aug 2026 · 33 min
S10 E12 | To Bosworth
Richard III’s son and heir, Edward of Middleham, dies unexpectedly. Then tragedy strikes twice: his wife Queen Anne dies, too. Richard, who ruthlessly diverted the line of succession away from his nephews, now has to contend with a dynastic line reset to zero. His solution? Incest. His niece, Elizabeth of York — daughter of late King Edward IV — is being pitched as England’s new Queen. But thrusting incest onto an increasingly agitated kingdom isn’t exactly what the people want. It’s fertile ground for other nobles who have any claim to the throne, like Henry Tudor. And so, he — along with…
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S10 · E11 · 4 Aug 2026 · 33 min
S10 E11 | Last Hope
*THIS IS HISTORY — A DYNASTY TO DIE FOR* *Season 10, Episode 11: Last Hope* It’s 1482. Margaret Beaufort and her husband, Thomas Stanley hold the most power in Northwest England…and they’re hungry for more. They’ve asked their pal, King Edward IV, to organise a royal pardon for their exiled son, Henry Tudor, who’s in Brittany. The aim? To marry Edward’s daughter, Elizabeth of York and claim the crown. But… there's a problem. Richard III has seized the throne, reversed Henry’s pardon and induced nationwide mayhem. Backed by Francis, Duke of Brittany, Henry incites a rebellion against Richard…
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