S10 E1 | A New Hope

A 13-year-old girl labours in a sealed chamber at Pembroke Castle as the plague circles them. Miraculously, Margaret Beaufort survives. Her son does, too. His name is Henry Tudor.

This birth doesn’t register in the minds of many nobles, as they’re focused on England’s first Yorkist King, Edward IV. After his decisive victory at the Battle of Towton, his mission as king is to do what Henry VI couldn’t: rebuild a broken kingdom.

He solidifies power in concert with his ally, the Earl of Warwick, who fancies himself as a kingmaker. Warwick grows rich on titles, ports, and power, until some say he rules as much as the king. They stamp out a few threats to Edward’s rule, but ultimately their mission is to stamp order over the kingdom.

The best way to do that is to find England a new Queen.

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As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And don’t forget to listen to this season’s accompanying bonus episodes for this miniseries, where Dan and Producer Al discuss the Earl of Warwick’s lust for power, and why the role of matchmaker has been thrust upon him. Plus, Dan gives you a close insight into the social discord of England early on in Edward IV’s reign thanks to the Paston Letters — the largest surviving collection of 15th-century private correspondence, written in English between 1422 and 1509.

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Presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Louisa Field

Executive Producer - Dan Jones

Production Manager - Jen Mistri

Production Coordinator - Eric Ryan

Head of Content - Chris Skinner

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