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, while ambitious nobles and foreign powers are ready to rally behind rival claimants. 

The results are often extraordinary.

Two pretenders emerge from obscurity: a ten-year-old boy and a Flemish teenager who reinvent themselves as long-lost princes. Both claim to be princes once locked up in the Tower of London and launch audacious bids for the throne. Across the Channel, kings, emperors and a vengeful English princess lend support to their cause, turning political intrigue into an international crisis.

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

His marriage to Elizabeth of York was meant to unite the rival houses of Lancaster and York and bring lasting peace to England. Diplomatic alliances strengthen England's position abroad, while explorers push further across the Atlantic than ever before. Yet invasions, rebellions, trade disputes and betrayals threaten everything Henry has built.

It’s a story packed with romance, betrayal, jealousy, revenge — and at least one weird case of a king giving someone a foot-rub. 

So who’s afraid of Henry Tudor? Not as many as he’d like. 

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As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime with Dan and the rest of the royal court on Patreon, too. Become a royal favourite today: patreon.com/thisishistory 

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Presented by Dan Jones 

Producer - Alan Weedon

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Junior Producer - Dulcie Whadcock 

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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