All language subtitles for The Real War of Thrones s01e04 The King and the Emperor 1515-1558

The world we live in was shaped by war.

For hundreds of years, power -hungry
families fought for the right to rule,

Europe transformed.

For the glory of England!

I, Philip de Valois, am the only king of
France.

These rivalries shifted borders.

Curse be the French king!

Destroyed cities and brought populations
to their knees.

A war of thrones. Don't touch me!

A tale of murder, sex, and betrayal.

Greatness, madam, that is what France
needs.

Those not crowned in glory were brutally
slaughtered or condemned to rot in the

shadows.

When in the heretic, one must perish in
the flames.

Guards! Guards!

In the merciless game of war and
ambition, anything goes.

At the beginning of the Renaissance, the
throne of France was once again under

threat.

The ambitious emperor wanted to dominate
Europe.

The king of France was prepared to do
anything to save his realm.

The rivalry would lead to 27 years of
war.

But another sovereign would play the
peacemaker.

After the Hundred Years' War, France
still had to fight for peace.

On January 23, 1516, the King of Spain,
Ferdinand of Aragon, died.

He was 64 years old.

He bequeathed to his grandson, Charles
of Habsburg, an unparalleled

The kingdoms of Spain, Naples, Sicily,
and Sardinia, as well as colonies in the

New World, discovered by Christopher
Columbus 24 years earlier.

These lands were in addition to an
earlier legacy, that of his great

-grandfather Charles the Bold, who left
him the Netherlands and what is now

Belgium.

At just 17 years old, Charles of
Habsburg's empire extended from the

to Spain and from the Mediterranean all
the way to the Americas.

It was vast, but it wasn't enough for
Charles.

A devout Catholic, his ambition was to
build a vast Christian empire to rule

whole of Europe.

He was intelligent and ruthless.

Corruption, blackmail, and war.

Charles would stop at nothing to get
what he wanted.

This made the other European leaders
very nervous.

None more so than the King of France,
Francis I.

Francis was born September 12, 1494.

He had never been destined to rule.

Born into a distant branch of the Valois
dynasty, Charles was no more than a

distant cousin of King Louis XII.

Louis had failed to father a son, so he
passed his crown to Francis.

When he was 14, Francis joined the royal
family at Blois Castle, where he was

received as the crown prince.

At the age of 19, he married Louis XII's
only daughter, Claude of France.

When Louis XII died on New Year's Day
1515, his now son -in -law, Francis of

Angoulême, became king.

He was 20 years old.

After his

coronation in Reims, His entry into
Paris on February 25, 1515 set the tone

his entire reign.

Francis would be a flamboyant monarch.

The new king of France was warmly
welcomed by the aristocracy.

And his victory at Mérignon, where he
recaptured Milan from the Duke of

made him the new Caesar.

You look magnificent, Mother.

You too, my son.

This auspicious reign... My dear
Margaret.

...was supported by his mother and his
sister Margaret.

You are truly beautiful.

I thank you. In 1519, an opportunity
arose which would reinforce his power.

The death of the Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I.

With Maximilian dead, the position of
Holy Roman Emperor became vacant.

The imperial crown wasn't hereditary.
The emperor had to be elected.

Francis was the first candidate to put
himself forward for the job.

But he didn't have a single drop of
German blood.

Charles of Habsburg, the new king of
Spain, on the other hand, was also

Maximilian's grandson.

He had no intention of letting his
family lose the crown.

he decided that he too would stand for
election.

On March 1st, 1519, in Frankfurt, the
empire's archchancellor gathered

the electoral council of the Golden
Bull.

This council of three archbishops and
four princes were the only ones allowed

elect the new emperor.

To win the title, The candidates needed
to score the most votes, but to do that

would cost serious cash.

Charles and Francis were both rich, but
neither was rich enough to pay the

bribes needed to win.

They would need to borrow the money.

That is where Jakob Fugger came in.

Fugger was the greatest banker and
financier of his time.

the richest man in Europe.

Who receives this?

The same ones?

He was the man who first came up with
the idea of adding interest to loans.

Fouguer was also Maximilian's chief
financial backer, and therefore he

help the late emperor's grandson claim
the crown.

Sire, I believe we can do great things
together in Europe.

In order to help Charles win, Fugger
proposed a deal.

A loan in return for a sizable share of
the Habsburg silver mines.

This is outrageous.

Charles didn't want to give away his
family's profits.

He decided he would fight the election
without Fugger's financial support.

I offer you my help.

Fugger was annoyed by Charles'
arrogance, so he offered his financial

to his rival.

Your Majesty.

Ah, my friend.

I hope you bring me good news.

That is why I am here.

Soon the crown of the empire will be
mine.

Fouguer offered the French king 369 ,000
florins, about 47 million euros today,

at 10 % commission.

With such a huge sum behind him, Francis
was sure to win the election.

Oh, Fugger, my friend, where did you
disappear to? When Charles found out, he

summoned Fugger to court.

Desperately, he agreed to hand over the
profits of his silver mines in return

for 543 ,000 florins, almost 71 million
euros.

Here it is.

In total, Fugger handed over 846 ,000
gold florins in bribe to the Electoral

Council.

Unsurprisingly, Charles of Habsburg was
unanimously elected Holy Roman Emperor.

The coronation of Charles V, Holy Roman
Emperor, was scheduled to take place a

year later.

Francis would use this year to do
whatever he could to stop his rival's

coronation.

I will break the emperor.

He wasn't the only one intent on
stopping Charles.

King Henry VIII of England usually went
to war to defeat his enemies, but his

foreign minister, Cardinal Wolsey,
advised him that on this occasion, an

alliance would be more beneficial.

The devil would take such an alliance.

War must be declared on this emperor.

Only this will stop his hunger for
power.

Believe me, Wolsey.

But Wolsey wanted peace and refused to
give up.

He eventually persuaded Henry to sign a
treaty with France against Charles.

Two years previously, Wolsey had
brokered an agreement between the two

which promised the marriage of the eight
-month -old Dauphin of France and the

King of England's two -year -old
daughter, Mary.

most beautiful declaration of peace with
France.

Yes, my baby.

That's right.

You're not afraid.

You're not afraid.

On May 31st, 1520, south of Calais, a
diplomatic summit between England and

France was held.

It would become known as the Field of
the Cloth of Gold.

The king of France got ready.

Like Henry VIII, he had sworn not to
shave his beard until the accord was

signed.

On June 7, 1520, the two kings finally
met.

My dear Francis.

At last we meet. Yes.

For three weeks, Henry and Francis were
inseparable.

Except at mealtimes. So great was the
fear of being poisoned.

Three centuries of war were not easily
forgotten.

Behind the scenes, their counselors were
busy negotiating a treaty of alliance.

500 years later, a plaque commemorates
the location of this summit.

The field of the cloth of gold remains
one of the most significant meetings of

the Renaissance.

The remarkable event was painted by the
artist Frederick Bouteverk.

For the occasion, Henry had built a vast
temporary castle in the village of

Guinness.

It had brick foundations, wooden walls,
a painted canvas roof, and huge glass

windows. The whole thing was decorated
with great artworks.

The English king is even said to have
demanded two fountains, in keeping with

Franco -English tradition, one for wine
and one for beer.

The French encampment on the other side
of the hill at Ardra was every bit as

opulent.

Francis had erected huge tents, covered
with sheets woven with gold thread, as

big as the halls of Blois Castle.

It was an auspicious setting for the
signing of a new treaty, which would

Charles V being crowned.

Legend has it that Francis and Henry
even had a wrestling match.

After a long, fierce battle,

Francis is believed to have lifted Henry
before pinning him to the ground.

This was utterly humiliating for the
English monarch.

The winner is Francis!

Hooray!

Blushed with victory, Francis had no
idea how this humiliation would affect

alliance.

Whether the wrestling bout ever took
place or not, the cloth of gold summit

a waste of time.

Francis had not sooner returned to Blois
than he heard that Charles V had been

crowned emperor.

Worse still, Henry VIII and the emperor
had formed an alliance with Pope Clement

VII against him.

In 1521, Charles attacked French -held
Milan and won.

Francis was furious.

One year later, Francis sent his troops
to reconquer the town.

But it was a disaster.

Francis refused to accept defeat.

He decided to join his men in battle.

On July 23rd, the king went to the abbey
of Saint -Denis to perform the ritual

which preceded all military campaigns.

He placed the relics of Saint -Denis on
the altar and prayed for victory.

Less than a month later, on August 17th,
having named his mother Louise of Savoy

as regent, he set off to fight.

In late 1523, heading for Milan, he
crossed the Alps and annihilated a

imperial army.

But in the fight, he lost his most
trusted captain, Pierre Terhaille, who

the hero of the Battle of Marignan and
said to be fearless and beyond reproach.

Even without Bayard, in late October
1524, the French king and his army

to retake Milan.

Emboldened by his victory, Francis
turned his attention to the occupied

Pavia.

On the night of February 23rd, 1525, 23
,000 imperial soldiers pulled

white tunics over their armor as a
rallying sign.

In just a few hours, over 30 ,000 French
soldiers overwhelmed Charles

V's army.

By eight o 'clock in the morning,
Francis was convinced that the battle

But he had not noticed that a Spanish
rear guard was firing on his troops.

In less than four hours, the French army
was all but annihilated.

Pavia was a catastrophic massacre.

Nine thousand lives were lost.

But Francis refused to surrender. He
fought on valiantly.

It's the king!

Despite his bravery, Francis fell,
defeated.

He had sustained injuries to his face
and hand.

For the third time in France's history,
after Saint -Louis and John the Good,

the king was taken prisoner.

Charles V learned of his victory while
he was in Toledo.

He allowed his prisoner to write to his
mother.

All that has been left to me is

my honor and my life.

Francis prayed that someone would pay a
ransom to secure his freedom.

But the emperor didn't want money. He
wanted Burgundy, the territory had once

belonged to his great -grandfather,
Charles the Bull.

He also wanted the Valois dynasty to
renounce all claims to Italy once and

all. Francis refused.

He wrote these words to the emperor.

I am resolved to tolerate incarceration
for as long as God wills it, rather than

accept terms which are harmful to my
realm.

Curse me, the French king!

Charles was livid.

Nothing was more important to him than
recovering the lands which had belonged

to his ancestor.

Francis asked to meet the emperor face
to face, but Charles V refused his

prisoner's request.

With King Francis behind bars, the
kingdom was now more vulnerable than

enemies, both near and far, began to
circle.

The regent, Louisa Savoy, tried
desperately to hold on to the reins of

while also desperately trying to secure
her son's release.

It was an almost impossible task.

In Spain, the French king fell seriously
ill.

He had migraines, fevers, and intense
pains throughout his body.

At the end of the summer, after six
months behind bars, he was thought to be

close to death.

His mother and sister were deeply
concerned.

But as regent, Louise of Savoie couldn't
leave the kingdom.

So she turned to Margaret for help.

My child, only you can save your
brother.

Bring us back our king.

Charles V gave Margaret of Valois
special dispensation to enter Spain.

She hurried to her brother's sickbed.

Francis!

Francis seemed to be at death's door.

He'd lost a lot of weight and was
tormented by fever.

He was so sick he was unable to eat or
drink.

His sister nursed her brother day and
night.

Margaret was a devout Catholic.

She prayed desperately for her brother
and held Mass in his cell.

The body of Christ.

As day broke,

The king opened his eyes.

Princess.

Open your mouth to receive communion.

Sister.

The fever seemed to have mysteriously
stopped.

Across Europe.

The King of France's recovery was seen
as a miracle.

Thank you, Vita.

Be brave.

After suffering for 24 days, he was
almost back to full health.

Margaret could now fulfill the other
part of her mission.

On October 3rd, 1525, she arrived in
Toledo.

to negotiate with Charles V.

But the emperor went back on his promise
to meet her.

This was a huge insult to the sister of
the French king.

After having waited several hours,
Charles V's ministers finally agreed to

her.

Margaret was young.

intelligent, and very persuasive.

She soon became popular in the Spanish
court.

Charles V finally granted her an
audience.

Your king is stubborn, madam.

He gets what he deserves.

Margaret refused to be intimidated. She
offered Charles the Duchy of Burgundy,

along with a substantial ransom to
secure her brother's freedom.

Listen to me.

Either King Francis accepts the terms of
the treaty, or he spends the rest of

his life in prison.

Margaret had failed, but she refused to
let her brother rot in prison.

If the emperor wouldn't set Francis
free, she would.

Every night, at the same time, a servant
brought the French king firewood.

Margaret noticed that the man came and
went without attracting the guard's

attention. This gave her an idea.

She asked him to swap clothes with the
king.

It was a very risky strategy.

If she were caught, Margaret would be
thrown in prison.

But she would risk everything to free
her brother.

The plan was simple.

Francis would slip out of his cell
disguised as a valet.

What do you think?

I think it'll be perfect.

Not forgetting to darken his skin with
soot.

He's escaping.

Their plan had been rumbled.

But

Charles

V didn't imprison Margaret.

He allowed her to return home to her
mother in France.

Louise of Savoie was now so concerned
for her son's life and the future of the

kingdom that she wrote to François,
begging him to agree to the emperor's

demands.

On January 14, 1526, with a very heavy
heart, Francis signed the Treaty

of Madrid.

He renounced any claims to Artois and
Flanders. He surrendered Burgundy and

abandoned any aspirations to the Duchy
of Milan.

To make him honor the terms of the
treaty, Charles forced François to hand

his two sons as hostages, the eight
-year -old Dauphin Francis and his six

-old brother Henri.

No sooner had Francis returned to France
that he raised an army against the

emperor.

Charles' response to this treachery was
to strip the French princes of all

comforts.

They were imprisoned in a dark, damp
room.

with no furniture other than two stools
and straw mattresses.

The boys were abandoned and had no one
to talk to.

As the days turned to months and months
to years, the youngest son, Henri,

forgot how to speak his native tongue.

Louisa Savoy was devastated when she was
told of the terrible conditions her

grandsons were being held.

She tried desperately to secure their
freedom, but all diplomacy failed.

There was only one option.

Take them by force.

In May 1526, King Francis formed the
Holy League of Cognac.

It was an anti -Spanish alliance which
brought together France, England, the

Papacy, and the cities of Milan,
Florence, and Venice.

Their common enemy, the over -ambitious
Charles V.

The emperor was furious at his enemy's
alliance.

On May 6, 1527, he sent 12 ,000 men to
attack the city of Rome.

Pope Clement was forced to flee the
Vatican.

One month later, he was caught.

In exchange for his life, he gave
Charles 400 ,000 ducats and the city of

The defeat led to the dissolution of the
Holy League of Cognac, and an isolated

Francis lost battle after battle.

After more than a year of fighting,
Francis was ready to sue for peace.

He refused to stoop so low as to
negotiate himself.

His mother led the negotiations, with
Charles V's aunt, Margaret of Austria.

In August 1529, the treaty known as the
Lady's Peace was signed at Cambrai.

As with the Madrid Treaty three years
earlier, France pledged to renounce any

claims to Artois and Flanders, give up
Burgundy, and the town of Tournai in the

north of the kingdom, and give up any
rights to Italy.

In any case, the last of the Sforzas had
been restored in Milan with the

obligation of returning the duchy to
Spain on his death.

France had lost Italy, and to make
matters worse, the heir to the throne

brother were still held hostage in
Spain.

In exchange for their freedom, Charles V
demanded a ransom of two million gold

crowns. But Francis' treasury was almost
empty.

What are we going to do?

Lord, this is a difficult decision.

Let me think.

We don't have much choice.

We must pay the Emperor to ensure the
freedom of the Duffer and his brother.

Lord, your mistake at Pavia cost us
dearly.

Raising the funds for the huge ransom
was all but impossible.

But Louise was determined to free her
grandson.

She turned to the citizens of France for
help.

She imposed a special tax on the
population for one year.

Eventually, there was enough money to
free the young princes.

Francis was now 13.

Henri was 11.

On July 6th, after five long years...
Ah, my son!

Francis' sons were returned to him. I
missed you both.

Look at me.

Haven't you grown?

And you, what a fine young man you are.

In return,

as imposed by the Treaty of Cambrai,
Francis married the emperor's daughter,

Eleanor of Habsburg.

Francis and Charles V were now brothers
-in -law.

But Francis still harbored ambitions to
overthrow the emperor.

So, despite the treachery of the past,
he once again approached Henry VIII,

of England.

Twelve years after the field of the
cloth of gold, Henry VIII and Francis

between French -held Boulogne.

and English -held Calais.

The French king proudly introduced his
children to his English ally.

What fine sons.

Congratulations.

Henry was also keen to introduce the
French king to someone dear to him,

beautiful mistress Anne Boleyn.

She was in fact the real reason for
Henry's visit.

She has stolen my heart.

My beloved Anne.

Anne Boleyn was beautiful, intelligent,
and fiercely ambitious.

She had been educated in the French
courts and had completely bewitched

Henry wanted Francis to persuade the
Pope to allow him to annul his marriage

Catherine of Aragon so he could wed
Anne.

But to gain Francis' support,

Anne had to win the approval of the
whole French royal family.

Not just the king, but his sister and
his new wife, Eleanor of Habsburg.

But Francis refused to allow them to
meet a woman considered by many to be a

whore.

Don't touch me!

When Anne got wind of this, she felt
deeply offended.

For six days, Henry and Frances ate,
drank, and were entertained.

During the

final banquet, Anne, her face hidden
behind a mask, danced for the two

sovereigns.

It was her last chance to charm Frances.

Her gamble paid off.

The French king thanked her publicly,
signaling his approval.

Do you, Lady Anne Boleyn, take this man
to be your lawfully wedded wife? Two

weeks later, Henry and Anne are believed
to have married in secret.

Do you, Henry VIII, take this lady to be
your lawfully wedded wife? I do.

The hasty ceremony is believed to have
been rushed forward to cover up the fact

that Henry's mistress was already
pregnant.

After three years of peace in Europe,
Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, died

without having sired a male heir.

In accordance with the terms of the
Cambria Ladies' Treaty, Charles V could

add the Duchy of Milan to his empire.

But the King of France had not given up
on Italy.

In February 1536, Francis I sent an army
to invade Savoie so that he could

trade it for the Duchy of Milan.

But Charles V had sent troops to attack
Provence.

As war started to rage again,

tragedy struck at the heart of the
Kingdom of France.

On August 10, 1536,

Francis the Dauphin died suddenly at the
age of 18.

Immediately, rumors began to spread that
he'd been poisoned or that he had died

of tuberculosis, a consequence of his
incarceration in Spain.

In mourning and at war, Francis'
kingdom, just like Charles V's empire,

face up to a lack of money.

Conflicts would have to stop.

In 1538, the king and the emperor
decided to start negotiating once more.

After several weeks of haggling in Nice,
the two men made their new friendship

public at Aigues -Mortes in the south of
France.

For the first time, both men signed a 10
-year truce.

during which each would hold on to his
territories while pledging not to go to

war again.

Charles V kept Milan and kept hold of
his empire, but officially renounced any

claim to the French throne.

This was a real triumph for Francis I,
who consolidated France's central role

Europe and left an indelible mark on the
kingdom.

But in 1547, the King of France was
riven with sickness.

He was 52 and suffering from migraines,
gout, and an ailment caused by his

serial infidelity, syphilis.

Prayers were said for him.

Masses were performed by his bedside in
the presence of his beloved sister,

Margaret.

From his deathbed, Francis called for
his son, and now heir to the throne,

Henry.

I've been a great sinner, my son.

Passion has led me astray.

If I had done good things.

Follow that example.

Be a man.

In the early hours of March the 31st,
1547, King Francis I breathed his

last.

His son became King Henry II.

Alongside his lifelong enemy, Charles V,
Francis I remains one of the most

powerful monarchs of the Christian era.

From 1540 onwards, the emperor too was
beginning to wail. He was terribly

afflicted with gout.

Four years later, he handed over the
reins of the Holy Roman Empire to his

brother, Ferdinand.

Then, in October 1555, he passed
sovereignty over the Netherlands to his

Philip of Spain.

Charles V's abdication shocked all of
Europe.

From his Spanish retreat, he relied on
his brother and his son to carry on his

work.

But the Habsburg dynasty was to be
divided forever.

He died on September 21, 1558, at the
age of 58, eleven years after Francis

I.