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In October 1399
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a prisoner was secretly taken from
his cell in The Tower of London.
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He was the eighth Plantagenet
King to rule England,
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Richard II.
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It was said that as he was
taken along the Thames,
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he was wailing and loudly lamenting
that he had ever been born.
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Three months later, he was
found starved to death.
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The man responsible for Richard's downfall
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was another Plantagenet, his
cousin Henry of Lancaster.
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Henry had deposed Richard and
installed himself as King.
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It was a kind of original sin
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from which the Plantagenets
would never recover.
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A French chronicler commented,
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"Something acquired
wickedly cannot last long."
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The House of Plantagenet was now
fatally divided along lines
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that would never be reconciled.
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The usurpation and murder of an
anointed King violated sacred taboos
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and undermined the foundations
of Plantagenet power.
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The right to rule of
future Plantagenet Kings
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would now be in doubt
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and they would have to fight to
keep their grip on the throne.
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Plantagenet turned against Plantagenet
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in the battle for the crown
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and they dragged England into
decades of brutal civil war.
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Within less than a century,
four Plantagenet Kings
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met violent deaths at the
hands of their own relatives.
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This was the bloodiest episode
in the whole history of
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the English monarchy, and this death
of Kings, this royal blood-letting,
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ended in the complete destruction
of the Plantagenet dynasty.
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In the summer of 1381,
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thousands of armed peasants
stormed the city of London.
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They set fire to palaces and property.
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Nobles, lawyers and foreigners
were hunted down and killed.
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This became known as The Peasants' Revolt,
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the greatest uprising in the
history of medieval England.
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The Plantagenets were confronted
by the most serious threat
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the lower classes had ever
posed to royal power.
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And sitting on the throne was a boy King.
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Richard II had been crowned four
years earlier at the age of ten.
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He was forced to flee
from his own subjects.
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Richard was just 14 years old.
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He sought refuge here
in the Tower of London.
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It must have been terrifying as he
looked out from the top of a turret
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to see his capital engulfed in flames,
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and everyone looked to him to
bring an end to the violence.
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This was the first real
test of his kingship.
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A new tax had triggered the riots.
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It was levied in the name of the King
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to pay for the Plantagenets' war
against the French monarchy.
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It was a poll tax imposed
on every man and woman
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over the age of 14, regardless of income.
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It inflamed resentment against
the great inequalities
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in medieval society.
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According to the chronicler Henry Knighton,
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the rebels outside were demanding
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that every man in the Kingdom
of England should be free
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and remain free of the
yoke of servitude forever.
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A particular target of their
hostility was the boy King's
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inner circle, the councillors who
had been ruling on his behalf.
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These powerful officials
were responsible for levying
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the reviled poll tax, and they would
face the wrath of the rebels.
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One of the King's closest
advisors and his Chancellor
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was Simon Sudbury, the
Archbishop of Canterbury.
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In terror, he'd also taken
refuge in the Tower.
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On the third day of rioting he
was here in St John's Chapel
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praying for his life.
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The insurgents broke in
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and seized him along with
the King's treasurer.
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Their heads were hacked off and
paraded through the city on pikes.
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On the fourth day, in a
bid to end the riots,
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Richard rode out to
negotiate with the rebels.
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Some open ground here, just
outside the city walls,
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was chosen for the meeting,
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a place called Smoothfield or Smithfield,
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used for tournaments, fairs and festivals.
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The King was meeting the people
on their own territory -
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this was a promising start.
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But with the royal forces vastly
outnumbered by the rebels,
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Richard was placing himself
in a perilous position.
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The peasants' leader was called Wat Tyler.
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He approached the King
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and repeated the demands
for freedom and equality.
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The King agreed, but then
a scuffle broke out.
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Tyler lashed out with his dagger
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and the Mayor of London plunged
his sword into Tyler's neck.
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These are the gates of the Priory
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that stands on the edge of Smithfield.
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Just behind me was where
Wat Tyler was stabbed
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and was seen to fall from his horse.
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The rebels drew their weapons to avenge him.
At that moment,
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the future of the Plantagenet
dynasty hung in the balance.
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But Richard took the initiative.
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He spurred his horse forward
into the crowd and pledged,
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"I will be your King, your
captain and your leader."
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The mood changed.
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With the added assurance of a
charter granting them pardons
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and freedom, the rebels began to disperse.
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Richard had single-handedly
turned the tide of rebellion
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and he'd seen for himself the
impact of his royal power.
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Richard's encounter with
his subjects at Smithfield
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was a defining moment in
the young King's reign.
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Four years earlier at his coronation
he'd been anointed with holy oil,
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which was believed to set him
apart from his subjects,
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making him God's anointed.
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Triumph here at Smithfield
confirmed Richard's self-belief
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in his God-given right to rule,
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a conviction that dominated
the rest of his reign.
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In the Middle Ages it was believed
that kingship was ordained by God,
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and Richard had complete faith
in his divine right to rule.
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He tried to demonstrate
his elevated status,
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not through war like many of
his Plantagenet predecessors,
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but through royal displays of ritual
and ceremony, architecture and art.
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This altarpiece reveals how
he saw his place in the world
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and his relationship with God.
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This is the Wilton Diptych,
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one of the most beautiful paintings
ever produced in medieval England.
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It was commissioned by
Richard II in the 1390s,
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although it shows him as a
much more youthful figure,
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perhaps at the time of the meeting
with the rebels in Smithfield.
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Behind him stand his patron
saints, John the Baptist,
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Edward the Confessor and
Edmund King and Martyr -
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the last two, like Richard
himself, English Kings.
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Opposite them stands the Virgin
Mary holding the Christ Child
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surrounded by angels.
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Every angel wears a badge of the
white hart, Richard's own symbol.
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Christ is blessing this banner,
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which has at the top a red
cross flag and a tiny orb.
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Analysis under a microscope has
revealed that within that orb
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is a painting of a green island with
a white tower set in a silver sea -
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England.
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Richard is receiving his
kingdom from Christ himself.
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This perfectly expresses Richard's
exalted sense of kingship,
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but his high conception of royal status
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led to a political earthquake
that destroyed him
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and would ultimately result in
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the extinction of the
Plantagenet dynasty itself.
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Richard's sense of superiority
as God's anointed ruler
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continued to grow.
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He demanded to be treated
with ever-greater reverence
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and devised elaborate new court rituals
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to set himself above his nobles.
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Richard was the first
English King who insisted
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on being addressed as "Your Highness".
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One chronicler describes how he had
a throne set up in the chamber
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where he sat after supper,
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watching everyone, but addressing no-one.
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Whenever he looked at anybody,
however grand they were,
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they had to bend the knee.
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But the men he was abasing included
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some of the greatest nobles in the land.
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They were outraged by his arrogance.
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Like all Plantagenet kings,
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Richard's power was dependent
on the support of his nobles.
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He relied on them to supply
him with money and troops.
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But Richard made no effort to
win their favour or respect.
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He alienated them still further by
surrounding himself with a clique
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of favourites, many of low birth, on
whom he lavished land and titles.
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In 1387, the established nobility,
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as well as members of Richard's own
family, took up arms against him.
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When Richard was 20, a group of his nobles,
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including his cousin Henry of Lancaster,
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seized control of the government by force
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and executed his favourite knights.
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But Richard had his revenge.
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Within 11 years all his chief
enemies were either killed
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or exiled, including Henry, who
was banished for ten years.
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Henry was the son of England's wealthiest
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and most powerful landowner,
The Duke of Lancaster.
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He was Richard's first cousin
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and they had played together as children,
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but they grew up to be very different.
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Henry was a great knight,
a champion jouster
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and popular with the nobility.
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He had four sons, while
Richard was childless.
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Seeing Henry as a threat,
Richard resolved to remove him.
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Henry's ten-year banishment
was a terrible punishment,
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but he still expected to
inherit his father's lands,
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the Great Duchy of Lancaster.
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But Richard took yet further revenge.
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When Henry's father died,
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the King confiscated all the lands
that should have come to him.
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With nothing left to lose, Henry
determined to return to England
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and reclaim his inheritance.
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When Henry arrived in
Yorkshire in July 1399,
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barons from across the country
flocked to his banner.
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They feared that if Richard could
confiscate his own cousin's lands,
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then no-one's property was safe.
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They began to back Henry as
a replacement for the King.
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00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:52,999
Henry's timing was perfect.
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Richard was away in Ireland,
fighting to maintain English rule.
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In his absence, Henry could
muster support unopposed.
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00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:02,959
When Richard finally got back to England,
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he found that even his closest friends
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and household retainers were
beginning to desert him.
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00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,320
Richard realised his
support was collapsing.
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00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:18,119
According to the chronicle
of Dieulacres Abbey,
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he set off secretly in
the middle of the night
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accompanied by only 15 companions.
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00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:33,240
He fled from castle to castle
looking for refuge and support.
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00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:36,960
He found none.
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00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:46,199
Eventually Richard met with Henry's
envoys, who escorted him here,
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to the great castle at Flint.
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Their ancestor Edward I had built
it during his conquest of the Welsh
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and now it was to be the
site of a momentous meeting
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00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,520
between the two Plantagenet cousins.
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Henry approached the castle
accompanied by a force
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00:15:08,440 --> 00:15:13,560
thousands strong, among them the
nobles who had deserted Richard.
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00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:20,639
This display of military might
against the anointed monarch
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set a dangerous precedent for
future Plantagenet kings.
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Richard was here inside the keep,
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00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,599
and Henry entered to meet his cousin.
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00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,759
Later, Henry's supporters claimed
that Richard then promised
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00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,959
to renounce the throne,
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00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:42,399
but given his views of Kingship
that's likely to be pure propaganda.
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00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,359
What is not in doubt is that
Richard was now Henry's captive.
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00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,199
The King who had set
himself above all others
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was nothing more than a powerless prisoner.
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00:15:58,120 --> 00:16:03,559
Just six weeks later, on 30th
September 1399, Henry's seizure of
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00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:08,400
the throne was publicly confirmed at
a ceremony here at Westminster Hall.
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00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:17,199
Parliament assembled beneath the
magnificent hammer beam ceiling
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that Richard II had had constructed.
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00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:21,439
It was announced that on the previous day,
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00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,679
Richard, a captive in the
Tower, had abdicated,
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00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,839
and 39 charges against him were read out.
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00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:29,399
Then Henry stood up.
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"I, Henry of Lancaster claim this
kingdom of England and the crown."
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00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:38,480
The assembled lords gave their
consent and led him to the throne.
228
00:16:40,760 --> 00:16:45,480
Henry had won the crown, but he
would have to fight to keep it.
229
00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,919
Richard's misrule had turned
many against him, but in an age
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00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:56,520
of deeply held religious belief,
he was still God's anointed ruler.
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00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,640
In deposing him, Henry had
committed a grave sin.
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00:17:05,120 --> 00:17:08,920
Four months later, he was guilty
of an even greater crime.
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00:17:11,880 --> 00:17:16,199
In February 1400, it was announced
that the former king had died.
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00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:20,320
In all probability, Richard had been
starved to death on Henry's orders.
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00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,759
Henry had broken the
sacred rules of kingship
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00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:28,160
that underpinned Plantagenet power.
237
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,440
His struggle for legitimacy
didn't end with Richard's murder.
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00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,959
Henry had not inherited his
throne but usurped it,
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00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,799
deposing and killing an
anointed King to do so.
240
00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,239
And so his right to his throne was
questioned, both at home and abroad.
241
00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:54,440
Plots, uprisings and
conspiracies marked his reign.
242
00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,679
And although he managed to hold
on to his throne, he had broken
243
00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:03,040
a great taboo, and others would
find it easier to do the same.
244
00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:07,959
Henry's usurpation created a fatal schism
245
00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:09,880
within the Plantagenet family.
246
00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:14,399
Henry's House of Lancaster was descended
247
00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,919
from the third son of Edward III,
248
00:18:16,920 --> 00:18:21,680
but another Plantagenet line
descended from the second son.
249
00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:25,479
In the future, these
descendants could claim
250
00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:30,560
a greater right to the throne than
King Henry IV and his offspring.
251
00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:43,999
Doubt over Henry's right to rule
252
00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,640
cast a shadow over his own heir, Henry V.
253
00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:52,319
When he came to the
throne at the age of 26,
254
00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:56,200
he was already a famous warrior
and a strong, forceful leader.
255
00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,599
He was determined to prove
his right to the throne
256
00:19:01,600 --> 00:19:03,360
through victory in battle.
257
00:19:06,720 --> 00:19:09,319
He decided to go to war to win a prize
258
00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,520
that had obsessed the
Plantagenets for generations.
259
00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:19,199
The Plantagenets had their origins
in the French county of Anjou
260
00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:22,999
and at its height their empire
included not only England,
261
00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:24,719
but most of France.
262
00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:28,559
Since 1340, they'd even claimed
to be Kings of France.
263
00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,800
Henry V determined to cross the
Channel and claim his birthright.
264
00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:41,000
He began in Normandy, laying
siege to the port of Harfleur.
265
00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,280
After five weeks, the town
was forced to surrender.
266
00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:54,959
Henry marched at the head
of his army towards Calais,
267
00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:56,760
nearly 200 miles away.
268
00:19:58,120 --> 00:20:01,399
By then, the French had amassed a huge army
269
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:03,720
and tried to prevent him
crossing the River Somme.
270
00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,679
Henry's forces found a
place to ford the river,
271
00:20:08,680 --> 00:20:13,080
but their path was barred by the
enemy at the village of Agincourt.
272
00:20:15,120 --> 00:20:18,999
What happened here at Agincourt
on 25th October 1415
273
00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:20,919
has been immortalised by Shakespeare.
274
00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,799
It's the most famous battle
of the entire Plantagenet era
275
00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,999
and Henry V displayed qualities
276
00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:30,760
that made him the most celebrated of
all the Plantagenet warrior kings.
277
00:20:33,680 --> 00:20:35,800
At the outset, defeat looked certain.
278
00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:42,319
The English soldiers were exhausted,
starving and battle-weary.
279
00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:46,320
They were also vastly outnumbered.
280
00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:53,719
The odds were overwhelmingly
against the English,
281
00:20:53,720 --> 00:20:56,120
but Henry believed he had God on his side.
282
00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,119
When one of his knights said that he wished
283
00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:02,159
they had 1,000 more
soldiers, Henry replied,
284
00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:05,599
"I would not have one man
more even if I could,
285
00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,959
"for those that I have
here are God's people.
286
00:21:08,960 --> 00:21:12,320
"These humble few will conquer
the pride of the French."
287
00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:19,480
But Henry didn't rely on God alone.
288
00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:25,319
Henry was a gifted tactician.
289
00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,799
He drew his army up between two woods that
290
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,039
stood here on the field of battle
on either side at that time, so
291
00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:35,000
the French couldn't outflank him and
had to advance on a narrow front.
292
00:21:38,080 --> 00:21:41,640
The French were forced to
attack across a muddy field.
293
00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,239
Their elite cavalry charged,
294
00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,160
only to be cut down by
the English longbowmen.
295
00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:19,439
Those who survived the arrows
were caught in a quagmire
296
00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,480
between the two armies.
297
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:28,400
The battle turned in favour
of Henry's humble few.
298
00:22:32,600 --> 00:22:34,639
With victory in their sights,
299
00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:38,039
the English began rounding
up French prisoners.
300
00:22:38,040 --> 00:22:41,119
According to the chivalric code of honour
301
00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:43,160
their lives would be spared...
302
00:22:45,080 --> 00:22:47,119
...but a cry suddenly went up
303
00:22:47,120 --> 00:22:50,920
that French reinforcements were
about to launch a fresh attack.
304
00:22:53,040 --> 00:22:56,079
Henry knew that his forces
couldn't withstand another assault
305
00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:58,199
and secure the prisoners.
306
00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,879
He was afraid they would
escape and rejoin the battle.
307
00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:06,720
With deliberate ruthlessness, he
ordered the prisoners to be killed.
308
00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:11,000
But the second assault never came.
309
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,840
Seeing so many of their men killed,
the French fled the battlefield.
310
00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:25,160
The prisoners had been
needlessly slaughtered.
311
00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,999
Henry's desire to win had led him
312
00:23:31,000 --> 00:23:34,120
to break the revered
conventions of chivalry.
313
00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:37,640
Victory had come before honour.
314
00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,999
Henry's qualities as a brave
soldier and a calculating general
315
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,079
had helped the English win a great victory.
316
00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,119
It became a founding symbol
of the English underdog
317
00:23:51,120 --> 00:23:53,359
triumphing against the odds.
318
00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:55,519
And in the medieval period it was believed
319
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,359
that the outcome of battles
was determined by God's will.
320
00:23:59,360 --> 00:24:02,999
Henry's victory showed
that he had God's favour.
321
00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,399
The question mark over the
Lancastrians' right to rule
322
00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,600
was removed for the time being.
323
00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,720
Agincourt was just the beginning
of Henry's plan of conquest.
324
00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:24,359
Over the next five years he
took France castle by castle,
325
00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:26,400
town by town.
326
00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,799
By 1420 he'd reclaimed
many of the lands lost
327
00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:34,560
by his Plantagenet predecessor, King John.
328
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,840
He now controlled more
than a third of France.
329
00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:42,239
This was a spectacular triumph
330
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:44,640
against the Plantagenet's age-old enemy.
331
00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,599
Henry owed his success as
much to French weakness
332
00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:56,759
as to English strength.
333
00:24:56,760 --> 00:25:00,639
The King of France, Charles VI,
suffered from mental illness
334
00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,879
and the country was being
torn apart by civil war.
335
00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:08,039
All this enabled Henry to win
his resounding victories,
336
00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,079
and next he negotiated
this extraordinary treaty
337
00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,319
with the French king,
338
00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:17,159
signed here in the heart of
Champagne in the city of Troyes.
339
00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,599
Here Charles promises that after his death
340
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,639
the crown and the kingdom of France,
341
00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,759
with all its rights and appurtenances,
342
00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:27,160
will remain with King Henry
and his heirs forever.
343
00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:31,839
And here he commands his
nobles that when he is dead
344
00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:34,839
they shall recognise Henry
as their liege lord,
345
00:25:34,840 --> 00:25:36,880
sovereign and true King of France.
346
00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,159
Henry was now recognised as
the heir to the French throne
347
00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:45,520
and in the meantime he would
serve as Regent of France.
348
00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:54,200
The French King's son, the
Dauphin, was disinherited.
349
00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,719
And on 2nd June 1420,
350
00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:00,239
the Plantagenet seizure
of the French throne
351
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:04,000
was secured through a magnificent
diplomatic marriage.
352
00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,199
Henry married the daughter
of the French King,
353
00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:13,920
Catherine of Valois, at a
dazzling ceremony here in Troyes.
354
00:26:16,200 --> 00:26:18,759
Henry had realised a Plantagenet dream -
355
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,479
he was in effect now King
of England and of France.
356
00:26:22,480 --> 00:26:26,359
At the wedding, Henry and his
English followers revelled wildly.
357
00:26:26,360 --> 00:26:28,399
According to one French chronicler,
358
00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:32,080
it was as if at that moment he
was king of the whole world.
359
00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:39,440
18 months later, Henry V's new
queen gave birth to a son.
360
00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,359
The Plantagenet ambition to rule
a French and English empire
361
00:26:45,360 --> 00:26:47,400
had finally been achieved.
362
00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:52,599
But Henry's joy was short-lived.
363
00:26:52,600 --> 00:26:56,279
In the medieval period it was births
and deaths in the ruling dynasties
364
00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:59,079
that determined the destinies of kingdoms.
365
00:26:59,080 --> 00:27:01,879
And now the history of Western
Europe was transformed
366
00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:03,919
suddenly by two deaths.
367
00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,319
While campaigning in France,
Henry died of dysentery,
368
00:27:07,320 --> 00:27:09,879
that common disease of soldiers' camps,
369
00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:13,119
and Charles of France soon
followed him to the grave.
370
00:27:13,120 --> 00:27:17,079
Henry V's son, a baby of ten months old,
371
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:19,920
was now King of England and of France.
372
00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:27,319
The English coronation of the young
Plantagenet prince, another Henry,
373
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:31,600
took place in Westminster
Abbey in November 1429.
374
00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:37,560
His French coronation in Notre Dame
in Paris came two years later.
375
00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:45,199
Henry VI is the only
monarch ever to be crowned
376
00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:47,800
both King of England and King of France.
377
00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:52,120
It was a Plantagenet triumph.
378
00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:56,759
But it wasn't to last.
379
00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,719
By the time of Henry VI's
coronation in Paris,
380
00:27:59,720 --> 00:28:02,679
the tide was already beginning
to turn against the English.
381
00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:06,639
The French nobles rallied to
the dispossessed Dauphin,
382
00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:09,839
a unified French force
was beginning to emerge
383
00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:11,999
and the English were overstretched.
384
00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:16,120
Only another great warrior king
could save the Plantagenet empire.
385
00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:28,360
Henry VI was the House of
Lancaster's third Plantagenet King.
386
00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:35,159
As he grew up, the shadow of
his grandfather's usurpation
387
00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:39,439
of Richard II's throne
seemed to have passed.
388
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,239
But Henry turned out to be no warrior,
389
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:44,439
nor was he a gifted leader.
390
00:28:44,440 --> 00:28:46,479
He was a simple, pious man
391
00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,880
who devoted himself to good
works and charitable causes.
392
00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:57,159
Unlike his father, Henry
didn't lead armies in France.
393
00:28:57,160 --> 00:29:00,759
Instead he lavished time,
money and energy on this,
394
00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:03,999
his personal project, Eton College.
395
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:06,279
He laid the foundation stone himself
396
00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:09,760
and supervised its development
down to the smallest detail.
397
00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,639
Henry founded the school in
1440 to educate children
398
00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:18,400
selected from the lower ranks of society.
399
00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:24,759
There were plans to build the
largest chapel in England,
400
00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,160
where people would gather to
pray for the soul of the king.
401
00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:35,240
Here in the college library are the
original charters for the school.
402
00:29:38,320 --> 00:29:41,319
These documents describe
everything from the services
403
00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,880
that were held in the chapel to
the dimensions of the building.
404
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:48,679
And in this magnificent charter
405
00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,879
we see Henry kneeling beneath
the royal arms and his crown,
406
00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,999
presenting the college to the Virgin Mary.
407
00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:59,120
This was clearly something
very close to his heart.
408
00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:05,159
And this page records
instructions made by the king
409
00:30:05,160 --> 00:30:07,839
about the dimensions of the church
410
00:30:07,840 --> 00:30:11,959
and sometimes there are
crossings-out and corrections -
411
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,000
the church was getting bigger.
412
00:30:15,560 --> 00:30:17,599
And Henry's approval of all this
413
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,560
is recorded by his signature
at the top of the page.
414
00:30:23,560 --> 00:30:26,359
This was a worthy project,
415
00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,599
but many saw it as a dangerous distraction
416
00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:32,079
from more important royal duties.
417
00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:34,519
While Henry was worrying
about the exact dimensions
418
00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,599
of the buildings here at Eton,
419
00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,159
the French territories
conquered by his father
420
00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:41,800
were slipping from his grasp.
421
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:47,360
By now the French had crowned the
Dauphin as Charles VII of France.
422
00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:51,439
He created France's first standing army,
423
00:30:51,440 --> 00:30:56,320
his soldiers equipped with
the latest artillery.
424
00:30:58,120 --> 00:31:01,560
Meanwhile Henry was caught up
with his school for the poor.
425
00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:05,879
His own parliament became exasperated.
426
00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:10,399
They said the cost of Eton was
extravagant and vexatious.
427
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,319
They wanted him to continue
hostilities, but Henry,
428
00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:17,000
driven by his own piety, sought peace.
429
00:31:19,960 --> 00:31:24,039
In 1444, in an attempt to secure a truce,
430
00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:28,359
Henry made an extraordinary
secret deal with the French.
431
00:31:28,360 --> 00:31:33,200
He agreed to marry Charles VII's
niece, Margaret of Anjou.
432
00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:38,839
And here in the college library
is a rare picture of Margaret.
433
00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:41,919
She's shown kneeling next to her husband,
434
00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:43,960
the King, in the college chapel.
435
00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:49,279
Usually when the terms of a dynastic
marriage were hammered out,
436
00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:51,439
the bride came with a handsome dowry.
437
00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,479
Not this time.
438
00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:56,999
Instead, in a startling move,
Henry promised to hand over
439
00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,079
the strategic French county of
Maine to his bride's family.
440
00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,039
This was where the first
Plantagenet king had been born.
441
00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:08,279
No Plantagenet had ever surrendered
land in France so easily -
442
00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,440
and it didn't bring peace.
443
00:32:12,040 --> 00:32:16,279
The French were rapidly
reclaiming Plantagenet territory.
444
00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:20,640
In 1448, Maine was
formally ceded to France.
445
00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:27,279
Two years later Normandy fell,
446
00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:31,439
then in 1453, the Plantagenets'
oldest and most prized.
447
00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,639
French possession was taken.
448
00:32:34,640 --> 00:32:39,399
Gascony had been in their hands
since the formation of the dynasty.
449
00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:43,240
Now it, too, was lost at
the Battle of Castillon.
450
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:49,640
All that remained under English rule
was a tiny enclave around Calais.
451
00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:56,720
In just one generation, Henry V's
spectacular legacy had vanished.
452
00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,199
The Plantagenet lands in France were lost
453
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,399
and they would never be recovered.
454
00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:07,879
But future English Kings were
slow to abandon their claim.
455
00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:13,039
It wasn't until 1800 that George
III finally acknowledged reality
456
00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:16,320
and gave up his official
title, King of France.
457
00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:21,999
For Henry VI, news of the fall
of Gascony was devastating.
458
00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,119
Within a week of the terrible defeat
459
00:33:24,120 --> 00:33:26,720
he collapsed into a catatonic stupor.
460
00:33:30,720 --> 00:33:32,799
His condition may have been inherited
461
00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:36,360
from his maternal grandfather,
King Charles VI of France.
462
00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:45,599
He wasn't even aware when his
wife gave birth to a son,
463
00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:49,400
a new Lancastrian heir to
the throne of England.
464
00:33:52,120 --> 00:33:54,679
France was lost and the King was mad.
465
00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,119
The absence of royal
leadership showed once again
466
00:33:57,120 --> 00:33:59,279
the fragility of dynastic rule,
467
00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:01,319
a system that was only as strong
468
00:34:01,320 --> 00:34:03,559
as the King or Queen who sat on the throne.
469
00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:05,919
And with Henry VI mentally ill,
470
00:34:05,920 --> 00:34:10,759
doubts about the Lancastrian regime
came back to haunt the Plantagenets.
471
00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:13,359
Waiting in the wings was
a cousin who thought
472
00:34:13,360 --> 00:34:17,800
he had a claim to the throne just as
good as Henry VI and his young son.
473
00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:23,639
Richard, Duke of York
474
00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:27,039
was a descendant of Edward III's second son
475
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:31,000
and he believed his right to the
throne was greater than Henry's.
476
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:39,359
Henry of Lancaster had taken the
throne through military might -
477
00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:42,680
now Richard of York felt
empowered to do the same.
478
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,879
He signalled his intent to take power
479
00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:50,880
by calling himself Richard Plantagenet.
480
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:55,239
He was the first to use the
Plantagenet family name
481
00:34:55,240 --> 00:34:57,800
since the foundation of the dynasty.
482
00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,959
Ludlow was one of his most
important power bases.
483
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:05,919
As Henry VI lapsed into mental illness,
484
00:35:05,920 --> 00:35:08,239
Duke Richard began to advance the claims
485
00:35:08,240 --> 00:35:10,599
of his branch of the Plantagenets.
486
00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:14,679
St Laurence's Ludlow contains
hidden evidence of his family pride
487
00:35:14,680 --> 00:35:16,920
and his dynastic ambition.
488
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,839
Richard of York's ancestors
had worshipped in the church
489
00:35:27,840 --> 00:35:29,960
in Ludlow for generations.
490
00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:40,519
These small, decorative ledges
are known as misery cords
491
00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:45,199
and they were carved onto the back
of choir stalls for weary choristers
492
00:35:45,200 --> 00:35:48,080
and clergy to lean on during long services.
493
00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:53,599
All kinds of scenes are represented.
494
00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:55,960
Here is the medieval idea of womanhood.
495
00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:01,719
A little bit further down a
countryman is warming himself
496
00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:05,280
by the fire while his winter
stocks and stores hang around him.
497
00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:11,520
And here is a wrestling match, a
popular sport in the Middle Ages.
498
00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:17,600
But some of the carvings have
a much more political edge.
499
00:36:20,760 --> 00:36:24,239
There's a white hart, emblem of Richard II,
500
00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:27,720
the king whom the Lancastrians
had deposed and killed.
501
00:36:29,240 --> 00:36:32,839
And here is a superbly carved
falcon and fetterlock,
502
00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:35,880
the personal badge of Richard Duke of York.
503
00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,919
And here is the white rose,
504
00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:43,039
the famous symbol of The House of York
505
00:36:43,040 --> 00:36:46,160
under which they fought as they
made their bid for the throne.
506
00:36:51,680 --> 00:36:57,199
In his catatonic state Henry VI was
incapable of ruling on behalf of
507
00:36:57,200 --> 00:37:02,640
the Lancastrians, but this would be
no easy takeover for the Yorkists.
508
00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,359
The King's wife Margaret
struggled ferociously
509
00:37:09,360 --> 00:37:12,519
to secure her son's right to the throne.
510
00:37:12,520 --> 00:37:17,440
Shakespeare would later call
her "the she-wolf of France".
511
00:37:18,920 --> 00:37:22,999
In their dynastic wars with France
the Plantagenets had united England
512
00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:26,040
by harnessing a growing
sense of nationhood.
513
00:37:28,480 --> 00:37:32,999
But now, as the dynasty split
into warring factions,
514
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:37,680
the country was divided by The
Houses of Lancaster and York.
515
00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:44,600
Once again the Plantagenets
dragged England into civil war.
516
00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,359
The nobility was forced to take sides.
517
00:37:49,360 --> 00:37:52,279
Many members of the leading
families were killed
518
00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:56,840
and the power struggle became ever
more bitter, bloody and vengeful.
519
00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:00,679
The war raged across England,
520
00:38:00,680 --> 00:38:03,680
no side able to gain a decisive victory.
521
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:07,639
After five years of conflict,
522
00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:10,519
the Yorkists were gaining the upper hand,
523
00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:13,680
but then they suffered
a devastating defeat.
524
00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:17,039
In 1460, Richard, Duke of York himself
525
00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:19,599
was killed in battle at Wakefield,
526
00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:22,759
his head cut off and displayed
on the walls of York,
527
00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:27,119
wearing a paper crown - the
only crown he ever wore.
528
00:38:27,120 --> 00:38:30,159
But the Yorkist torch was
taken up by his son, Edward.
529
00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:33,479
Aged just 18, tall and handsome,
530
00:38:33,480 --> 00:38:36,319
he would prove to be a formidable warrior.
531
00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:39,479
After The Battle of Wakefield
he seized control of London
532
00:38:39,480 --> 00:38:41,559
and had himself proclaimed king.
533
00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:44,799
There were now two Plantagenet
kings in England,
534
00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:47,160
but only one crown.
535
00:38:53,720 --> 00:38:57,959
The battle to determine which
Plantagenet was the rightful king
536
00:38:57,960 --> 00:39:04,000
took place here at Towton in
Yorkshire on Palm Sunday, 1461.
537
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:10,679
In the midst of a snowstorm,
almost every man of noble birth
538
00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:15,760
in England turned up with his
army, tens of thousands of men.
539
00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:23,600
This would be the bloodiest battle
ever fought on English soil.
540
00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,999
The Yorkists were drawn up
on the ridge behind me,
541
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:34,919
they were led from the front by Edward,
542
00:39:34,920 --> 00:39:38,199
an imposing sight at 6'3"
and a brave fighter.
543
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:42,959
But Henry, the Lancastrian king,
was far from the battlefield.
544
00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:47,079
Un-warlike and mentally unstable,
he had sought safety in York
545
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,079
along with his wife and son.
546
00:39:49,080 --> 00:39:52,360
It was up to his loyal
nobles to defend his cause.
547
00:39:57,720 --> 00:40:03,279
The Lancastrian king was supported
by the majority of the nobility
548
00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:06,199
and commanded the greater army.
549
00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:09,040
But Edward's men had the advantage.
550
00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:17,999
The wind was behind them
551
00:40:18,000 --> 00:40:22,120
and carried their arrows into the
midst of the Lancastrian lines.
552
00:40:27,320 --> 00:40:30,520
Lancastrian arrows, firing into the wind...
553
00:40:32,840 --> 00:40:34,720
...fell short.
554
00:40:37,160 --> 00:40:39,040
They were forced to charge.
555
00:40:47,200 --> 00:40:50,960
The Plantagenets had created
a rift through the nation...
556
00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,360
...that even tore families apart.
557
00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:06,119
"There was great killing on both
sides," wrote one contemporary,
558
00:41:06,120 --> 00:41:09,599
"and for a long time it was unclear
who would have the victory.
559
00:41:09,600 --> 00:41:14,119
"So furious was the battle and the
slaughter so great and pitiable,
560
00:41:14,120 --> 00:41:18,000
"for father did not spare
son, nor son father."
561
00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:24,560
The turning point came as dusk fell.
562
00:41:26,240 --> 00:41:31,040
Yorkist reinforcements arrived and
attacked the Lancastrian flank.
563
00:41:33,320 --> 00:41:37,080
Henry's men fell into confusion and fled.
564
00:41:39,320 --> 00:41:41,999
The Lancastrians were
pushed back by the Yorkists
565
00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:43,839
and began to fall down the hill.
566
00:41:43,840 --> 00:41:47,199
Thousands of panic-stricken men
were now seeking an escape.
567
00:41:47,200 --> 00:41:50,679
As they tumbled down the slope they
found they had to cross the river
568
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,640
that runs at the foot of the
hill through the woods.
569
00:41:55,680 --> 00:41:58,799
In the mayhem, many were
crushed or drowned,
570
00:41:58,800 --> 00:42:01,360
many more killed by their enemies.
571
00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:08,399
The dead began to pile up in the river.
572
00:42:08,400 --> 00:42:11,559
The retreating Lancastrians
were forced to clamber over
573
00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:14,680
what one chronicler called
"bridges of bodies".
574
00:42:19,560 --> 00:42:22,119
Another contemporary wrote,
575
00:42:22,120 --> 00:42:26,280
"Many a lady lost her best
beloved in that battle."
576
00:42:27,920 --> 00:42:31,960
28,000 men were reported dead.
577
00:42:34,360 --> 00:42:37,199
Even 300 years later it was noted that,
578
00:42:37,200 --> 00:42:42,280
"Farmers oft discover the
miserable remains of soldiers."
579
00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:53,600
In 1996 workmen digging foundations
came across a medieval mass grave.
580
00:42:55,600 --> 00:42:58,040
40 skeletons were identified.
581
00:43:01,080 --> 00:43:04,840
Men and boys between the ages of 15 and 50.
582
00:43:08,840 --> 00:43:11,280
The butchered victims of Towton.
583
00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,519
The evidence of these skulls
shows that these men died
584
00:43:16,520 --> 00:43:18,680
from savage blows to the head.
585
00:43:20,160 --> 00:43:22,520
Here a sweeping cut across the forehead.
586
00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:27,000
And here a crashing blow
on the side of the head.
587
00:43:29,160 --> 00:43:33,119
This one has the
characteristic square wound
588
00:43:33,120 --> 00:43:35,520
inflicted by a war hammer.
589
00:43:40,360 --> 00:43:43,719
On occasion there are cuts
on the side of the skull,
590
00:43:43,720 --> 00:43:47,720
which might suggest perhaps that
an ear was cut off as a trophy.
591
00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:51,879
The way these men were
slaughtered indicates
592
00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:54,759
the brutal vindictiveness
of The Battle of Towton.
593
00:43:54,760 --> 00:43:57,839
There was no magnanimous chivalry here.
594
00:43:57,840 --> 00:44:01,039
Many of the men fighting in
the battle were out to avenge
595
00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:04,399
their fathers or their brothers
or their sons or their friends.
596
00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,799
This was family politics
on a national scale.
597
00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:11,320
The Plantagenets had
torn the country apart.
598
00:44:15,440 --> 00:44:18,000
The Yorkists were victorious.
599
00:44:19,640 --> 00:44:23,880
Henry VI, Queen Margaret and
their son fled into exile.
600
00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,799
For the second time in less than a century
601
00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:33,040
the anointed King of
England had been usurped.
602
00:44:39,960 --> 00:44:42,920
Edward had all the qualities
to be a great king.
603
00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:49,439
He was magnanimous,
diplomatic and purposeful.
604
00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:52,320
He won the support of most of his barons.
605
00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:56,279
His accession was seen by many
606
00:44:56,280 --> 00:45:00,600
as the dawning of another golden
era for the Plantagenets.
607
00:45:03,960 --> 00:45:05,679
But Edward had a weakness -
608
00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:08,839
the perceptive French
diplomat Commines says that
609
00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:11,799
he loved his pleasure and his
ease more than any other ruler,
610
00:45:11,800 --> 00:45:15,080
for he thought about
nothing except the ladies.
611
00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:18,079
He describes Edward as young
612
00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:20,959
and more handsome than any man of his time,
613
00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:23,759
and reports that when
the King went hunting,
614
00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:27,040
he had extra tents brought
along for all his ladies.
615
00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:35,359
In 1464, while Edward was hunting
near the village of Grafton Regis,
616
00:45:35,360 --> 00:45:38,840
he met a young widow named
Elizabeth Woodville.
617
00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:46,000
Chroniclers described her as the
most beautiful woman in England.
618
00:45:47,160 --> 00:45:49,800
Edward became infatuated with her.
619
00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:56,439
According to legend, this is
where Edward and Elizabeth met.
620
00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:59,199
It's said that she resisted his advances,
621
00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:03,000
and according to some that she even
drew a dagger to protect her honour.
622
00:46:04,000 --> 00:46:07,079
The only way the young king could
have her was to marry her,
623
00:46:07,080 --> 00:46:10,320
and quickly and secretly
that's what he did.
624
00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:14,839
But Edward had broken a cardinal
rule of dynastic politics
625
00:46:14,840 --> 00:46:18,279
by marrying not for a great
dowry or political advantage,
626
00:46:18,280 --> 00:46:20,080
but moved by passion.
627
00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:27,239
Marriage was a crucial opportunity
for the great families of Europe
628
00:46:27,240 --> 00:46:30,480
to advance their political
and dynastic ambitions.
629
00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:36,319
Every Plantagenet king had gained
advantage through marriage
630
00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:41,520
to a wealthy, high-born woman
from Europe, most of them French.
631
00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:49,079
Now, for the first time
in more than 400 years,
632
00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:52,559
the King of England had
married an English woman
633
00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:55,120
from the lower ranks of the aristocracy.
634
00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:59,520
She wasn't even a supporter
of The House of York.
635
00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:05,079
Elizabeth Woodville had no great fortune -
636
00:47:05,080 --> 00:47:07,319
her father was a Lancastrian knight
637
00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:09,399
and her first husband had been killed
638
00:47:09,400 --> 00:47:11,119
fighting for The House of Lancaster.
639
00:47:11,120 --> 00:47:14,119
She brought no great political
or material advantage.
640
00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:16,399
Even more outrageously,
641
00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:19,759
the King had made the marriage
without consulting his great nobles.
642
00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:24,080
Edward's marriage was a major
political miscalculation.
643
00:47:26,560 --> 00:47:30,319
Edward didn't even tell his most
loyal supporter and friend,
644
00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:35,759
the Earl of Warwick. He was so
outraged by Edward's secret marriage
645
00:47:35,760 --> 00:47:38,399
that he deserted him, sailed for France
646
00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:41,920
and allied himself with the
exiled Henry and Margaret.
647
00:47:43,960 --> 00:47:47,399
In 1470, Margaret of Anjou
made a final bid for power
648
00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:51,759
on behalf of the Lancastrian cause,
backed by the Earl of Warwick.
649
00:47:51,760 --> 00:47:55,439
They managed to overthrow Edward
IV and send him into exile,
650
00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:57,319
but the following year he was back
651
00:47:57,320 --> 00:47:59,680
and he inflicted a crushing defeat on them.
652
00:48:02,280 --> 00:48:06,960
Henry VI's heir was cut down
as he fled from the battle.
653
00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:12,560
Shortly afterwards, the former
King himself was murdered.
654
00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:25,319
After 20 years of civil war,
655
00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:30,280
England now enjoyed a time of peace
and stability under Edward IV.
656
00:48:32,920 --> 00:48:36,439
The King presided over a flourishing court,
657
00:48:36,440 --> 00:48:38,679
described by one European visitor as,
658
00:48:38,680 --> 00:48:40,920
"The most splendid in all Christendom."
659
00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:46,679
Edward commissioned beautiful manuscripts
660
00:48:46,680 --> 00:48:48,960
from the best illuminators in Europe.
661
00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:55,599
And he oversaw the building of
a new royal banqueting hall
662
00:48:55,600 --> 00:48:58,560
here at Eltham Palace,
south-east of London.
663
00:49:06,920 --> 00:49:09,559
The hall was one of the most expensive
664
00:49:09,560 --> 00:49:11,719
building projects of the age.
665
00:49:11,720 --> 00:49:16,600
It was a statement of the scale and
grandeur of Edward's ambition.
666
00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:21,959
When the hall was complete,
Edward held court here
667
00:49:21,960 --> 00:49:25,519
with Elizabeth at his side. They
had two healthy young sons,
668
00:49:25,520 --> 00:49:28,999
and the future of the Plantagenet
dynasty seemed assured.
669
00:49:29,000 --> 00:49:31,559
But not everyone at court was happy.
670
00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:33,959
Elizabeth had ten brothers and sisters
671
00:49:33,960 --> 00:49:35,799
and they did tremendously well
672
00:49:35,800 --> 00:49:38,560
out of their beautiful sister's
new royal connections.
673
00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:42,519
The rise of these new
favourites, the Woodvilles,
674
00:49:42,520 --> 00:49:44,639
was resented by the old nobility
675
00:49:44,640 --> 00:49:48,080
and by some members of the
Plantagenet family itself.
676
00:49:52,640 --> 00:49:55,400
Richard was Edward's youngest brother.
677
00:49:56,640 --> 00:49:58,519
Although not physically strong,
678
00:49:58,520 --> 00:50:00,999
he was a successful military leader
679
00:50:01,000 --> 00:50:03,960
and he'd been Edward's
most dependable supporter.
680
00:50:05,880 --> 00:50:09,480
Now his loyalty was about to be tested.
681
00:50:13,000 --> 00:50:18,039
On 9th April, 1483,
Edward IV died suddenly.
682
00:50:18,040 --> 00:50:22,560
His 12-year-old son was
proclaimed Edward V.
683
00:50:23,840 --> 00:50:25,600
But he was too young to take power.
684
00:50:27,240 --> 00:50:31,320
Richard saw an opportunity to
win the crown for himself.
685
00:50:34,240 --> 00:50:39,199
Over the last century, two kings had
already been violently deposed.
686
00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:42,519
It's not surprising that Richard felt able
687
00:50:42,520 --> 00:50:44,680
to make a bid for the throne.
688
00:50:48,400 --> 00:50:51,199
Edward's death was followed
by a power struggle between
689
00:50:51,200 --> 00:50:54,999
his younger brother Richard and
Richard's rivals, the Woodvilles.
690
00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:57,959
Fearing that they would be
the power behind the throne,
691
00:50:57,960 --> 00:51:01,479
Richard made sure that he got custody
of the young King, Edward IV
692
00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:03,280
and his little brother.
693
00:51:09,440 --> 00:51:12,040
The two princes were placed
in the Tower of London.
694
00:51:13,920 --> 00:51:15,840
They were never seen again.
695
00:51:19,280 --> 00:51:20,919
The gossip in the courts of Europe
696
00:51:20,920 --> 00:51:24,320
concluded that Richard had them murdered.
697
00:51:25,160 --> 00:51:26,639
It's never been proved,
698
00:51:26,640 --> 00:51:30,119
but Richard wouldn't be the first
Plantagenet wicked uncle to be
699
00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:34,440
accused of killing a nephew who
stood between him and the throne.
700
00:51:37,200 --> 00:51:42,160
On 6th July, 1483, Richard was crowned.
701
00:51:45,600 --> 00:51:48,559
With a helping hand from
Shakespeare, he's been painted as
702
00:51:48,560 --> 00:51:51,399
one of the greatest villains
in English history.
703
00:51:51,400 --> 00:51:52,999
But his actions were driven
704
00:51:53,000 --> 00:51:56,399
by the same dynastic ambitions
that drove his ancestors.
705
00:51:56,400 --> 00:51:59,679
This latest usurpation,
however, would lead directly
706
00:51:59,680 --> 00:52:02,000
to the downfall of the dynasty.
707
00:52:06,400 --> 00:52:10,840
Richard's suspected murder of the
young princes caused outrage.
708
00:52:12,600 --> 00:52:16,720
The Plantagenets had often been
brutal in their pursuit of power...
709
00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:22,640
...but the killing of innocent
children was an abomination.
710
00:52:24,800 --> 00:52:29,800
Both Lancastrians and some Yorkists
now turned against Richard.
711
00:52:34,320 --> 00:52:38,279
The Lancastrians backed a man whose
claim to the Plantagenet throne
712
00:52:38,280 --> 00:52:41,560
was tenuous - Henry Tudor.
713
00:52:46,760 --> 00:52:50,319
Henry had been living in exile
and had won the support
714
00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:54,640
of the Plantagenet's perennial
enemy, the French King.
715
00:52:57,680 --> 00:53:00,799
In August 1485, he landed at Milford Haven
716
00:53:00,800 --> 00:53:03,360
with thousands of French troops.
717
00:53:05,040 --> 00:53:09,280
He marched east, gathering Welsh
and English support along the way.
718
00:53:10,560 --> 00:53:12,759
Richard rode out to meet them.
719
00:53:12,760 --> 00:53:17,200
The two armies met near the
Midlands town of Leicester.
720
00:53:18,480 --> 00:53:22,119
Richard's forces camped here,
a few miles from Bosworth.
721
00:53:22,120 --> 00:53:26,119
Tudor propagandists later reported
that on the night before the battle.
722
00:53:26,120 --> 00:53:30,039
Richard saw hideous images,
as it were, of evil spirits,
723
00:53:30,040 --> 00:53:32,999
haunting him, and they
would not let him rest -
724
00:53:33,000 --> 00:53:35,839
clearly a sign of a guilty conscience.
725
00:53:35,840 --> 00:53:39,079
But for Richard the battle
offered an opportunity
726
00:53:39,080 --> 00:53:42,320
to prove that he was God's chosen monarch.
727
00:53:44,840 --> 00:53:49,759
Richard wore the royal crown on
his battle helmet and declared,
728
00:53:49,760 --> 00:53:53,840
"This day I will die as King, or win."
729
00:53:55,400 --> 00:53:58,599
His army was far superior in numbers,
730
00:53:58,600 --> 00:54:01,520
but the loyalty of his men was in doubt.
731
00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:06,039
As the battle began, his soldiers
732
00:54:06,040 --> 00:54:08,520
seemed to be fighting half-heartedly.
733
00:54:09,520 --> 00:54:14,240
But then Richard saw an opportunity
to bring the battle to a swift end.
734
00:54:16,000 --> 00:54:20,999
Richard caught sight of Henry Tudor,
surrounded by only a small retinue,
735
00:54:21,000 --> 00:54:24,639
and he charged directly at him
with a few loyal knights.
736
00:54:24,640 --> 00:54:28,119
The chronicler John Rous says
that although Richard was small
737
00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:31,560
and physically weak, he
fought like a noble knight.
738
00:54:33,480 --> 00:54:35,799
He cut down Henry's standard-bearer
739
00:54:35,800 --> 00:54:38,639
and almost slashed his
way to Henry himself,
740
00:54:38,640 --> 00:54:41,080
but then he was betrayed.
741
00:54:42,640 --> 00:54:45,879
One of his most powerful
nobles, Lord Stanley,
742
00:54:45,880 --> 00:54:48,640
was watching the battle
unfold from a distance.
743
00:54:50,080 --> 00:54:52,959
He commanded up to 5,000 men,
744
00:54:52,960 --> 00:54:55,400
but his allegiance was in doubt.
745
00:54:56,920 --> 00:55:00,119
When he saw Richard
isolated and vulnerable,
746
00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:02,840
he threw in his lot with the Tudors.
747
00:55:07,720 --> 00:55:12,240
Stanley's troops were then unleashed
upon the Plantagenet king.
748
00:55:15,320 --> 00:55:18,319
The recent discovery of Richard III's body
749
00:55:18,320 --> 00:55:19,959
in a Leicester car park
750
00:55:19,960 --> 00:55:24,080
confirms the chronicler's
reports of what happened next.
751
00:55:27,000 --> 00:55:30,599
The King was abandoned,
but he chose not to flee.
752
00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:35,599
The last Plantagenet monarch was cut
down by a lethal blow to the head.
753
00:55:35,600 --> 00:55:38,559
Even his enemies admitted
Richard's courage.
754
00:55:38,560 --> 00:55:43,519
They describe him fighting manfully
in the thickest press of his enemies
755
00:55:43,520 --> 00:55:47,839
and describe how, "In battle and
not in flight King Richard died
756
00:55:47,840 --> 00:55:51,440
"like a noble ruler,
most bold in the field."
757
00:55:53,360 --> 00:55:55,959
The last Plantagenet King of England
758
00:55:55,960 --> 00:55:58,959
was stripped naked and slung over a horse.
759
00:55:58,960 --> 00:56:03,359
His corpse was paraded along
the road to Leicester
760
00:56:03,360 --> 00:56:05,920
for all men to wonder upon.
761
00:56:07,960 --> 00:56:12,240
He was later carelessly buried
in a hastily dug grave.
762
00:56:19,440 --> 00:56:21,919
The crown Richard wore into battle
763
00:56:21,920 --> 00:56:25,039
was discovered in the carnage at Bosworth.
764
00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:30,120
It was placed upon the head
of the new king, Henry Tudor.
765
00:56:41,160 --> 00:56:43,479
When the Plantagenets won the English crown
766
00:56:43,480 --> 00:56:44,919
three centuries earlier,
767
00:56:44,920 --> 00:56:48,080
England had been devastated
by decades of civil war.
768
00:56:54,000 --> 00:56:58,159
Now a civil war between two
branches of their own family
769
00:56:58,160 --> 00:57:00,640
had brought about their downfall.
770
00:57:03,280 --> 00:57:06,719
But the longest-ruling
dynasty in English history
771
00:57:06,720 --> 00:57:11,920
had helped transform the culture
and politics of the British Isles.
772
00:57:15,080 --> 00:57:18,199
They'd inspired and provoked the emergence
773
00:57:18,200 --> 00:57:22,560
of many of the country's
distinctive institutions and laws.
774
00:57:25,720 --> 00:57:30,360
And adopted symbols that represent
the nation to this day.
775
00:57:37,440 --> 00:57:42,919
For 331 years this single family's
ambition, cruelties and achievements
776
00:57:42,920 --> 00:57:46,079
had shaped the history of
much of Britain and France.
777
00:57:46,080 --> 00:57:49,679
Now Henry Tudor led
England into a new world.
778
00:57:49,680 --> 00:57:54,319
The Tudors sought their empire not
in France but across The Atlantic,
779
00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:55,759
and they would hunt down
780
00:57:55,760 --> 00:57:58,919
any remaining Plantagenet
claimants to the throne.
781
00:57:58,920 --> 00:58:02,560
This once mighty dynasty ended in oblivion.68464
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