Episode 3 – Henry the Navigator

About this episode

This episode explores the life and impact of Prince Henry the Navigator on the Age of Discovery and Portugal's empire.

The story of the Age of Discovery traditionally begins in 1415, when the Portuguese captured the Moroccan city of Ceuta in a stunning lightning assault. Among those who made their names that day was Prince Henry of Portugal, a young, brash, and zealous prince. Over the next 45 years his restless nature would place him at the vanguard of both glory and catastrophe. When all is said and done, however, it was Prince Henry, known to posterity as Prince Henry 'the Navigator', who laid the foundation for Portugal's 500-year-long empire and more importantly, pushed Western Europe into a new era.

Topics covered

• Age of Discovery
• Prince Henry
• Portuguese Empire

Keywords

• history
• exploration
• empire

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Ceuta, Portugal, Western Europe

More episodes of From Settlement to Superpower

• Episode 7 – Conquest of Paradise · February 17, 2026
• Episode 6 – A New World · March 27, 2024
• Episode 5 – The Enterprise of the Indies · March 5, 2024
• Episode 4 – Iberian Union · February 25, 2024
• Episode 2 – Isles of Fortune · December 25, 2023
• Episode 1 – Rivers of Gold · September 13, 2023