S10 E1 | A New Hope

S10 E1 | A New Hope

From This is History: History’s Greatest Fails by Sony Music Entertainment

May 26, 2026 · 36 min · Season 10 · Episode 1

About this episode

The episode explores the birth of Henry Tudor amidst the backdrop of the plague and the political dynamics of Edward IV's reign.

A 13-year-old girl labours in a sealed chamber at Pembroke Castle as the plague circles them. Miraculously, Margaret Beaufort survives. Her son does, too. His name is Henry Tudor. This birth doesn’t register in the minds of many nobles, as they’re focused on England’s first Yorkist King, Edward IV. After his decisive victory at the Battle of Towton, his mission as king is to do what Henry VI couldn’t: rebuild a broken kingdom. He solidifies power in concert with his ally, the Earl of Warwick, who fancies himself as a kingmaker. Warwick grows rich on titles, ports, and power, until some say he rules as much as the king. They stamp out a few threats to Edward’s rule, but ultimately their mission is to stamp order over the kingdom. The best way to do that is to find England a new Queen. – As always, Dan’s royal favourites can chime in anytime on the royal court on Patreon at patreon.com/thisishistory. And don’t forget to listen to this season’s accompanying bonus episodes for this miniseries, where Dan and Producer Al discuss the Earl of Warwick’s lust for power, and why the role of matchmaker has been thrust upon him. Plus, Dan gives you a close insight into the social discord of…

People in this episode

Host: Dan

Topics covered

  • plague
  • royalty
  • power struggle
  • 15th century
  • English history
  • Yorkist King
  • social discord

Keywords

  • Margaret Beaufort
  • Henry Tudor
  • Edward IV
  • Earl of Warwick
  • Battle of Towton
  • 15th-century England
  • Paston Letters

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