England's Version of Dance of the Dragon
About this episode
Historian Matt Lewis joins Rebecca Larson to explore the real history behind the fictional politics of Westeros, focusing on medieval succession struggles and their implications.
What does House of the Dragon have in common with some of the bloodiest succession struggles in medieval history? Historian Matt Lewis joins Rebecca Larson to explore the real history woven into the world of Westeros—from Empress Matilda’s battle for the English throne during the Anarchy to the rivalries and shifting loyalties of the Wars of the Roses. They discuss female succession, disputed heirs, illegitimacy, sibling rivalry, propaganda, and the importance of controlling the capital. They also examine dragons as symbols of royal authority, the uneasy relationship between church and state, and the devastating human cost when the quarrels of powerful families spill into the streets. Westeros may be fictional, but its politics are unmistakably medieval. -- Join our group of history lovers over on Patreon! Over there you will also receive COMMERCIAL-FREE episodes, EARLY ACCESS, and EXCLUSIVE CONTENT: https://patreon.com/tudorsdynasty -- Host: Rebecca Larson Guest: Matthew Lewis
People in this episode
Host: Rebecca Larson
Guest: Matt Lewis
Topics covered
- medieval history
- succession struggles
- female succession
- disputed heirs
- royal authority
- politics
- Westeros
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: House of the Dragon
More episodes of Tudors Dynasty & Beyond
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- Would You Rather? Medieval & Tudor History Edition
- Medieval Kings: The Questions We Never Asked
- Searching for Anne Boleyn: Facial Recognition, Secret Codes, and the Tower Letter
- The Yorkist Who (Almost) Survived the Tudors: Arthur Plantagenet
- The Final Year and Fall of Richard III
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