Richard Woodville was the unlikely courtier who rose from modest origins to become Earl Rivers and father of the Queen of England. In the real-life Game of Thrones that was the Wars of the Roses, Woodville climbed from being the son of a chamberlain to the husband of a wealthy duchess. Their daughter, Elizabeth Woodville, rose higher still and married King Edward IV. But swift ascents create swift enemies, and the Woodville rise ignited resentment, rumors, and political backlash. In this episode, we unravel how Richard navigated the treacherous politics of York and Lancaster, how the Woodvilles became the family everyone loved to hate, and how ambition, marriage, and timing reshaped the fate of a dynasty.

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