Henry V’s lightning campaign across France is sputtering. His army is exhausted, starving, and dangerously restless—a powder keg waiting to blow. The French know time is on their side; all they have to do is wait. But then, in a shocking twist, Dauphin Charles strikes a fatal blow: the assassination of John of Burgundy, the one man who could match Henry move for move. Suddenly, the game changes—and the stakes skyrocket.

To hear the French perspective of John the Fearless's murder, listen back to The Enemy of My Enemy, from our last miniseries, The Glass King.  

Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites. 

Don’t miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

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A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

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Surely Henry V can’t like what he’s about to do, but he knows enough about what cruelty can deliver. It’s 1418 and his forces have been instructed to lay siege to Normandy’s glittering capital, Rouen. If he takes this city, Henry places himself in prime position to take the French crown. With this stakes this high, Rouen’s starved and desperate citizens call for help from Paris. It falls on deaf ears. 

To hear about the last time an English monarch invaded France, listen back to The Battle of Crecy in season 6. 

Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites. 

Don’t miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

– 

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a small favour to ask! We’ve put together a survey about This Is History, and it would mean a lot to us if you could fill it out. You can find it at: https://bit.ly/4oFyVRg 

In northern France, Henry V spots a glaring weakness — an undefended flank begging to be conquered. It’s the perfect chance to flip the script on history and avenge England’s humiliation in 1066, when William the Conqueror launched his invasion from Caen. Now, Henry storms that very town, rewriting the legacy of Normandy with fire and steel.

But while victory brews abroad, rebellion festers at home. The infamous Lollard heretic John Oldcastle resurfaces in Wales — defiant, dangerous, and utterly unrepentant. The crown may be winning battles, but the war for England’s soul is far from over.

To learn more about the last time a Norman took the English throne, listen back to episode 3, season 1 — Rough Crossings — where Henry II settles a civil war. And for more on the civil unrest in Paris, listen back to our miniseries, The Glass King. 

Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites. 

Don’t miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

– 

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have a small favour to ask! We’ve put together a survey about This Is History, and it would mean a lot to us if you could fill it out. You can find it at: https://bit.ly/4oFyVRg 

Fresh from his jaw-dropping triumph at Agincourt, King Henry V rides into London not just as a victor—but as a legend. The city explodes in celebration: mock castles tower over cheering crowds, wine gushes from fountains, and the streets roar with praise for England’s warrior king. But behind the spectacle, Henry is already scheming. Cold, calculating, and relentless, he wastes no time turning glory into power—securing a high-stakes alliance with Sigismund of Luxembourg. The war with France isn’t over. In fact, it’s only just begun. Henry’s next chapter will be bigger, bolder, and even more ruthless.

To learn about how France fared after Agincourt, listen back to The Enemy of My Enemy from our last miniseries, The Glass King. 

Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites. 

Don’t miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

– 

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Outnumbered. Exhausted. Unyielding.

Fresh from the brutal siege of Harfleur, King Henry V marches his exhausted, disease-ridden army across hostile French territory—toward Azincourt, and into the jaws of disaster. Outnumbered, starving, and surrounded, the English face a vast French force confident of crushing them. But Henry is no ordinary king. With icy resolve and tactical brilliance, he prepares for a showdown that will defy the odds. What follows is the legendary Battle of Agincourt: a thunderous clash of steel, mud, and willpower that rewrites the rules of medieval warfare. This is the story of one of history’s most astonishing military victories—and the king who dared to risk it all.

For more This Is History on Agincourt, listen back to The Battle of Crecy in season 6, or hear about the French experience of Agincourt in episode 4 of our miniseries, The Glass King. 

Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites. 

Don’t miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

– 

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When the newly crowned King Henry V receives a mocking gift from the French Dauphin — a box of tennis balls — he doesn’t laugh. He retaliates with cannonballs and a thunderous claim to the French throne. What begins as a petty insult escalates into a seismic clash of empires. From the opulent courts of Paris to the blood-soaked fields of Agincourt, this episode unpacks the moment England’s young king turned humiliation into history — and launched a war that would shake Europe to its core.

For more context behind this episode’s history, listen back to The Battle of Crecy in season 6, or hear about the French version of the tennis ball story in episode 3 of our miniseries, The Glass King. 

Remember, you can always delve deeper into the history behind each episode by becoming a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes — now available to watch on video — you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, chat with Dan and the team, and get exclusive access to behind the scenes extras just for favourites. 

Don’t miss out. Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

– 

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry V has finally seized the throne—but this is no coronation of peace. With chilling precision, he tightens his grip on power, silencing reformists and casting former allies into prison. His reign begins not with celebration, but with severity. Yet behind the cold walls of authority, a daring jailbreak sparks whispers of insurrection. As Christmas approaches, rebellion brews in the shadows. Will the young king’s iron rule hold—or will the ghosts of his inner circle rise to challenge him?

To delve deeper into the history behind each episode, become a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes, you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, shape the direction of the show, and watch exclusive behind the scenes videos from the team. 

Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

– 

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Sound Design and Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry of Monmouth’s impatience reaches fever pitch when he tries to snatch the crown from his father, Henry IV. It backfires royally. To teach him a lesson, the king makes Henry’s boozehound brother, Thomas, the heir apparent. 

To delve deeper into the history behind each episode, become a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes, you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, shape the direction of the show, and watch exclusive behind the scenes videos from the team. 

Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

–

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole 

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan 

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The trial of a tailor-turned-heretic tests Henry of Monmouth’s authority. Word on the street is that the heir apparent is flirting with the Lollards, who want reform of the church and state. It all comes to a head at Oxford University, where the Archbishop of Canterbury declares all out war on heresy. 

To delve deeper into the history behind each episode, become a This Is History Royal Favourite on Patreon. In addition to ad-free listening and bonus episodes, you get to chat with mediaeval buffs from around the world, shape the direction of the show, and watch exclusive behind the scenes videos from the team. 

Sign up at patreon.com/thisishistory 

–

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole 

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator: Eric Ryan 

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Henry IV is waking in the night screaming, convinced people are throwing fire at him. In truth, they’re throwing shade. Even the clergy are questioning his right to rule. And to silence the whispers, this pious king turns butcher.

This is the story of a monarch unraveling—where paranoia meets power, and faith gives way to fury. 

To delve deeper into the history behind each episode, become a This Is History Royal Favourite subscriber. You get ad free listening, bonus episodes, and access to our royal court on Patreon. There, you can meet fellow mediaeval history buffs, chat with the team, and tell us what you want to hear more of. Think of this as your virtual clubhouse. We’d love to see you there: patreon.com/thisishistory 

–

A Sony Music Entertainment production. 

Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts 

To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email [email protected] 

Learn more about your ad choices. 

Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 

Written and presented by Dan Jones. 

Producer - Alan Weedon 

Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole 

Production Manager - Jen Mistri 

Production coordinator: Eric Ryan 

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content – Chris Skinner

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices