Willy Willy Harry Stee...

The Monarchy is a hot topic. Willy Willy Harry Stee from Charlie Higson may be your royal podcast of choice, but David Mitchell wants you to buy his book, which takes the story of the English Monarchy up Elizabeth 1st.

The book is called Unruly and in this fun episode, Charlie and David compare notes.

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six.........then who? Edward Four Five...Dick The Bad, Harry's Twain.......

Yes, Charlie Higson's personal history of the Monarchy lands on Henry VII, the victor at the Battle Of Bosworth and our first Tudor King, and it turns out he was a pretty good one!

Joining Charlie is this episodes 'Proper Historian', is Nathen Amin, author of Tudor Wales, The House of Beaufort, and Henry VII and the Tudor Pretenders: Simnel, Warbeck and Warwick 

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Welcome to another Sidebar episode from Charlie Higson in his personal history of the Monarchy, Willy Willy Harry Stee.

As we wave goodbye to the Plantagenets and that pesky War Of The Roses, we welcome a new Dynasty, The Tudors.

To help understand where they came from, Charlie chats to Tracy Borman, a proper historian and author of Crown & Sceptre & The Private Lives Of The Tudors.

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six.........then who? Edward Four Five...Dick The Bad!

Yes, Charlie Higson lands on Richard III.

Was he Dick The Bad or should we celebrate him as one of the good ones?

Here to argue his case is the Chairman of the Richard the Third society, Matt Lewis.

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six.........then who? Edward Four Five....

As he wades through the Wars Of The Roses, Charlie Higson reaches a king whose reign can be measured in days, Edward V.

As one of the two Princes In The Tower along with his brother Richard Of Shrewsbury, Edward's life was short and tragic.

In a departure from the norm, instead of the usual 'proper historian', Charlie invites a fellow history fan to join him, as David Mitchell, author of the forthcoming book Unruly chats all things Edward.

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six.........then who?

King Edward IV that's who!

The tale of bloody battles continues as Edward returns for a second stab at the crown as Charlie Higson makes sense of civil wars and the struggle for ultimate power.

This episode's proper historian is James Hawes, author of The Shortest History Of England.

Plus! A special guest historian returns as Helen Castor brings us the sad postscript to the incredible Margaret Of Anjou

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six.........

What happens when a King goes wrong? The story of Henry VI and his battles with Edward IV continues as Charlie Higson tells the story of one of history's biggest power struggles. And you thought the Roy family were bad!!

Plus we hear about the formidable Margaret Of Anjou as we welcome back Helen Castor, author of She Wolves, Joan Of Arc & Blood & Roses

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six.........

The story of Henry VI is a tangled one, intertwined with Edward IV and, not something to be rushed. So over the next two episodes, Charlie Higson unpicks the story of a man who became king, then was deposed only to become king again, only to be deposed.....again!

It's a fascinating story which takes in a couple of wars, one civil and one against the French and even Joan of Arc makes an appearance.

Helping Charlie make sense of all this is the excellent Helen Castor, author of Joan Of Arc and Blood & Roses

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five....... In this episode, Charlie Higson looks at the second-most famous Henry.....Henry V.

As you'll hear, Henry was one tough bugger!

Battle Of Agincourt? Easy!

Arrow embedded in your face? 'Tis but a scratch!

His reign was short but he got things done as you'll hear along with Charlie's proper historian this week, Dr Rory Cox, all round Henry V expert and author of Origins Of The Just War.

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Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three. One Two Three Neds, Richard II, Henry's Four........ yes, welcome to the next batch of Henry's, starting with Henry IV.

Forget what Shakespeare said. In this episode, you'll hear Charlie Higson continue his voyage through history with a story of a King who lived fast and died young without really achieving much, while this episodes proper historian, Ian Mortimer, author of 'The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King', argues that Henry was actually genuinely impressive.

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