Britain's Bloody Crown
Using a combination of documentary and drama, historian Dan Jones tells the story of the War of the Roses - the 30 year civil war between the House of York and House of Lancaster that saw the crown change hands seven times.
- 2016-2016
- 1 season
- Documentary, Drama
Using a combination of documentary and drama, historian Dan Jones tells the story of the War of the Roses - the 30 year civil war between the House of York and House of Lancaster that saw the crown change hands seven times.
Season 1 Episode Guide
4 Episodes 2016
Episode 1
The Mad King
45 mins
Dan Jones begins by looking at the reasons for the start of the conflict, revealing it was not caused by scheming Yorkists and belligerent Lancastrians trying to snatch the crown, but by two people fighting to preserve the rule of the ineffective King Henry VI - his smart French wife Margaret of Anjou and his powerful cousin Richard, Duke of York.
Episode 2
The Kingmaker Must Die
45 mins
The continuing story of the Wars of the Roses. Dan Jones reveals how in 1461, six years after the conflict began, Henry VI had his crown snatched away by the young Edward IV - a plot masterminded by the Earl of Warwick, a baron known as the Kingmaker. However, when the monarch and his mentor fell out, Warwick kicked Edward off the throne - and incredibly reinstated Henry VI. The presenter reveals what happened to cause the turbulence between the two men.
Episode 3
The Princes Must Die
45 mins
One of the most famous events of the Wars of the Roses was the killing of 12-year-old King Edward V and his younger brother, Richard: the so-called "Princes in the Tower."Their deaths were almost certainly orchestrated by their uncle, Richard III. What led him to descend from a military leader to a tyrant?
Episode 4
A Mother's Love
45 mins
For almost three decades, Margaret Beaufort took control of her destiny to protect herself and her son from the anarchy that consumed England. She arranged smart marriages, swapped sides, and did whatever it took to remain safe and put her son, Henry VII, on the throne.