A lack of male Tudors meant that in 1553 a woman would, for the first time, inherit the throne. Edward VI wished his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, to take the throne but instead it was his older sister, Mary. Mary was Henry VIII's oldest child had seen ...

After the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII, in 1547 his young son Edward VI comes to the throne. As a minor, Edward's reign is dominated the machinations of the key men at court, particularly his uncles (Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and Thomas...

In a departure from our usual fare, this week we take a closer look at Henry VIII and consider how it was that the promising 17 year-old who came to the throne in 1509 should turn into the tyrannical monster that died in 1547. Was his personality...

In 1509, England's most (in)famous monarch comes to the throne - Henry VIII. Henry dominates the popular imagination even to this day and his reign dramatically altered the course of English history. It all started very pleasantly, with a good-loo...

With victory in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Henry VII becomes the first of the new Tudor dynasty. Henry had a difficult time facing down numerous threats to his reign, particularly from pretenders such as Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, but...

By usurping his nephew, Edward V, in 1483 Richard III started his route to infamy and his place in English history as perhaps the most notorious and monstrous king of them all. However, to this day he has passionate supporters who claim he was a far...

The name Edward V is unfamiliar to most, but the fate of the Princes in the Tower (Edward and his brother, Richard) is one of the most famous and mysterious issues in English royal history. The 12 year-old king came to the throne in 1483 but never...

The Yorkists come to power in 1461 in the form of Edward IV. 19 years old, very tall, exceptionally attractive and a courageous soldier to boot, Edward is a very different prospect to the ailing Henry VI but his reign is not without difficulty. His...

Henry V's untimely death in 1422 leaves a baby on the throne in the form of Henry VI and marks a total reversal in English fortunes. Disasters in France at the hands of Joan of Arc are eclipsed by the Wars of the Roses, with the Yorkist forces of...

In 1413 we welcome one of England's most legendary kings to the throne, Henry V. After the trials and tribulations of his father, Henry V makes this 'kinging' business look rather easy, unifying his country before popping off to France a...

When Henry Bolingbroke deposes Richard II in 1399, he is acclaimed as the nation's saviour and the first Lancastrian king, Henry IV. However, being king proves a lot harder than becoming king, and Henry has to face numerous difficulties throughout...

After the fading glories of Edward III, England has another child king in 1377 with the accession of Richard II. Richard takes after his great-grandfather Edward II with his tendency for promoting lowly favourites and being considered of dubious...

With his father deposed in 1327 and Roger Mortimer all-powerful, things did not look too promising for the young Edward III, but this turned out to be one of the most remarkable reigns of the medieval period. Encompassing the start of the Hundred Years...

The reign of Edward I was always going to be hard to follow, but even so Edward II makes rather a meal of it. His devotion to his favourites Piers Gaveston (a foppish arrogant knight) and Hugh Despenser (a brutal baron) cause resentment and rebellion...

England enters its medieval Edwardian period in 1272 with the accession of Edward I and after two difficult reigns we have another powerful king. Edward was every bit the medieval warrior king, going on Crusade, conquering Wales and building some of...

John dies in 1216 with the country in civil war and in danger of being conquered by France. Worse still, the new king, Henry III, is only 9 years old and in his minority. Thankfully, he has a medieval hero in William Marshal to fight his battles, but...

After one of England's great heroes in the person of Richard the Lionheart, this time we cover one of its most famous villains - Bad King John. He's often reputed to be England's worst king - cowardly, incompetent and evil! - but is this...

In 1189, one of England's legendary kings takes the throne. Richard I (nicknamed the Lionheart for his courage in battle) has become an English folk hero, most famously in the story of Robin Hood, but he spent surprisingly little time in England. ...

Stephen's death in 1154 puts an end to the civil war, and with the accession of Henry II England enjoys something of a change in fortune. Henry is one of the great characters of the medieval period and the first of the Angevins (or the Plantagenet...

The death of Henry I in 1135 should have seen the accession of England's first queen, his daughter Matilda, but instead the throne is snatched by his favourite nephew Stephen. At first things go well for Stephen, but a few mistakes later and he fi...

The death of Rufus in 1100 sees the accession of a rather more sober character in his younger brother, Henry I. Although Henry's more than capable of holding his own in battle he proves the benefit of brain over brawn and rules over the Anglo-Norm...

By the Holy Face of Lucca, it's William II! Better known as William Rufus, the favourite son of William the Conqueror who inherits the English throne while his older brother, Robert, takes on the Duchy of Normandy. Thanks to the writings of...

After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror has defeated Harold II and the Saxons and the Normans are now ruling England. However, he still has to quell a persistent English Resistance featuring characters such as Edgar the Aetheling...

After 15 episodes we finally come to the most famous year in English history. Harold Godwinson has taken the throne to become Harold II, but he is facing invasion from two powerful rivals. In Normandy, Duke William is massing an invasion force to take...

After the Viking dynasty peters out, the Saxons are back on the throne when Edward the Confessor becomes king in 1042. He's something of a late starter at 38, but he is clearly a man with staying power, as Godwin and his mother Emma are set to fin...