The Death Of Kings - Episode 3 | Plantagenets | BBC Documentary

[Music] in october $13.99 a prisoner was secretly taken from his cell in the Tower of London he was the eighth Plantagenet King to rule England Richard the second it was said that as he was taken along the Thames he was wailing and loudly lamenting that he had ever been born three months later he was found starved to death the man responsible for Richards downfall was another Plantagenet his cousin Henry of Lancaster Henry had deposed Richard and installed himself as king it was a kind of original sin from which the Plantagenet s-- would never recover the French chronicler Warren commented something acquired wickedly cannot last long the House of Plantagenet was now fatally divided along lines that would never be reconciled the usurpation and murder of an anointed king violated sacred taboos and undermined the foundations of Plantagenet power [Music] the right to rule of future Plantagenet Kings would now be in doubt and they would have to fight to keep their grip on the throne plantagenet turned against Plantagenet in the battle for the crown and they dragged England into decades of brutal civil war within less than a century for Plantagenet Kings met violent deaths at the hands of their own relatives this was the bloodiest episode in the whole history of the English monarchy and this death of Kings this royal bloodletting ended in the complete destruction of the Plantagenet dynasty [Music] in the summer of 1381 thousands of armed peasants stormed the City of London they set fire to palaces and property nobles lawyers and foreigners were hunted down and killed this became known as the peasants revolt the greatest uprising in the history of medieval England the Plantagenets were confronted by the most serious threat the lower classes had ever posed to royal power and sitting on the throne was a boy king richard ii had been crowned for years earlier at the age of ten he was forced to flee from his own subjects richard was just 14 years old he sought refuge here in the Tower of London it must have been terrifying as he looked out from the top of a turret to see his Capitol engulfed in flames and everyone looked to him to bring an end to the violence this was the first real test of his kingship a new tax had triggered the riots on the fourth day in a bid to end the riots richard rode out to negotiate with the rebels some open ground here just outside the city walls was chosen for the meeting a place called smooth field or smithfield used for tournaments fairs and festivals the king was meeting the people on their own territory this was a promising start but with the Royal forces vastly outnumbered by the rebels Richard was placing himself in a perilous position the peasants leader was called what Tyler he approached the king and repeated the demands for freedom and equality the King agreed but then a scuffle broke out tyler lashed out with his dagger and the mayor of london plunged his sword into Tyler's neck these are the gates of the Priory that stands on the edge of Smithfield just behind me was where what Tyler was stabbed and was seen to fall from his horse the rebels drew their weapons to avenge him at that moment the future of the Plantagenet dynasty hung in the balance but Richard took the initiative he spurred his horse forward into the crowd and pledged I will be your king your captain and your leader the mood changed with the added assurance of a charter granting them pardons and freedom the rebels began to disperse Richard had single-handedly turned the tide of rebellion and he'd seen for himself the impact of his royal power Richard's encounter with his subjects at Smithfield was a defining moment in the young Kings reign four years earlier at his coronation he'd been anointed with holy oil which was believed to set him apart from his subjects making him God's anointed triumph here at Smithfield confirmed Richards self belief in his god-given right to rule a conviction that dominated the rest of his reign richard sense of superiority was God's anointed ruler continued to grow he demanded to be treated with ever greater reverence and devised elaborate new court rituals to set himself above his Nobles which it was the first English King who insisted on being addressed as your highness one chronicler describes how he had a throne set up in the chamber where he sat after supper watching everyone that addressing no one whenever he looked at anybody however grand they were they had to bend the knee but the men he was abasing included some of the greatest Nobles in the land they were outraged by his arrogance like all Plantagenet kings Richard's power was dependent on the support of his Nobles he relied on them to supply him with money and troops but Richard made no effort to win their favor or respect he a lien ated them still further by surrounding himself with a clique of favorites many of low birth on whom he lavished land and titles in 1387 the established nobility as well as members of Richard's own family took up arms against him when Richard was twenty a group of his Nobles including his cousin Henry of Lancaster seized control of the government by force and executed his favorite Knights but Richard had his revenge within eleven years all his chief enemies were either killed or exiled including Henry who was banished for ten years Henry was the son of England's wealthiest and most powerful landowner the Duke of Lancaster he was Richards first cousin and they had played together as children but they grew up to be very different Henry was a great night a champion jouster and popular with the nobility [Music] he had four sons while Richard was childless seeing Henry as a threat Richard resolved to remove him Henry's 10-year banishment was a terrible punishment but he's still expected to inherit his father's lands the great Duchy of Lancaster but Richard took yet further revenge when Henry's father died the King confiscated all the lands that should have come to him with nothing left to lose Henry determined to return to England and reclaim his inheritance when Henry arrived in Yorkshire in July $13.99 barons from across the country flocked to his banner they feared that if Richard could confiscate his own cousin's lands then no one's property was safe they began to back Henry as a replacement for the King Henry's timing was perfect Richard was away in Ireland fighting to maintain English rule in his absence Henry could muster support unopposed when Richard finally got back to England he found that even his closest friends and household retainers were beginning to desert him Richard realized his support was collapsing according to The Chronicle of July cos Abbey he set off secretly in the middle of the night accompanied by only 15 companions he fled from Castle to Castle looking for refuge and support he found none [Music] eventually Richard met with Henry's envoy's who escorted him here to the great castle at Flint their ancestor Edward the first had built it during his conquest of the Welsh and now it was to be the site of a momentous meeting between the two Plantagenet cousins Henry approached the castle accompanied by a force thousands strong among them the nobles who had deserted Richard this display of military might against the anointed monarch set a dangerous precedent for future Plantagenet kings richard was here inside the king and henry entered to meet his cousin later henry supporters claimed that richard then promised to renounce the throne but given his views of kingship that's likely to be pure propaganda what is not in doubt is that Richard was now Henry's captive the king who had set himself above all others was nothing more than a powerless prisoner just six weeks later on the 30th of September $13.99 Henry's seizure of the throne was publicly confirmed at a ceremony here at Westminster Hall Parliament assembled beneath the Magnificent hammer beam ceiling that richard ii had had constructed it was announced that on the previous day richard a captive in the tower had abdicated and thirty-nine charges against him were read out then Henry stood up I Henry of Lancaster claimed this kingdom of England and the crown the assembled Lords gave their consent and led him to the throne Henry had won the crown but he would have to fight to keep it Richards miss rule had turned many against him but in an age of deeply held religious belief he was still God's anointed ruler in deposing him Henry had committed a grave sin four months later he was guilty of an even greater crime in February 1400 it was announced that the former King had died in all probability Richard had been starved to death on Henry's orders Henry had broken the sacred rules of kingship that underpinned Plantagenet power his struggle for legitimacy didn't end with Richards murder [Music] Henry had not inherited his throne but usurped it deposing and killing an anointed king to do so and so his right to his throne was questioned both at home and abroad plots uprisings and conspiracies marked his reign and although he managed to hold on to his throne he had broken a great taboo and others would find it easier to do the same henry's usurpation created a fatal schism within the Plantagenet family Henry's House of Lancaster was descended from the third son of Edward the third but another Plantagenet line descended from the second son in the future these descendants could claim a greater right to the throne than King Henry the 4th and his offspring [Music] doubt over Henry's right to rule cast a shadow over his own heir Henry the fifth when he came to the throne at the age of 26 he was already a famous warrior and a strong forceful leader he was determined to prove his right to the throne through victory in battle [Music] he decided to go to war to win a prize that had obsessed the Plantagenet for generations the Plantagenets had their origins in the French County of Anjou and as its height their empire included not only England but most of France since 1340 they'd even claim to be kings of France Henry the fifth determined to cross the channel and claim his birthright he began in Normandy laying siege to the port of our Fleur after five weeks the town was forced to surrender [Music] Henry marched at the head of his army towards Calais nearly 200 miles away by then the French had amassed a huge army and tried to prevent him crossing the river Somme Henry's forces found a place to Ford the river but their path was barred by the enemy at the village of Asian Corps what happened here at Asian core on the 25th of October 1415 has been immortalized by Shakespeare it's the most famous battle of the entire Plantagenet era and Henry the fifth displayed qualities that made him the most celebrated of all the Plantagenet warrior kings at the outset defeat looked certain the English soldiers were exhausted starving and battle weary they were also vastly outnumbered the odds were overwhelmingly against the English but Henry believed he had God on his side when one of his knights said that he wished they had a thousand more soldiers Henry replied I would not have one man more even if I could for those that I have here are God's people these humble few will conquer the pride of the French but Henry didn't rely on God alone [Music] Henry was a gifted tactician he drew his army up between two woods that stood here on the field of battle on either side at that time so the French couldn't outflank him and had to advance on a narrow front the French were forced to attack across a muddy field they're elite cavalry charged only to be cut down by the English longbowmen those who survived the arrows were caught in a quagmire between the two armies the battle turned in favor of Henry's humble few Henry's qualities as a brave soldier and a calculating general had helped the English win a great victory it became a founding symbol of the English underdog triumphing against the odds and in the medieval period it was believed that the outcome of battles was determined by God's will Henry's victory showed that he had God's favor the question mark over the Lancastrians right to rule was removed for the time being [Music] kenka was just the beginning of Henry's plan of conquest over the next five years he took France castle by castle town by town by 1420 he'd reclaimed many of the lands lost by his Plantagenet predecessor King John he now controlled more than a third of France this was a spectacular triumph against the Plantagenet age-old enemy [Music] Henry Otis success as much to French weakness as to English strength the King of France Charles the six suffered from mental illness and the country was being torn apart by Civil War all this enabled Henry to win his resounding victories and next he negotiated this extraordinary treaty with the French King signed here in the heart of champagne in the city of tois here Charles promises that after his death the crown and the kingdom of France with all its rights and appurtenances will remain with King Henry and his heirs forever and here he commands his Nobles that when he is dead they shall recognise Henry as their liege lord sovereign and true King of France Henry was now recognized as the heir to the French throne and in the meantime he would serve as regent of France French king's son the Dauphin was disinherited and on the 2nd of June 1420 the Plantagenet seizure of the French throne was secured through a magnificent diplomatic marriage Henry married the daughter of the French King Catherine of Valois at a dazzling ceremony here in tois Henry had realized the Plantagenet dream he was in effect now King of England and of France at the wedding Henry and his English followers reveled wildly according to one French chronicler It was as if at that moment he was king of the whole world [Music] eighteen months later Henry the Fitz new queen gave birth to a son the Plantagenet ambition to rule a French and English Empire had finally been achieved but Henry's joy was short-lived in the medieval period it was births and deaths in the ruling dynasties that determined the destinies of kingdoms and now the history of Western Europe was transformed suddenly by two deaths while campaigning in France Henry died of dysentery that common disease of soldiers camps and Charles of France soon followed him to the grave Henry the fifth son a baby of ten months old was now king of England and of France the English coronation of the young Plantagenet Prince another Henry took place in Westminster Abbey in November 14 29 his French coronation in not Redang in Paris came two years later Henry the six is the only monarch ever to be crowned both King of England and King of France it was a Plantagenet triumph [Music] but it wasn't to last by the time of Henry the six coronation in Paris the tide was already beginning to turn against the English the French Nobles rallied to the dispossessed dopher a unified French force was beginning to emerge and the English were overstretched only another great warrior king could save the Plantagenet Empire [Music] Henry the six was the house of Lancaster's third Plantagenet King as he grew up the shadow of his grandfather's usurpation of Richard the seconds throne seemed to have passed but Henry turned out to be no warrior nor was he a gifted leader he was a simple pious man who devoted himself to good works and charitable causes unlike his father Henry didn't lead armies in France instead he lavished time money and energy on this his personal project Eton College he laid the foundation stone himself and supervised its development down to the smallest detail Henry founded the school in 1440 to educate children selected from the lower ranks of society there were plans to build the largest Chapel in England where people would gather to pray for the soul of the king here in the College Library are the original charters for the school these documents describe everything from the services that were held in the chapel to the dimensions of the building and in this magnificent Charter we see Henry nearly beneath the royal arms and his crown presenting the college to the Virgin Mary this was clearly something very close to his heart and this page records instructions made by the King about the dimensions of the church and sometimes there are crossings out in Corrections the church was getting bigger and Henry's approval of all this is recorded by his signature at the top of the page this was a worthy project but many saw it as a dangerous distraction from more important royal duties while Henry was worrying about the exact dimensions of the buildings here at Eton the French territories conquered by his father was slipping from his grasp by this time the French had crowned the dopher as Charles the seventh of France he created France's first standing army his soldiers equipped with the latest artillery [Music] meanwhile Henry was caught up with his school for the poor his own Parliament became exasperated they said the cost of Eton was extravagant and vexatious they wanted him to continue hostilities but Henry driven by his own piety sought peace [Music] in 1444 in an attempt to secure a truce Henry made an extraordinary secret deal with the French he agreed to marry Charles the 7th niece Margaret of Anjou here in the College Library is a rare picture of Margaret she's shown kneeling next to her husband the king in the College Chapel usually when the terms of a dynastic marriage were hammered out the bride came with a handsome dowry not this time instead in a startling move Henry promised to hand over the strategic French County of Maine to his bride's family this was where the first Plantagenet King had been born no Plantagenet had ever surrendered land in France so easily and it didn't bring peace the French were rapidly reclaiming Plantagenet territory in 1448 Maine was formally ceded to France two years later Normandy fell then in 1453 the Plantagenet oldest and most prized French possession was taken Gascony had been in their hands since the formation of the dynasty now it too was lost at the Battle of Castile all that remained under English rule was a tiny end clave around Calais in just one generation Henry v spectacular legacy had vanished the Plantagenet lands in France were lost and they would never be recovered but future English kings were slow to abandon their claim it wasn't until 1800 that George the third finally acknowledged reality and gave up his official title King of France for Henry the sixth news of the fall of Gascony was devastating within a week of the terrible defeat he collapsed into a catatonic stupor his condition may have been inherited from his maternal grandfather King Charles the six of France [Music] he wasn't even aware when his wife gave birth to a son a new Lancastrian heir to the throne of England France was lost and the king was mad the absence of royal leadership showed once again the fragility of dynastic rule a system that was only as strong as the king or queen who sat on the throne and with Henry the six mentally ill doubts about the Lancastrian regime came back to haunt the Plantagenet waiting in the wings was a cousin who thought he had a claim to the throne just as good as Henry the sixth and his young son Richard Duke of York was a descendant of Edward the third second son and he believed his right to the throne was greater than Henry's Henry of Lancaster had taken the throne through military might now Richard of York felt empowered to do the same he signaled his intent to take power by calling himself Richard Plantagenet he was the first to use the Plantagenet family name since the foundation of the dynasty Ludlow was one of his most important power bases as Henry the six lapsed into mental illness Duke Richard began to advance the claims of his branch of the Plantagenet st. Lawrence's Ludlow contains hidden evidence of his family pride and his den astok ambition [Music] richard of york's ancestors had worshiped in the church in Ludlow for generations [Music] these small decorative ledges are known as misery cords and they were carved onto the back of choir stools for weary choristers and clergy to lean on during long services all kinds of scenes are represented here is the medieval ideal of womanhood a little bit further down a countryman is warming himself by the fire while his winter stalks and stores hang around him and here is a wrestling match a popular sport in the Middle Ages but some of the carvings have a much more political edge there's a white heart emblem of richard ii the king whom the Lancastrians had deposed and killed and here is a superbly carved Falken and fetterlock the personal badge of Richard Duke of York and here is the white rose the famous symbol of the House of York under which they fought as they made their bid for the throne in his catatonic state Henry the Six was incapable of ruling on behalf of the Lancastrians but this would be no easy take over for the Yorkists the King's wife Margaret struggled ferociously to secure her son's right to the throne Shakespeare would later call her the she-wolf of France in their dynastic wars with France the Plantagenet had United England by harnessing a growing sense of nationhood but now as the dynasty split into warring factions the country was divided by the houses of Lancaster and York once again the Plantagenet dragged England into civil war the nobility was forced to take sides many members of the leading families were killed and the power struggle became ever more bitter bloody and vengeful the war raged across England no side able to gain a decisive victory after five years of conflict the Yorkists were gaining the upper hand but then they suffered a devastating defeat in 1460 Richard Duke of York himself was killed in battle at Wakefield his head cut off and displayed on the walls of York wearing a paper crown the only crown he ever wore but the Yorkist torch was taken up by his son Edward he's just 18 tall and handsome he would prove to be a formidable warrior after the Battle of Wakefield he seized control of London and had himself proclaimed king there were now two Plantagenet kings in England but only one crown [Music] the battle to determine which Plantagenet was the rightful king took place here at Alton in Yorkshire on Palm Sunday 1461 in the midst of a snowstorm almost every man of noble birth in England turned up with his army tens of thousands of men this would be the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil the Yorkists were drawn up on the ridge behind me they were led from the front by Edward an imposing sight at six foot three and a brave fighter but Henry the Lancastrian King was far from the battlefield unwarlike a mentally unstable he had sought safety in York along with his wife and son it was up to his loyal Nobles to defend his cause the Lancastrian King was supported by the majority of the nobility and commanded the greater army but Edward's men had the advantage [Music] the wind was behind them and carried their arrows into the midst of the Lancastrian lines [Music] Lancastrian arrows firing into the wind fell short [Music] they were forced to charge [Music] the Plantagenet had created a rift through the nation that even tore families apart [Music] there was great killing on both sides throughout one contemporary and for a long time it was unclear who would have the victory so furious was the battle and the slaughter so great and pitiable the father did not spare son nor son father [Music] the turning point came as dusk fell your kiss reinforcements arrived and attacked the Lancastrian flank Henry's men fell into confusion and fled while Lancastrians were pushed back by the Yorkists and began to fall down the hill thousands of panic-stricken men were now seeking an escape as they tumbled down the slope they found they had to cross the river that runs at the foot of the hill through the woods in the mayhem many were crushed or drowned many more killed by their enemies the dead began to pile up in the river the retreating Lancastrians were forced to clamber over what one chronicler called bridges of bodies [Music] the Yorkists were victorious Henry the sixth scream Margaret and their son fled into exile for the second time in less than a century the anointed king of England had been usurped Edward had all the qualities to be a great king he was magnanimous diplomatic and purposeful he won the support of most of his barons his accession was seen by many as the dawning of another golden era for the Plantagenet but Edward had a weakness the perceptive French diplomat Komine says that he loved his pleasure and disease more than any other ruler for he thought about nothing except the ladies he describes Edward as young and more handsome than any man of his time and reports that when the king went hunting he had extra tents brought along for all his ladies in 1464 while edward was hunting near the village of Grafton Regis he met a young widow named Elizabeth Woodville chroniclers described her as the most beautiful woman in England Edward became infatuated with her according to legend this is where Edward and Elizabeth met it said that she resisted his advances and according to some that she even drew a dagger to protect her honor the only way the young King could have her was to marry her and quickly and secretly that's what he did but Edward had broken a cardinal rule of dynastic politics by marrying not for a great dowry or political advantage but moved by passion marriage was a crucial opportunity for the great families of Europe to advance their political and dynastic ambitions [Music] every Plantagenet King had gained advantage through marriage to a wealthy highborn woman from Europe most of them French now for the first time in more than 400 years the King of England had married an English woman from the lower ranks of the aristocracy she wasn't even a supporter of the House of York Elizabeth Woodville had no great fortune her father was a Lancastrian Knight and her first husband had been killed fighting for the House of Lancaster she brought no great political or material advantage even more outrageously the King had made the marriage without consulting his great nobles Edwards marriage was a major political miscalculation Edward didn't even tell his most loyal supporter and friend the Earl of Warwick he was so outraged by Edwards secret marriage that he deserted him sailed for France and allied himself with the exiled Henry and Margaret 1470 Margaret of Anjou made a final bid for power on behalf of the Lancastrian cause backed by the Earl of Warwick they managed to overthrow Edward the fourth and send him into exile but the following year he was back and he inflicted a crushing defeat on them Henry the sixth heir was cut down as he fled from the battle shortly afterwards the former king himself was murdered [Music] after 20 years of civil war England now enjoyed a time of peace and stability under Edward 2/4 a king presided over a flourishing Court described by one European visitor as the most splendid in all Christendom Edward commissioned beautiful manuscripts from the best illuminators in Europe and he oversaw the building of a new royal banqueting-hall here at Eltham Palace southeast of London [Music] the hall was one of the most expensive building projects of the age it was a statement of the scale and grandeur of Edwards ambition and the hall was complete Edward held court here with Elizabeth at his side they had two healthy young sons and the future of the Plantagenet dynasty seemed assured but not everyone at court was happy Elizabeth had ten brothers and sisters and they did tremendously well out of their beautiful sister's new royal connections the rise of these new favorites the Woodville's was resented by the old nobility and by some members of the Plantagenet family itself [Music] Richard was Edward's youngest brother although not physically strong he was a successful military leader and he'd been Edwards most dependable supporter now his loyalty was about to be tested on the 9th of April 1483 Edward the fourth died suddenly his 12 year-old son was proclaimed Edward the fifth but he was too young to take power Richard saw an opportunity to win the crown for himself over the last century two kings had already been violently deposed it's not surprising that Richard felt able to make a bid for the throne Edwards death was followed by a power struggle between his younger brother Richard and Richard's rivals the Woodville's fearing that they would be the power behind the throne Richard made sure that he got custody of the young King Edward v and his little brother the two princes were placed in the Tower of London they were never seen again the gossip in the courts of Europe concluded that Richard had them murdered it's never been proved but Richard wouldn't be the first Plantagenet wicked uncle to be accused of killing a nephew who stood between him and the throne on the six of July 1483 Richard was crowned with a helping hand from Shakespeare he's been painted as one of the greatest villains in English history but his actions were driven by the same dynastic ambitions that drove his ancestors this latest usurpation however would lead directly to the downfall of the dynasty Richard suspected murder of the young prince's caused outrage the Plantagenet had often been brutal in their pursuit of power but the killing of innocent children was an abomination both Lancastrians and some Yorkists now turned against Richard the Lancastrians back to man whose claim to the Plantagenet throne was tenuous Henry Tudor Henry had been living in exile and had won the support of the Plantagenet spur any 'el enemy the French King in August 1485 he landed at Milford Haven with thousands of French troops he marched east gathering Welsh and English support along the way Richard rode out to meet them the two armies met in the Midlands town of Leicester Richard's forces camped here a few miles from Bosworth Shooter propagandists later reported that on the night before the battle Richard saw hideous images as it were of evil spirits haunting him and they would not let him rest clearly a sign of a guilty conscience but for Richard the battle offered an opportunity to prove that he was God's chosen monarch Richard wore the royal crown on his battle helmet and declared this day I will die as king or win his army was far superior in numbers but the loyalty of his men was in doubt as the battle began his soldiers seemed to be fighting half-heartedly but then Richard saw an opportunity to bring the battle to a swift end Richard caught sight of Henry Tudor surrounded by only a small retinue and he charged directly at him with a few loyal Knights the chronicler John rouse says that although Richard was small and physically weak he fought like a noble knight he cut down Henry's standard-bearer and almost slashed his way to Henry himself but then he was betrayed one of his most powerful Nobles Lord Stanley was watching the battle unfold from a distance he commanded up to five thousand men but his allegiance was in doubt when he saw Richard isolated and vulnerable he threw in his lot with the Tudors [Music] Stanley's troops were then unleashed upon the Plantagenet King the recent discovery of Richard the Third's body in a Leicester car park confirms the chroniclers reports of what happened next the King was abandoned but he chose not to flee the last Plantagenet monarch was cut down by a lethal blow to the head even his enemies admitted Richards courage they described him fighting manfully in the thickest press of his enemies and described health in battle and not in flight King Richard died like a noble ruler most bold in the field the last Plantagenet King of England was stripped naked and slung over a horse his corpse was paraded along the road to Leicester for all men to wonder upon he was later carelessly buried in a hastily dug grave crown Richard war into battle was discovered in the carnage at Bosworth it was placed upon the head of the new King Henry Tudor [Music] when the Plantagenets won the English crown three centuries earlier England had been devastated by decades of civil war now a civil war between two branches of their own family had brought about their downfall but the longest ruling dynasty in English history had helped transform the culture and politics of the British Isles they'd inspired and provoked the emergence of many of the country's distinctive institutions and laws and adopted symbols that represent the nation to this day for 331 years this single families ambitions cruelties and achievements had shaped the history of much of Britain and France now Henry Tudor led England into a new world the Tudors sought their empire not in France but across the Atlantic and they would hunt down any remaining Plantagenet claimants to the throne this once mighty dynasty ended in Oblivion you you

Channel: BBC Documentary

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Length: 61min 10sec (3670 seconds)

Published: Sun Dec 09 2018