This episode explores the meteoric rise of Henry V, who transformed from the reckless young Prince Hal into one of England's most celebrated warrior kings. Upon taking the throne in 1413, Henry united a divided kingdom by pardoning old enemies, restoring justice, and honoring the memory of Richard II — actions that strengthened his legitimacy and secured the loyalty of his people.

Determined to reclaim England's claim to the French crown, Henry launched a brilliant military campaign during the Hundred Years' War, beginning with the siege of Harfleur and culminating in the legendary Battle of Agincourt in 1415. Against overwhelming odds, Henry's disciplined tactics, leadership, and the deadly longbow delivered one of the most iconic victories in medieval history. He went on to conquer Normandy and force France into the Treaty of Troyes, which made him heir to the French throne and husband to Catherine of Valois.

Yet his triumph was short-lived. Henry V died suddenly in 1422 at the age of thirty-five, leaving his infant son, Henry VI, to inherit both England and France. His legacy is that of a brilliant but brief reign — a dazzling moment of unity and conquest that would unravel in the generation to come.

This episode follows the reign of Henry IV, the first king of the House of Lancaster, whose rule was shaped by guilt, rebellion, and the fragile legitimacy of a stolen crown. After overthrowing and likely causing the death of Richard II in 1399, Henry ascended the throne as a usurper haunted by suspicion and unrest.

Almost immediately, he faced rebellion from former allies, including Henry "Hotspur" Percy, whom he defeated at the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 — a bloody confrontation that also saw his son Prince Hal prove his courage. Meanwhile, the long and bitter Welsh revolt led by Owain Glyndŵr challenged English authority for over a decade, uniting Welsh nationalism and myth.

Haunted by illness and doubt, Henry turned to religion for legitimacy, harshly suppressing heresy and the followers of John Wycliffe. His final years were marked by physical decline and fear, as his once-fiery rule dimmed beneath the weight of divine punishment and guilt.

Despite his troubled reign, Henry IV restored stability after Richard II's fall and passed a secure crown to his son, Henry V. His story is one of uneasy triumph — a man who won power through rebellion, but never found peace beneath its crown.

This episode explores the tragic reign of Richard II, the young monarch who ascended the throne in 1377 and sought to redefine kingship through art, ceremony, and divine authority. Crowned at just ten, Richard faced the Peasants' Revolt at fourteen and defused it with calm courage, but the experience hardened his belief in absolute rule.

As king, Richard valued peace, beauty, and intellect more than war, cultivating a refined court and fostering poets like Geoffrey Chaucer. Yet his favoritism and extravagance alienated the nobility. When the Lords Appellant rebelled in 1387, they executed his allies and humiliated him — an insult he would never forgive. In the 1390s, Richard retaliated brutally, imprisoning and executing opponents, and ruling with increasing tyranny.

His downfall came when he exiled his cousin Henry Bolingbroke and seized his inheritance. Bolingbroke returned with an army, overthrew Richard, and took the crown as Henry IV. Richard was imprisoned and died mysteriously in 1400, likely murdered.

Richard II's reign marked the collapse of the idea of divine, untouchable monarchy. His fall proved that even a king's power depends on the consent of his subjects, setting the stage for a century of turmoil — and the Wars of the Roses to come.