This is History: A Dynasty to Die For

About This is History: A Dynasty to Die For

Historian Dan Jones returns with This Is History: The Tudors. Season one gives you the extraordinary origin story of England’s most iconic royal family. This is the ultimate story of kings and queens, seduction and spectacle, where power is seized in private chambers, performed in public and, too often, lost on an executioner’s block. In just over a century, the Tudors alter the fabric of the state and Church. Theirs is the era of the Reformation, of Shakespeare, and of voyages to the New World. Their story starts on 22 August 1485. At the bloody Battle of Bosworth Field, Henry Tudor defeated King Richard III, ending more than three centuries of Plantagenet rule and claiming the English throne as Henry VII. As the embers of the Wars of the Roses finally cool, Henry VII discovers that winning a crown is far easier than keeping one. Too soon, die-hard Richardians team up with a vengeful English princess and plot to replace Henry with pretenders. One is a ten-year-old boy, another, a Flemish teenager who reinvents themselves as long-lost princes. England is once more plunged into chaos. It's a far cry from the story Henry VII hoped to tell. To dive deeper into Tudor lore, subscribe to bonus episodes on Apple podcasts or become a Royal Favourite in Dan’s royal court on patreon/thisishistory. A Sony Music Entertainment production. To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com

Publisher

Sony Music Entertainment

Category

history · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

24 Aug 2022

Latest episode

22 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

135 of 196 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   22 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   S1 E1: The Red Rose and The White

   Host Dan Jones explores Henry VII's precarious early reign, detailing his efforts to establish the Tudor dynasty amidst rebellion and propaganda.

2. 

   15 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Who’s afraid of Henry Tudor?

   Historian Dan Jones explores King Henry VII's precarious reign and the challenges he faced in securing the Tudor dynasty.

3. 

   8 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Paul Greengrass: Turning Andrew Garfield Into a Medieval Rebel

   Host Dan Jones interviews Oscar-nominated director Paul Greengrass about bringing the 1381 Peasants' Revolt to the screen and its modern-day relevance.

Inside a recent episode

S1 E1: The Red Rose and The White

Published 22 Sept 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] The subtext is loud and clear. If you like the Lancastrian kings, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI, you're gonna love lucky number seven. So that's move one. Move two is for Henry to strengthen his claim to the throne with a good marriage. There's something he's been working on for a good while, even before Bosworth. For most of his adult life, Henry has lived in exile from England, in Brittany and, for a hot minute, France. While he was overseas, he swore a holy vow to get married to a girl called Elizabeth of York. She's the eldest daughter of the late Yorkist king Edward IV, So, if and when Henry goes through with his promise to marry her , he will be able to position himself as the honorary claimant of the York side of the family tree, as well as the Lancastrian. […]

Who has been a guest on This is History: A Dynasty to Die For

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Al
• Paul Greengrass
• Amy Jeffs
• Mike Livingston
• Dan Snow

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

1,773 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

3,661 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

4

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

100

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Questions about This is History: A Dynasty to Die For