Castles, Kings and Courtly Life

In July 1410, the formidable Teutonic Knights, rapacious crusaders clad in heavy plate armour, faced a massive Polish-Lithuanian alliance. After an insulting taunt involving two unsheathed swords, the Battle of Grunwald erupted into a bloody, day-long melee. Matt Lewis and Dr. Al ...  Show more

In 12th-century Bohemia, every royal funeral sparked a civil war. Dr. Eleanor Janega discovers how Přemysl Otakar I survived backstabbing brothers, imperial betrayals, and a dodgy divorce to seize power. Find out how this 'spare' prince outmanoeuvred the Emperor to forge a powerf ...  Show more

What makes a man a King? Aside from genetic luck and a glittering crown, it’s a castle. In this three part series, we’ll explore 15 of the most historically important Royal Castles & Palaces of England. In the last episode we explored the medieval castles built by William the Con ...  Show more

What makes a man a King? Aside from genetic luck and a glittering crown, it’s a castle. From the defensive towers erected by William I to secure his conquest of England, to the grand banqueting halls of the Tudors; the luxurious state rooms of the Stuarts and Georgians to the lov ...  Show more

What was the interior design like in medieval castles? Why were so many of these fortresses built in Wales? And what was it like to live in one? In our latest ‘Everything you wanted to know’ episode, Marc Morris answers listener questions on the history of British castles. Speaki ...  Show more

For over 600 years, castles played a leading role in the story of Britain. From the Norman Conquest to the English Civil War, they are woven into the tapestry of British history. But when did they start to be built, and why? How did their architecture evolve? And why did they fal ...  Show more