The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters - PREVIEW： Epochs #258 ｜ Henry VI - Part 7

00:00:00.000 Hello and welcome back to Epochs where I shall be continuing my story of the Wars of the Roses

00:00:25.740 The story of King Henry VI

00:00:29.000 The old mad King Henry VI

00:00:31.420 And the younger usurper Edward IV

00:00:34.000 And the story of the rivalry between the House of Lancaster and the House of York

00:00:38.040 If you remember last time, we left off where, if you remember last time

00:00:42.960 Warwick, the kingmaker, the king's cousin

00:00:46.020 And the king's younger brother, Clarence

00:00:48.700 Had been defeated, they'd tried to rise up against Edward

00:00:51.720 They'd successfully done it, but then let him go

00:00:54.080 then he one-eated them and reversed them and now they were on the back foot and they had to run

00:00:58.920 away to France and so they're now in France and they made common calls with their arch-arch

00:01:03.660 Lancastrian enemy who had been defeated years earlier and was in exile in France, Margaret

00:01:08.640 of Anjou, the Queen. The King himself, the old King, Henry VI, is in the Tower, the Tower of

00:01:15.480 London as a prisoner, has been for a fair few years but his wife and his son, who's now like

00:01:19.920 teenager and Edward, the Prince of Wales, they're in France and they've just been there licking

00:01:24.280 their wounds, hoping that things might change in England. Well, things have changed to the extent

00:01:29.740 that Warwick, the Kingmaker, and a whole bunch of his retainers, and of course all his money and

00:01:34.580 influence, are now just as exiled and outed and out of favour and in a spot of strife as she is.

00:01:42.660 So they're now, even though they hate each other, they've killed many, many members of each other's

00:01:47.060 family or had them killed but now they've got common cause i.e edward that both of their arch

00:01:52.780 enemy now is edward so even though they hate each other and have been trying to destroy each other

00:01:58.340 for years for a generation as i say many many members of their families have died on various

00:02:03.500 battlefields now they decide to join up together what a crazy thing that is particularly from

00:02:08.280 warwick's point of view well from both of this point of view really they decide to join up what

00:02:13.100 a weird kind of weird as far as the story so far is concerned coalition between the old

00:02:18.800 Lancastrians Margaret of Anjou and Warwick the Kingmaker the arch Yorkist the most powerful

00:02:25.260 staunchish Yorkist there is now they're going to join together the idea is hopefully bounce back

00:02:30.720 across the channel and confront Edward try and dethrone him and of course you would hope probably

00:02:36.580 get the old king Henry VI the old mad king Henry VI who's still in the tower get him back put him

00:02:43.080 back on the throne as a puppet and then you know the idea being Margaret von Joux and and Warwick

00:02:48.000 can rule together how that would have really worked surely they their relationship would

00:02:52.920 have broken down at some point who knows but well well should we see how it plays out as always I'll

00:02:57.020 be reading from Professor Sir Charles Oman and Sir Winston Churchill okay so first of all Oman

00:03:02.880 says this quote then Warwick and Margaret joined to ferment a rising in England the numerous clan

00:03:09.100 of the Neville's, that is the Montague and the Warwick families, the numerous clans of the

00:03:15.260 Neville's were prepared to follow their chief, Warwick, and the surviving Lancastrians were still

00:03:20.940 ready to risk themselves in a new plan of insurrection. In the autumn of 1470, Warwick and

00:03:27.200 Clarence landed in Devonshire and raised the standard of the imprisoned Henry VI. Their success

00:03:32.860 showed the deep roots of the Earl's popularity, Warwick's popularity, and the precarious nature

00:03:38.300 of King Edward's power. Simultaneous risings broke out all over England and Edward, betrayed by most

00:03:45.300 of his supporters, had to take ship and fly to Flanders. Okay, so let's just take stock of what

00:03:50.860 happened there. Another complete 180. The Wheel of Fortune, the Vice Institute of Fortune, flip

00:03:58.080 another 180. Warwick and Margaret Von Joux team up in France, bounce back across the channel and

00:04:04.800 And immediately win

00:04:05.740 They catch Edward off guard

00:04:07.100 Basically

00:04:07.560 They catch him off guard

00:04:08.640 He didn't expect that to happen

00:04:10.040 Or for them to move so quickly

00:04:11.600 Or for risings to happen

00:04:13.180 Particularly all over England at once

00:04:15.760 And he didn't have a big army ready

00:04:17.480 And he was just caught off guard

00:04:19.400 And now he flees

00:04:21.700 He has to flee to Flanders

00:04:23.400 The Low Countries

00:04:24.280 Modern day Belgium and Holland and things

00:04:26.620 So King Edward IV is fleeing with his tail between his legs

00:04:30.540 I mean talk about 180s

00:04:31.760 It was a 360 within a very small space of time there

00:04:35.720 Or a 720

00:04:36.760 It just keeps

00:04:37.880 Edward was on top

00:04:39.060 Then he was defeated

00:04:40.100 Then he came back

00:04:41.300 Now he's defeated again

00:04:42.200 So a real rollercoaster 0.99

00:04:44.040 Oman goes on saying

00:04:45.280 Henry VI was drawn from his dungeon

00:04:47.900 It wasn't really like a horrible squalid dungeon

00:04:50.140 It was quite opulent surroundings in the Tower of London

00:04:53.720 But anyway

00:04:54.160 Oman describes it as a metaphorical dungeon

00:04:56.460 He was drawn from his dungeon

00:04:58.000 And was for a few months again King of England

00:05:00.920 Wait what only a few months

00:05:03.000 Don't tell me there's another 180

00:05:04.480 Well okay

00:05:06.060 The next line of Omar says

00:05:07.540 But one more change of fortune was yet to come

00:05:10.500 Alright let me read to you from Sir Winston Churchill

00:05:13.260 Who talks about the same sort of a bit of history there

00:05:15.840 And see how he describes it

00:05:17.360 Because it's slightly different

00:05:18.340 He writes

00:05:19.140 He overlooked the effect

00:05:20.480 He being the Earl of Warwick

00:05:22.660 He overlooked the effect on Clarence

00:05:24.920 George Duke of Clarence

00:05:26.380 Edward's younger brother

00:05:27.580 The son of York

00:05:28.540 He overlooked the effect on Clarence

00:05:30.280 Of the new marriage he had arranged

00:05:32.380 For his daughter Anne

00:05:33.800 Do you remember the idea was that Clarence

00:05:35.960 The second in line to the throne really

00:05:37.540 Should marry Warwick's daughter Anne 1.00

00:05:39.980 The idea being that should Edward 0.96

00:05:42.340 Fail to remain alive

00:05:44.560 And Clarence become king

00:05:46.240 Their children would be

00:05:48.300 The kings and queens right

00:05:49.600 Certainly a boy son would be

00:05:52.040 The next king and that would be Warwick's

00:05:54.620 Grandson

00:05:55.720 So his family would become

00:05:57.460 The sovereigns the kings and queens of England

00:06:00.080 So that's what he wants

00:06:01.660 He married Clarence to his daughter Anne

00:06:03.920 But Churchill tells us that he overlooked the effect that had on Clarence

00:06:08.000 Churchill says

00:06:08.620 A son born of this union would have had a great hope of uniting torn, tormented England

00:06:14.240 It was reasonable to expect the birth of an heir to these prospects

00:06:18.520 But Clarence had been swayed in his desertion of his brother by thoughts of the crown

00:06:23.580 And although he was now named as the next in succession after Margaret's son

00:06:28.540 i.e. the actual the the old Lancastrian Prince of Wales and Edward that little boy that was asked

00:06:35.360 what should be done with some captives and even though he was like seven years old or nine years

00:06:39.080 old he said behead them that little boy he's now a teenager the Prince of Wales Edward destined

00:06:44.300 never to be king bit of a spoiler alert but bear that in mind it's probably helped to bear that in

00:06:48.920 mind he well you know should Margaret of Anjou and Warwick successfully go back to England and

00:06:56.540 take power again that Edward would be the next in line to the throne but after that it would be

00:07:02.440 Clarence and this had an effect on Clarence because he thought he was going to be king

00:07:06.060 now he's like third in line after the king himself his son and then and then him that's a shaky

00:07:11.260 position that's not a great position you know what happens to extra princes who are a threat

00:07:16.420 they have to find themselves dead one way or another so Clarence goes from all right everything's

00:07:21.180 going to be set up and I'm going to be king in the next few days or weeks it's going to be me

00:07:25.100 to suddenly, oh, I'm just like an extra prince, and that's very dangerous. So, okay, that had an

00:07:31.160 effect on Clarence. Yeah, you bet it did. Okay, so after he was named as next in succession after

00:07:35.620 Margaret's son, the value of his chance was no longer higher. Yeah, all his hopes just slipped

00:07:41.200 away. Edward had been staggered by his brother's conduct, you can imagine from Edward's point of

00:07:45.540 view. My own little brother, my own second brother, just utterly, utterly betrayed me, as well as

00:07:50.960 as well as Warwick himself, your cousin, your staunchest supporter of all time, but your own

00:07:55.460 brother. You would hope that your brothers would stand by you more than anyone else. No, Clarence

00:08:00.240 revealed himself to have completely stabbed him in the back. Edward was staggered by his brother's

00:08:04.020 conduct. He did not, however, allow his personal resentment to influence his action. A lady in

00:08:09.500 attendance upon the new Duchess of Clarence proved to be a discreet and accomplished emissary of the

00:08:15.240 king. She conveyed to Clarence, like a go-between, she conveyed to Clarence soon after he had fled

00:08:21.480 from England. This is in the period where they first flee over to France to make common calls

00:08:26.840 with Margaret of Anjou at that point. She conveyed to Clarence soon after he fled from England that

00:08:31.340 he had only to rejoin his brother for all to be pardoned and forgotten. You know, Edward has got

00:08:36.520 a streak of clemency in him, hasn't he? Edward offers that. He says, look, just come back to me,

00:08:41.160 come back to the fold and we'll we'll work it out we'll paper over it the new agreement between

00:08:46.520 warwick and margaret decided clarence to avail himself of this fraternal offer but not immediately

00:08:53.320 he must have been a great dissembler for warwick was no more able to forecast his actions in the

00:08:58.840 future than his brother had been in the past i.e a dissembler you know you're able to lie and deceive 0.88

00:09:05.260 and keep people guessing what your true intentions are yeah a good good actor a good liar an actor

00:09:11.760 yeah he must have been Churchill continues King Edward was by now alarmed and vigilant but he

00:09:17.280 could scarcely foresee how many of his supporters would betray him Warwick repeated the process he

00:09:22.840 had used a year before Fitzhugh his cousin started a new insurrection in Yorkshire Edward gathered

00:09:29.000 some forces and making little of the affair marched against the rebels warned by Charles of Burgundy

00:09:35.000 He even expressed his wish that Warwick would land

00:09:38.000 He seems to have been entirely confident

00:09:39.920 But never was there more a swift undeception

00:09:42.800 Warwick and Clarence landed at Dartmouth in September 1470

00:09:46.540 Kent and other southern counties rose in his behalf

00:09:49.860 Warwick's behalf

00:09:50.880 Warwick marched to London

00:09:52.340 Warwick and the Yorkies could always count on the South East and London 0.99

00:09:56.880 You know, certainly more than Lancastrians

00:09:59.360 But then when it comes down to

00:10:00.920 Would the South East and England be more pro-Warwick

00:10:04.360 or pro the king well in this instance this time Warwick okay so Warwick marched to London he

00:10:11.520 brought the miserable Henry VI from his prison in the tower placed a crown on his head paraded him

00:10:18.080 through the capital and seated him upon the throne end quote so can you imagine this just say can you

00:10:23.460 imagine this from King Henry VI's point of view he's been in prison for years defeated in prison

00:10:30.320 For years and suddenly pretty suddenly

00:10:32.360 As far as he's concerned oh you know

00:10:34.160 And suffering from all sorts of mental

00:10:36.320 Illness some quite extreme mental

00:10:38.500 Illness where he's sort of a waking

00:10:40.560 Comatose for weeks or

00:10:42.420 Months on end terribly sort of damaged

00:10:44.620 Mind it seems and he's been

00:10:46.540 In prison just for years and

00:10:48.380 Now out of nowhere

00:10:49.940 Warwick his arch enemy

00:10:52.580 Absolute arch arch enemy

00:10:54.460 Someone he would expect to 1.00

00:10:56.460 Kill him perhaps any day 0.97

00:10:58.080 One day some soldiers might just come into the Tower of London 1.00

00:11:00.780 With orders to kill him from Warwick 0.79

00:11:02.860 Warwick turns up and makes him king again 0.98

00:11:06.180 Takes him out of the Tower of London, his archenemy

00:11:08.520 He's killed loads of members of his family 0.94

00:11:10.700 Takes him out like a puppet, exactly like a little poodle 0.96

00:11:13.720 Parades him through London, as we just told there 0.99

00:11:16.000 Brings him back to the Palace of Westminster

00:11:18.680 Or wherever it was, I think it might be Westminster

00:11:20.760 And just reinstalls him as king

00:11:23.060 Don't worry about the old Edward IV, he's gone

00:11:25.140 He's not here right now, so don't worry about that

00:11:26.820 You're king again now

00:11:28.020 Here's your crown

00:11:29.220 Place the crown back on his head

00:11:31.020 Surreal, right?

00:11:32.160 Weird and surreal

00:11:32.860 Again, what a rollercoaster

00:11:34.900 From Henry VI's point of view

00:11:36.620 His life

00:11:37.100 Going from being a tiny little baby king

00:11:39.340 Remember, he was only like

00:11:40.720 Nine or ten months old or something

00:11:42.060 When his father

00:11:42.780 The great Henry V

00:11:43.940 The victor of Agincourt and Rouen

00:11:45.900 Dies

00:11:46.620 So his whole life 0.91

00:11:48.040 He's been told he's the king

00:11:49.020 From his earliest possible memories

00:11:50.600 He's been told

00:11:51.320 Well, in the beginning

00:11:52.260 When he was a child

00:11:53.080 He was told

00:11:53.460 You are the king of England and France

00:11:55.440 You're the man

00:11:56.440 You're the centre of everything

00:11:57.540 and then over most of his adult life it slowly crumbles and falls away from him all the possessions

00:12:03.580 in France one by one slowly slip from his grasp and then England falls into turmoil and slowly

00:12:11.420 even though there's some reverses and back and forth slowly one by one he keeps losing battles

00:12:15.160 and losing territory and losing favor and losing power until in the end he's defeated and taken

00:12:20.920 into captivity but then he's restored and released and then taken into captivity again and now put 0.96

00:12:26.340 Back on the throne again crazy a crazy

00:12:29.180 Thing but of course nothing is over

00:12:31.960 Edward has only run away he's not dead

00:12:34.480 So let's let Churchill continue he says

00:12:36.840 King Edward oh no we said that bit

00:12:38.620 Sorry Churchill says quote at Nottingham

00:12:40.780 Edward received alarming news the major

00:12:43.660 Part of his kingdom seemed to have turned

00:12:45.780 Against him seemed well had to an extent

00:12:48.880 Suddenly he learned that while the

00:12:51.060 Northern rebels were moving down upon

00:12:52.860 Him and cutting him from his Welsh

00:12:55.000 suckers and while Warwick was moving northward with strong forces Northumberland Warwick's 0.84

00:13:01.380 brother the Earl of Montague hitherto faithful again firmly in the Yorkist camp couldn't be more

00:13:07.260 in the Yorkist camp it always seemed completely loyal to the king that he had made his men throw

00:13:12.280 up their caps for King Henry right crazy turn of events this is the biggest 180 so far sort of a

00:13:19.920 crazy almost unbelievable 180 you imagine it from Edward's point of view how is this happening

00:13:24.480 I've won all the battles over years and years and years

00:13:27.400 I've been king here for quite a while

00:13:29.640 Everything's been in place 1.00

00:13:31.020 We've stamped out all Lancastrian descent and rebellion 1.00

00:13:34.760 Again and again and again

00:13:36.000 Everything's been quiet for quite a while

00:13:37.700 And now one of my staunchest supporters

00:13:40.000 Again, a relative, a cousin

00:13:42.020 Someone who you should be able to rely on

00:13:44.420 In the darkest, darkest of times

00:13:46.300 Has suddenly, what, become a Lancastrian?

00:13:49.580 Has suddenly, well, obviously

00:13:51.520 Lord Montague's got word from his brother

00:13:54.220 Warwick that he's made a pact with Margaret of Anjou and this is the deal now this is the story

00:14:00.100 now yeah the massive turn of events that Warwick and Margaret of Anjou put aside their vast

00:14:06.660 differences to make a pact crazy as that is unbelievable as that is where it's got to

00:14:11.940 Montague and so it's a surprise to Edward but yeah he now gets his men to throw up their caps

00:14:16.840 for King Henry Churchill goes on and says when Edward heard of Northumberland's desertion and

00:14:23.240 also of rapid movements to secure his person he deemed it his sole hope to fly beyond the seas

00:14:29.080 he had but one refuge the court of Burgundy and with a handful of followers he cast himself

00:14:34.700 upon his brother-in-law so King Edward IV usually nearly always but not always lucky in war a great

00:14:41.600 leader a great general a great a great warrior this time just finds the deck suddenly very

00:14:47.040 suddenly completely stacked against him and he can't even go through that process of raising men

00:14:52.420 Raising an army

00:14:53.780 And having a big battle somewhere

00:14:55.960 No, he's got no option but to flee

00:14:57.920 I mean, this is the biggest 180

00:14:59.700 It really is

00:15:00.740 Tushy said

00:15:01.340 Charles the Bold was also cautious

00:15:03.780 That is the Duke of Burgundy

00:15:04.900 Where Edwards fled to

00:15:06.480 Charles the Bold was also cautious

00:15:08.220 He had to consider the imminent danger

00:15:10.760 Of an attack by England and France united

00:15:13.220 Because remember, Burgundy isn't France

00:15:15.440 Like the Kingdom of France

00:15:16.600 And Burgundy, the Duchy of Burgundy

00:15:18.480 Are two different things

00:15:19.860 Completely two different political entities

00:15:22.020 until he the Duke of Burgundy Charles the Bold was sure that this was inevitable he temporized

00:15:28.060 with his royal refugee relation but when it became clear that the policy of Warwick was

00:15:33.220 undoubtedly to make war upon him in conjunction with Louis XI the King of France he defended

00:15:39.420 himself by an obvious maneuver he furnished King Edward with about 1200 trustworthy Flemish and

00:15:46.400 German soldiers and the necessary ships and money for a descent i.e go back to England and we're

00:15:52.840 told these forces were collected secretly in the island of Walshuren okay so Edward had to flee

00:15:59.140 had to fly for his life over to Burgundy Burgundy realized he's about to get invaded by England and

00:16:04.060 France if he keeps that up so the only thing he'll do because he almost certainly faced defeat

00:16:08.300 probably anyway if that happened one thing he can do to throw a spanner in that well exactly as we

00:16:13.440 said there give edward some men and money and ships a small a small number it's a small number

00:16:19.560 isn't it but do that give that to edward send him back to england that will totally whether he wins

00:16:24.960 or loses that buys the duke of burgundy a bunch of time doesn't it that totally throws a spanner

00:16:29.320 in this french english alliance against him that would they would absolutely or england would

00:16:34.880 absolutely have to turn all of its attentions away from trying to invade burgundy at that point

00:16:39.840 They will just have to deal with Edward first

00:16:41.720 So that's what he does

00:16:43.500 And this gives Edward IV

00:16:45.780 The son of York, the eldest son of York

00:16:48.460 It gives him a glimmer of hope

00:16:50.840 Because he is a great warrior

00:16:52.220 He is a great general

00:16:53.440 We know this, he's proven that

00:16:56.160 Over and over and over again

00:16:57.360 If you give him a chance, just a chance

00:17:00.240 It's usually all he needs

00:17:01.780 Although he has got very few men

00:17:03.220 We're told they're 1,200 trustworthy

00:17:06.040 Flemish and German soldiers

00:17:07.480 1,200? That's not

00:17:09.760 big even for the mid-15th century and armies were a lot smaller than they were a hundred years before

00:17:16.180 that or 200 years before that but nonetheless 1500 sorry 1200 1200 that's not very many at all

00:17:22.740 that's almost a token force you have to use it to try to raise more all right let's let Churchill

00:17:28.240 continue the story for us he says meanwhile the kingmaker ruled England I mean right there that's

00:17:33.460 important right so it's not obviously not Henry VI himself he hasn't been able to rule anything

00:17:39.000 more or less his whole life, certainly not in the last 20 odd years. You might think there'll be a

00:17:43.800 power struggle, there sort of was, but we'll get to that in a moment, a struggle between Margaret

00:17:47.280 of Anjou herself and the Earl of Warwick, the Kingmaker. But at this point, it's just Warwick.

00:17:53.620 Warwick rules England. And it seemed that he might long continue to do so. He had Henry VI,

00:17:59.300 a puppet in his hand, the unhappy man, a breathing ruin, sitting like a sack upon the throne, 0.96

00:18:05.180 With a crown on his head 0.96

00:18:06.880 And a scepter in his hand

00:18:08.340 Received the fickle caresses of fortune

00:18:11.520 With the same mild endurance

00:18:13.480 Which he had shown to her malignities

00:18:16.000 I.e. Henry VI is a bit past caring

00:18:19.160 Or perhaps even being able to understand

00:18:21.640 Oh I'm in the tower now

00:18:23.140 Oh okay fair enough

00:18:24.580 Oh I'm king again now

00:18:25.720 Oh okay fair enough 0.96

00:18:26.920 Yeah I mean he's beyond weak minded 0.91

00:18:29.760 He's beyond weak willed

00:18:31.560 He's sort of

00:18:32.780 Well Churchill describes him there as well

00:18:34.040 like a sitting like a sack upon the throne, a breathing ruin. Yeah, he's simply a pawn to be

00:18:40.460 moved around and has been for quite a few years now. So no wonder this is how he does it at this

00:18:44.960 stage. Churchill said, statutes were passed in his name, which annihilated all the disinheritances

00:18:50.860 and attainers of the Yorkist parliament. Do you remember when Edward finally got in after

00:18:55.660 Towton? Parliament passed various laws, various statutes, saying that all the Lancastrians will 0.99

00:19:00.760 be disinherited and outlawed one way or another certainly disinherited well it was part of the

00:19:06.280 deal with warwick now with margaret von ju that all that will be reversed so he does churchill

00:19:13.360 says a third of the land of england returned to its old possessors think about what an upheaval

00:19:19.040 all of this is you know all the lancastrians completely dispossessed given to yorkist supporters

00:19:23.520 and then reverse all of that oh absolute nightmare nightmare thing okay churchill said the banished

00:19:29.320 nobles or the heirs of the slain returned from poverty and exile to their ancient seats meanwhile

00:19:35.980 all preparations were made for a combined attack by England and France on Burgundy and war became

00:19:41.640 imminent but while these violent transformations were comprehensible to the actors and the drama

00:19:47.740 proceeded with apparent success the solid bulk of England on both sides were incapable of following

00:19:54.260 such two quick movements and reconciliations. Remember we're living in a world where there's

00:19:59.100 obviously no telecommunications, there's not much communication at all. So if nobles keep making

00:20:05.880 deals with each other and backstabbing each other, that won't filter down to the average person

00:20:10.040 perhaps at all, perhaps ever. But even people that are in the know might not understand or get the

00:20:17.060 news very quickly at all either. Imagine that you're sort of a minor, let's say you're a minor

00:20:22.260 Yorkist noble and you live up in Cumbria or something. You may not find out that Edward's

00:20:28.500 been imprisoned then released then then forced to flee again and now he's returned you might not

00:20:34.120 have any of that you know you certainly wouldn't wouldn't have any idea that the Earl of Warwick's

00:20:38.760 out of nowhere has made a compact with Margaret of Anjou all these things so yeah we live in a

00:20:44.300 world where news only travels as fast as a horse but even then the secret machinations of the

00:20:50.260 various people involved the most senior actors involved in all of this drama don't filter down

00:20:55.180 very far at all and certainly not quickly which just calls it can and will cause all sorts of

00:21:01.840 confusion and alarm and dismay people finding themselves on the wrong side of of history very

00:21:08.860 quickly without even realizing they were all that sort of thing okay so church says most people on

00:21:13.440 both sides were incapable of following such too quick movements and reconciliations almost the

00:21:19.400 whole population stood wherever it had stood before. Their leaders might have made new combinations

00:21:25.280 but ordinary men could not believe that the antagonism of the red and white rose was ended

00:21:32.260 at the houses of York and Lancaster. It needed but another shock to produce an entirely different

00:21:37.160 scene. It is significant that although repeatedly urged by Warwick to join him and her husband

00:21:42.620 King Henry in London and although possessed by effective forces Margaret remained in France

00:21:48.540 and kept her son with her that's sort of important so you know Warwick has successfully invaded

00:21:54.440 England forced the king to flee he's in London he's got King Henry out of the tower put him back 0.82

00:22:01.100 on the throne put a crown on his head etc etc but Margaret of Anjou herself wily wily old witch 0.56

00:22:08.260 that she is remains in France where she she calculates she'll be safest okay Churchill says

00:22:13.220 In March of 1471, Edward landed with his small expedition at Ravenspur, a port in Yorkshire, now washed away by the North Sea

00:22:22.340 But then still famous for the descent of Henry Bolingbroke in 1399

00:22:26.940 Do you remember I've covered it in epochs, if you've watched all the epochs you'll certainly know

00:22:30.260 Henry Bolingbroke, Henry IV, i.e. this old mad puppet king, Henry VI

00:22:35.260 His grandfather, you know, had been disinherited and exiled by Edward II, the son of the Black Prince, the grandson of Edward III 0.94

00:22:42.900 But he'd come back 0.99

00:22:44.140 It's a famous date

00:22:45.000 In English history

00:22:45.600 1399

00:22:46.520 When Bolingbroke

00:22:47.660 Henry IV

00:22:48.180 Landed

00:22:49.100 You know

00:22:49.540 Ultimately deposed

00:22:50.300 Richard II

00:22:50.920 Usurped him

00:22:51.860 I mean that's what

00:22:52.540 The Yorkist claim

00:22:53.220 Is based on 0.63

00:22:53.840 That usurpation

00:22:54.820 And the true

00:22:55.660 Plantagenet line

00:22:56.420 Ended

00:22:56.860 Once that

00:22:58.020 Richard II

00:22:58.620 Was killed

00:22:59.400 Executed 0.97

00:23:00.140 Murdered 0.68

00:23:00.700 Perhaps died

00:23:01.640 Of natural causes

00:23:02.240 Or I certainly didn't

00:23:03.060 Okay so now

00:23:03.940 Edward IV here

00:23:05.180 Is sort of

00:23:05.780 Recreating that

00:23:06.840 80 odd years later

00:23:08.260 70

00:23:08.880 Sorry

00:23:09.140 70 years later

00:23:10.600 Churchill says

00:23:11.220 The king

00:23:11.660 fighting for his life was as usual at his best we know don't we that's part of edward's character

00:23:17.600 that when his back is up against the wall when it's all or nothing and there's daring do and

00:23:22.480 battles to be had that's when he shines york shut its gates in his face that's the town of york

00:23:27.900 because the the town city of york is actually a lancastrian stronghold nearly always mostly

00:23:34.920 originally let's say put it that way so it shut its gates in his face but like bolingbroke he

00:23:40.480 declared he had only come to claim his private estates, not the crown itself, and bade his troops

00:23:46.140 declare themselves for King Henry VI. So he's playing some subterfuge here. Accepted and

00:23:51.560 nourished on these terms, he set forth on his march to London. Northumberland, with four times

00:23:56.880 his numbers, remember that's Warwick's brother, outnumbered him four to one, approached to intercept

00:24:01.980 him. Edward, by extraordinary marches, manoeuvred past him. All Yorkist lords and adherents in the

00:24:08.860 districts through which he passed joined his army just funny not long before when he was forced to

00:24:13.860 flee everyone was deserting him this time they're all flocking to him so it only seemed like before

00:24:19.060 everything was lost and everyone had turned against him out of the blue it only seemed

00:24:23.020 that that was the case ultimately most people as we've described were kept the same loyalties that

00:24:28.880 they always did if you were a good good loyal yorkist and suddenly because warwick's made a

00:24:34.700 deal in France with your arch enemy that doesn't actually make you a Lancastrian now does it

00:24:38.820 suddenly no well just because Warwick's done a deal I've got to change everything I think

00:24:43.220 and believe and grew up thinking and believing and fighting for no no no so that was a very weak

00:24:48.520 paper-thin veneer of of a political solution for Warwick to make common calls with Margaret of

00:24:55.260 Anjou and reinstall Henry VI on the throne most Yorkists actually are Yorkists surprise surprise

00:25:02.000 Do actually want to see Edward on the throne

00:25:05.440 Because it's in their interests

00:25:06.980 Churchill says

00:25:07.700 At Warwick, the city of Warwick

00:25:09.560 He was strong enough to proclaim himself king again

00:25:12.120 The kingmaker, the Earl of Warwick

00:25:14.040 Disconcerted by the turn of events

00:25:16.340 Another 180

00:25:17.740 Is another 180 on the cards, is it?

00:25:19.640 Looks like it

00:25:20.280 So the kingmaker, the Earl of Warwick

00:25:21.480 Disconcerted by the turn of events

00:25:23.600 Sent repeated imperative requests

00:25:26.200 To Margaret to come at once 0.69

00:25:28.220 With an army, that is, of course

00:25:29.540 Not just her

00:25:30.300 to bring an army and all her money and influence and everything and at coventry stationed himself

00:25:35.600 in king edward's path warwick did meanwhile his brother northumberland followed edward southwards

00:25:41.300 only two marches behind in this dire strait edward had a resource unsuspected by warwick by king

00:25:48.320 edward and his new army based on that based on the small number of flemish and german soldiers

00:25:53.140 he'd got from the duke of burgundy he's actually a bit surrounded well he's totally surrounded

00:25:57.040 He's got Northumberland behind him

00:25:58.740 And he's got Warwick in front of him

00:26:00.140 He's going to have to fight

00:26:01.060 But he's got one more resource

00:26:02.480 Unsuspected by Warwick

00:26:03.920 He knew Clarence was his man

00:26:05.840 George drew to Clarence

00:26:06.920 Who's supposed to be still in Warwick's camp

00:26:09.180 But actually turned against him 0.95

00:26:10.760 He's a right traitor isn't he 0.99

00:26:12.180 Right little worm this Clarence right 0.99

00:26:14.200 Completely and utterly betrays his brother

00:26:16.860 Then when he realises his plan to become king

00:26:19.640 Is not going to happen

00:26:20.380 It's not going to work

00:26:21.080 It has failed

00:26:22.240 He then completely backstabs his cousin Warwick

00:26:25.320 To go back to his brother

00:26:26.460 So he can't be trusty, can he? He's a real turncoat 0.96

00:26:29.580 A massive, massive traitor two times over 0.99

00:26:31.880 Okay, but he is now back in Edward's camp 0.77

00:26:34.920 Although he's actually physically in Warwick's camp

00:26:37.620 And Warwick doesn't know

00:26:38.800 Okay, we're told

00:26:40.080 Clarence was moving from Gloucestershire with considerable forces

00:26:43.820 Ostensibly to join Warwick

00:26:45.760 But Edward, slipping around Warwick's flank

00:26:48.960 As he had outmarched and outwitted Northumberland

00:26:51.340 Placed himself between Warwick and London

00:26:53.480 And in the exact position where Clarence could make his conjunction with him

00:26:57.600 So, again, Edward IV

00:26:59.280 Doing a good piece of generaling

00:27:01.640 Not only is he good at actually physically fighting if it comes to it

00:27:04.740 Actual swordplay on the field

00:27:06.640 But he's a good general

00:27:07.780 He's got a good eye for

00:27:09.320 He's got a good tactical eye

00:27:10.960 You know, he has got like that

00:27:12.900 The Napoleonic eye

00:27:14.140 He can read ground

00:27:15.280 He knows the value of being able to march well

00:27:19.400 March fast

00:27:20.280 How to successfully manoeuvre men and armies

00:27:23.320 To your advantage

00:27:24.940 Just basically out-generaling

00:27:26.820 Whoever is against him

00:27:27.960 Churchill writes

00:27:28.680 Both sides now concentrated all their strength

00:27:31.460 And again large armies were seen in England

00:27:33.720 Edward entered London

00:27:35.160 And was cordially received

00:27:37.240 By the bewildered citizens 0.87

00:27:38.780 Henry VI, the old mad king

00:27:41.420 Who had actually been made to ride about the streets

00:27:44.200 At the head of 600 horsemen

00:27:46.180 Was relieved from his exertions

00:27:48.480 And taken back to his prison in the Tower

00:27:50.800 Poor old Henry, eh?

00:27:52.400 I always say I feel sorry for Henry VI, really.

00:27:55.820 If he was a normal person, I wouldn't feel all that sorry for him. 0.73

00:27:59.980 But he's obviously got severe mental health problems

00:28:03.900 and hasn't even been trying to play the game

00:28:07.540 for years and years and years and years now.

00:28:10.680 I just feel sorry.

00:28:11.940 I just feel sorry for him.

00:28:13.540 He's been pushed around from pillar to post,

00:28:15.260 completely bewildered, you would have thought.

00:28:17.860 We hope you enjoyed that video.

00:28:19.320 And if you did, please head over to lotusseaters.com

00:28:22.080 for the full unabridged video.

The Podcast of the Lotus Eaters - April 12, 2026

PREVIEW： Epochs #258 ｜ Henry VI - Part 7

Episode Stats

Summary

Transcript