Home Podcasts The History of England: Kings, Empires, and the Birth of Britain — Fexingo History
The History of England: Kings, Empires, and the Birth of Britain — Fexingo History

The History of England: Kings, Empires, and the Birth of Britain — Fexingo History

Fexingo 136 Episodes Jul 25, 2026

From the misty shores of Celtic Britain to the twilight of the British Empire, Lucas and Luna trace the thousand-year saga of a small island that shaped the modern world. This show delves into the dynasties that fought for the crown—Normans, Plantagenets, Tudors, Stuarts, and Hanoverians—and the wars that forged a nation: the Hundred Years' War, the Wars of the Roses, the English Civil War, and the global conflicts of the 18th and 19th centuries. Explore the Magna Carta's legacy, the Glorious Revolution's constitutional shifts, and the slow unraveling of empire. From Alfred the Great's defense against Vikings to Churchill's wartime leadership, each episode unpacks the decisions and individuals that defined an era. We examine the social fabric: the Black Death's demographic devastation, the Industrial Revolution's urban transformation, and the rise of parliamentary democracy. The show also confronts Britain's imperial contradictions—the slave trade, colonial exploitation, and the complex legacy of the Raj. Why does the history of this rainy archipelago still resonate in everything from language to law? Tune in to understand how England's past became the world's inheritance.

Episodes

Simon de Montfort and the Battle of Lewes: The Birth of English Parliament
Simon de Montfort and the Battle of Lewes: The Birth of English Parliament Jul 25, 2026 7:06 In 1264, England was on the brink of civil war. King Henry III's arbitrary rule and reliance on foreign favourites had pushed a coalition of barons to the breaking point. Led by the charismatic Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, the rebels demanded accountability through a radical new document: the Provisions of Oxford. This episode traces the dramatic road to the Battle of Lewes, where de Mont
The Death of Thomas Becket: Murder in Canterbury Cathedral
The Death of Thomas Becket: Murder in Canterbury Cathedral Jul 24, 2026 7:20 In this episode of The History of England, Lucas and Luna revisit one of the most shocking moments of the Middle Ages: the assassination of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29, 1170. We pick apart the dramatic conflict between Becket and his former friend King Henry II, from Becket's rise as Chancellor to his exile in France and the tense confrontation at Northampton. We explore t
The Tomb That Wasn't: King John's Lost Grave and the Washing of the Bones
The Tomb That Wasn't: King John's Lost Grave and the Washing of the Bones Jul 24, 2026 6:31 King John of England died in 1216, but his corpse didn't stay put. His body was embalmed, then carried across a war-torn kingdom, and buried in Worcester Cathedral — or was it? In this episode of The History of England, Lucas and Luna follow the strange journey of John's remains: the open-casket funeral at Newark, the lost viscera buried at Croxton Abbey, the alleged theft of his bones during the
The First Parliament of 1295: Edward I and the Birth of Representation
The First Parliament of 1295: Edward I and the Birth of Representation Jul 23, 2026 7:40 In 1295, King Edward I of England summoned a parliament that would become a template for representative government across the Western world. Known as the Model Parliament, it included not only barons and clergy but also knights from every shire and burgesses from every borough—commoners with no hereditary title. This episode unpacks how Edward, facing war with France and rebellion in Scotland, nee
The Great Famine of 1315: When England Starved
The Great Famine of 1315: When England Starved Jul 23, 2026 5:28 In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Great Famine of 1315–1317, a catastrophic period of rain, crop failure, and mass starvation that struck northern Europe, especially England. They discuss the relentless downpours that rotted grain in the fields, the desperate measures people took—from eating horses and dogs to abandoning infants—and the long-term social and economic consequences. The con
The Angevin Empire and the Rise of Common Law under Henry II
The Angevin Empire and the Rise of Common Law under Henry II Jul 22, 2026 7:16 This episode dives deep into the legal revolution of Henry II's reign—how a restless, energetic king transformed England's patchwork of local customs into a unified common law. We explore the Assize of Clarendon (1166), which introduced trial by jury and standardized criminal procedure; the creation of the Court of Common Pleas; and the eyre system, where royal justices traveled the country bringi
Henry II's Angevin Empire: The Beginnings of English Common Law
Henry II's Angevin Empire: The Beginnings of English Common Law Jul 22, 2026 6:10 In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the reign of Henry II, the first Plantagenet king, and his creation of a vast Angevin Empire stretching from Scotland to the Pyrenees. They explore how Henry's legal reforms—the Assize of Clarendon, the introduction of the jury system, and the development of common law—transformed English governance and laid the groundwork for modern legal systems. The con
The Angevin Empire and the Rise of Common Law under Henry II
The Angevin Empire and the Rise of Common Law under Henry II Jul 21, 2026 8:07 Before the murder of Thomas Becket, Henry II was busy building an empire and a legal system. This episode explores the administrative and legal revolution that Henry II engineered: the Assize of Clarendon, the introduction of the jury system, the creation of the Court of Common Pleas, and the development of English common law. We discuss how Henry's reforms centralized royal power, the tensions th
The Treaty of Paris 1259: Henry III Concedes to Louis IX
The Treaty of Paris 1259: Henry III Concedes to Louis IX Jul 21, 2026 10:10 In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Treaty of Paris of 1259, a landmark peace agreement between King Henry III of England and King Louis IX of France. The treaty formally ended a century of conflict that began with the loss of Normandy under King John. Henry III renounced his claim to Normandy, Anjou, Maine, Poitou, and Touraine in exchange for Louis's recognition of English rule over Gasc
The Canterbury Tales: Chaucer's Pilgrims and England's First English Masterpiece
The Canterbury Tales: Chaucer's Pilgrims and England's First English Masterpiece Jul 20, 2026 5:51 In 170th episode, Lucas and Luna explore Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, the first great work of English literature written in the Middle English vernacular. They discuss how Chaucer's London upbringing, his service as a courtier and diplomat under Edward III and Richard II, and his connections to John of Gaunt shaped his writing. The episode examines the social panorama of the 24 pilgrims, f
The Anarchy: Stephen and Matilda's War for England
The Anarchy: Stephen and Matilda's War for England Jul 20, 2026 7:40 In 1135, England plunged into a bitter civil war after King Henry I died without a clear male heir. His daughter Matilda, widow of Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, and his nephew Stephen of Blois both claimed the crown. For nearly two decades, the kingdom was torn apart as barons switched sides, castles were besieged, and everyday people suffered under 'the Anarchy.' Historians debate just how anarchic
The Black Death's Fallout: How Plague Reshaped Medieval England
The Black Death's Fallout: How Plague Reshaped Medieval England Jul 19, 2026 7:44 This episode dives into the aftermath of the Black Death in England, focusing on the social and economic upheaval that followed the plague's peak in 1349. We explore how the catastrophic loss of life—perhaps half the population—led to labor shortages, wage inflation, and the collapse of the manorial system. The government's response, the Ordinance and Statute of Labourers, attempted to freeze wage

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