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Out of the chaos, darkness and violence
of the Middle Ages...
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...one family rose to
seize control of England.
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(Yells)
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00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:24,757
Generation after generation, they ruled
the country for more than 300 years...
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...ruthlessly crushing all competition...
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...to become the greatest
English dynasty of all time...
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...the Plantagenets.
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(All cry out)
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What I love about the Plantagenets' story
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is that it's more shocking, more brutal,
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and more astonishing
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than anything you'll find in fiction.
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I want to show you the Plantagenets
as I see them -
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real, living, breathing people,
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driven by ambition, jealousy,
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hatred and revenge.
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These kings murdered, betrayed and
tyrannised their way to spectacular success.
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For better and for worse, the
Plantagenets forged England as a nation.
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This time...
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...a friendship that turns to hatred...
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...plunging England into civil war...
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...and changing the monarchy for ever.
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(Bird cawing)
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Ripped By mstoll
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(Man speaks Latin)
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Henry III is the fourth Plantagenet king.
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His grandfather Henry II ruled over
more of France than the French king.
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But thanks to the incompetence
of Henry III's dad, King John,
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most of those lands are gone.
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Henry dreams of getting them back.
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He's going to be a great Plantagenet king.
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To be a king in the Middle Ages, you've
got to be tough and politically savvy.
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You need to fight wars and win -
and the winning part's important.
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You need to dispense
justice fairly and evenly,
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and above everything else,
you need a boundless energy,
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the appetite to get up
in the morning and rule.
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Unfortunately, for England, Henry III lacks
pretty much every one of those qualities.
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Henry's already had two goes
at retaking his lost French lands.
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But Henry messed it up big-time.
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Both times it ended in expensive defeat.
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The barons lost all confidence in the King.
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Now they've turned off the money supply.
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Which, of course, they can.
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Henry's completely
hamstrung by Magna Carta.
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Today we think of it as a charter of human
rights and the foundation of liberty.
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But to Henry it's just a
list of things he can't do.
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And top of that list is that he can't raise
any new taxes without the barons' say-so.
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Winning back his Plantagenet empire
is going to cost Henry a bomb.
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But Magna Carta means the barons
don't have to cough up.
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They think Henry can talk the talk
but he can't walk the walk.
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And that's the truth about Henry.
He's a total dreamer.
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But give him his due.
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He dreams big.
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This is Westminster Abbey.
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Henry builds it
to restore some lost Plantagenet pride.
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You can imagine Henry wandering through
this incredible building thinking,
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"Sends off all the right
signals for a great king."
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But as far as the barons are concerned,
that's exactly what he's not.
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And Henry just isn't strong enough
to take them on alone.
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But in autumn 1230,
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a man turns up at court
who changes the course of Henry's reign.
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A minor French knight with big ambitions -
Simon de Montfort.
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De Montfort doesn't do anything by halves.
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He wears a hair shirt
under his clothes 24/7.
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It rakes his skin, a perpetual
reminder to stay focused on God.
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00:05:40,280 --> 00:05:44,114
- (Speaks French)
- Simon de Montfort.
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Basically, he's a fanatic.
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And he backs his belief with action.
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He's spent his youth chasing heretics
around the south of France with a sword.
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Henry sees a man with a muscular,
no-nonsense, single-mindedness
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that he needs to achieve his big dreams.
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Henry was so young
when he came to the throne
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that he's grown up with other people
making all the important decisions for him.
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So when he meets Simon -
charismatic, decisive -
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he's looking at him and thinking,
"I could use a man like that."
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(Speaks French)
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Henry's drawn to de Montfort
like a moth to a flame.
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But it's not just one-sided.
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Because Simon may be pious
but he's also very ambitious.
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And he's come to England looking for the
lucrative title of Earl of Leicester,
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which he thinks belongs to his family.
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So he's looking at Henry
and thinking exactly the same thing.
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"I could use a man like that."
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Unsurprisingly, Henry and Simon
quickly become best mates.
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Simon's soon on the King's council,
basically his right-hand man.
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He's even steward at the King's wedding.
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00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:09,634
Simon de Montfort is on the way up.
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Stored at the National Archives
is an amazing document
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that has survived for eight centuries.
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It reveals just how ambitious Simon is.
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This is the King's official copy of a
charter made by Simon de Montfort in 1236.
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The contents aren't really that important.
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What is important
is the way Simon's referred to himself.
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It says here...
"Simon de Montfort, Comes - that's Earl -
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Earl of Leicester."
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And that's interesting because Simon had lots
of the lands that went with the title of Earl,
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but he didn't have the title itself.
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And that tells us quite a lot about Simon.
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Firstly, it tells us he's ambitious.
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Secondly, it tells us he rates his
relationship with the King high enough
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to go about using a title
he doesn't really have the right to.
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But, thirdly, he tells us he's right.
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Because this is the King's official copy.
Henry's given it his sign-off.
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So Simon might be cocky,
but it's with very good reason.
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Henry can't get enough of Simon.
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He propels his new best friend
into the medieval stratosphere.
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Simon marries Henry's sister Eleanor,
the greatest catch in the kingdom.
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Henry should have married her off
to one of the great European rulers
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to secure a political alliance.
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But he's convinced Simon can help him
become the great king of his dreams.
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So he gives Eleanor to
his best mate instead.
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You can imagine Simon's feeling
pretty pleased with himself.
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He's married to the King's sister.
He's an insider at court.
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He's the King's favourite.
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Considering where he came from,
he hasn't done too badly.
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But Simon's deal is not all it seems.
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Eleanor should have come with
a massive dowry.
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Instead of giving it to his friend,
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Henry hangs on to the money
and land for himself.
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This decision sows the
seeds of catastrophe.
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(Applause)
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In 1239, Henry makes de Montfort
Earl of Leicester.
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Simon's now the King's brother-in-law,
his chief advisor,
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and an English baron.
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But at precisely this moment of triumph,
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Simon goes too far.
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He takes out a big fat loan,
using Henry as guarantor.
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As far as he's concerned,
Henry owes him for his wife's dowry.
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So he doesn't ask Henry first.
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Big mistake.
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(They speak French)
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When Simon tries to play it down...
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(Speaks French)
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...Henry threatens to throw Simon and his
own sister into the Tower of London.
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And he's not kidding.
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For Henry, this is an outrageous liberty.
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Giving things to Simon, that's one thing.
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But he can't just stand around
while Simon takes what he wants.
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Henry doesn't like it but Simon has to go.
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Simon and Eleanor are
forced to flee to France.
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It seems like the end of
a beautiful friendship.
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But Henry's going to need Simon again
sooner than he thinks.
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Just three years later,
the King gets himself into big trouble.
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Henry's launched an attack
here at Poitou in Western France.
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It was once his ancestors' territory.
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Henry thought he could take it back.
But he couldn't.
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Just like last time, the barons used Magna
Carta to deny him the taxes he needed.
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But, just like last time,
Henry went ahead anyway.
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Attacking Poitou was
spectacularly stupid...
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...because the Count of Poitou's brother
is the French king.
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Henry's forces quickly find themselves
chased down by the whole French army.
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In desperation, Henry has called on
the one man he believes can help him -
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his estranged and banished best friend,
Simon de Montfort.
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Simon was just back from a year on crusade
in the Holy Land,
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so his military expertise
was greater than ever.
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And Henry had eaten humble pie
to get him back.
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Now this is quite a climb-down.
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Henry was the one who banished Simon
in the first place
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and now he's stuffed without him.
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But even Simon can't salvage this disaster.
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Henry flees the field.
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He leaves Simon fighting a desperate
rear-guard action with the King's men.
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They retreat towards the town of Saintes.
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Henry is cowering inside the town,
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and it's not just the French army
that comes storming after him.
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(Speaks French)
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Simon is not used to losing.
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Now it's his turn to explode at the King.
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(Speaks French)
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The King himself reported what Simon says.
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Charles the Simple
was a notoriously useless French king,
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whose subjects put him in jail
because he was such a bad general.
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Thinking about locking up
your king is one thing,
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but actually saying it to his face
is flirting with treason.
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But Henry can't call Simon on it.
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This is the King's third failure in France.
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There's now zero chance the English
barons will support his ambitions.
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He desperately needs an
ally in the aristocracy.
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And Simon is still the Earl of Leicester.
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So when they return to England,
Henry eats more humble pie.
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He gives Simon
this whacking great castle at Kenilworth.
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For five years, their friendship holds up.
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So when a foreign crisis pops up in 1247,
the King turns to his best friend again.
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All Henry has left of the Plantagenet
empire in France is Gascony.
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But it's in chaos, with feuding nobles,
a French king itching to invade,
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and its southern borders under attack.
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As ever, the barons won't let Henry
raise taxes to sort it out.
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They think he'll just cock it up again.
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So Henry asks Simon to fix it for him.
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And he'll pay him later.
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Henry admires the fact that Simon
will take the tough decisions he can't.
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That's why he sends him.
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Simon's a zero-tolerance sort of guy.
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And, true to form, he launches
a vicious crackdown on the Gascon rebels,
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even cutting their vines, which in
wine country is a terrible punishment.
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But while Simon's in Gascony,
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Henry finds himself drawn in
by another powerful figure.
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00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:08,113
William de Valence, the
King's half-brother,
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00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,277
leader of a French family,
called the Lusignans.
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Henry starts giving them land and titles.
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00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,193
In exchange, they supplant
the English lords
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and begin to take control
of the government for him.
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00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:25,720
Finally, the King has some allies at home.
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00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:28,638
Seems great, doesn't it? But it's not.
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The Lusignans were actually
booted out of France
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because they're dangerous,
ruthless and pretty nasty.
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00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:41,636
Henry's decision to give them so much power
will tear the country apart.
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00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:48,394
But right now all he can see is that
they make him feel like a powerful king.
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00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:55,437
Now he doesn't need Simon de Montfort
like he used to.
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00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,071
When the Gascons complain
about Simon's brutality...
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00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,158
...Henry hangs his old mate out to dry.
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00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:15,830
Even though de Montfort has run up huge
debts doing the King's dirty work...
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00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,275
...Henry puts him on trial
for his treatment of the Gascons.
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00:17:24,680 --> 00:17:26,159
The trial takes place here,
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00:17:26,200 --> 00:17:30,398
right in the shadow of Henry's greatest
building project, Westminster Abbey.
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00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,398
And it's held in what used to be
the monks' dining room.
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You can still see part
of the original wall.
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If you'd been sitting on
the other side of that in 1252,
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you'd have witnessed the end of the friendship
of Simon de Montfort and Henry III.
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The case is held before the King
and Simon's fellow barons.
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Simon is reeling that his friend
has put him on trial.
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00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,239
An all-out row kicks off between them.
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Sounds like Simon's having a dig
at Henry's piety,
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but I think there's more to it than that.
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He's certainly picked an analogy
designed to hurt the King's feelings.
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But what he's really saying is,
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00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,551
"What's the point in confessing,
admitting your mistakes,
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if you're gonna do the same stupid things
again afterwards?"
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00:18:35,480 --> 00:18:38,631
It's like, "You're useless.
You know you're useless.
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00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,069
But you don't want to
do anything about it."
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00:18:41,120 --> 00:18:45,033
And that sounds like Simon's
really over-stepping the mark again.
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00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,550
But he's about to give Henry
a brutal lesson in kingship.
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00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:51,591
(Speaks French)
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00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:59,397
Simon has taken the political temperature
in the room.
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00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:01,992
The King hasn't.
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00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:10,958
(Speaks French)
237
00:19:11,000 --> 00:19:13,514
When Henry puts the charges to a vote...
238
00:19:16,120 --> 00:19:17,872
...Simon walks.
239
00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,513
The other barons are as fed up with the
King and his Lusignans as Simon is.
240
00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,590
Henry and Simon
now hate each other with a passion.
241
00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:38,595
And England will pay a terrible price.
242
00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:45,071
(Shouting and screaming)
243
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:47,831
Henry sulks.
244
00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:52,069
And he lets the Lusignans off the leash.
245
00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:54,395
(Woman screams)
246
00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:04,955
They start grabbing land and property
in total violation of Magna Carta.
247
00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:13,196
Their supporters even ransack the
Archbishop of Canterbury's London palace.
248
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:17,831
Henry simply stands by
and lets them get away with it.
249
00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:23,193
It just confirms the barons' view
that he's a spineless excuse for a king.
250
00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,917
And then, in 1256,
Henry does something quite extraordinary.
251
00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:38,312
It's spelt out in an
astonishing 700-year-old book
252
00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:40,351
here in the British library.
253
00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,869
This is the chronicle of Matthew Paris,
254
00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:45,911
who's writing at the time of Henry III
255
00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:49,794
and had better access than anyone else
to Henry and his court.
256
00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:56,154
And he writes that the King gave an order
under the regio sigillo, the Royal seal,
257
00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,749
that no brief-that's any official
Government document -
258
00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:04,191
could be used to cause
injury, alicui fratri suo,
259
00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,231
to any of his brothers.
260
00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:08,271
Which includes the Lusignans.
261
00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:13,119
So Henry's saying
the Lusignans can't be prosecuted.
262
00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:15,674
Effectively they're above the law.
263
00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,109
This is political dynamite.
264
00:21:20,840 --> 00:21:22,592
The barons are furious.
265
00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:26,235
In retaliation, they squeeze
Henry's finances further.
266
00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:30,717
Henry's not in a very good place.
267
00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:33,957
He's lost the war with France,
he's made a mess of Gascony,
268
00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,560
he's upset most of his
barons, and he's broke.
269
00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,398
It's time to sort things out.
So what does he do?
270
00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:41,510
Does he kick out the Lusignans?
271
00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,596
Does he reassure his barons?
272
00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:45,437
Does he sort out Gascony?
273
00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:49,029
No. He decides to do something bold,
something radical.
274
00:21:49,080 --> 00:21:51,435
Something no-one will expect.
275
00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,278
He decides to invade Sicily.
276
00:21:57,120 --> 00:22:00,430
It was actually the Pope's idea.
He asked Henry to do it.
277
00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,632
But Henry jumps at the opportunity
to take control of a wealthy country.
278
00:22:07,360 --> 00:22:11,353
This could help free him
from the control of the English barons.
279
00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:18,152
But Sicily is a thousand miles away.
280
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,391
It would cost an absolute fortune to take.
281
00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,830
Henry can't even hang on to
his lands in France...
282
00:22:25,880 --> 00:22:28,952
so invading Sicily is a bonkers idea.
283
00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:34,118
And everyone can see it...except the King.
284
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:39,313
Henry demands taxes from the English barons
to fund the invasion.
285
00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:44,636
He thinks he can get away with it because
de Valence's violent Lusignans support him.
286
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:49,673
A group of barons come to London
to put Henry back in his box.
287
00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:54,236
And it's his old friend Simon de Montfort
leading the charge.
288
00:23:17,240 --> 00:23:19,231
(Speaks French)
289
00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:35,076
Simon de Montfort comes to London
to bring King Henry III to heel.
290
00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:42,119
The King stitched him up over Gascony.
Simon will never forgive him.
291
00:23:46,680 --> 00:23:49,752
This is Westminster Hall,
more than 900 years old.
292
00:23:49,800 --> 00:23:52,075
It's all that's left of the medieval palace
293
00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:56,750
and it's here that Simon and the barons
march up to meet Henry III.
294
00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:58,472
He's sitting up there on his throne,
295
00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:02,593
and he thinks they've come to give
him money for his Sicilian invasion.
296
00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,916
But as soon as they arrive,
he realises something's very wrong.
297
00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,513
Simon and the others
might not have swords in their hands,
298
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:11,790
but they're still done up
in their battle armour.
299
00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:15,354
And Henry knows the tables are turned.
300
00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:31,791
Simon and his allies
aren't here to take Henry captive.
301
00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,755
What they're demanding is almost worse.
302
00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:42,079
First, they want the Lusignans stripped of
all their English property
303
00:24:42,120 --> 00:24:44,111
and kicked out of the country.
304
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:50,635
Second, they want a permanent council of
barons to manage the affairs of the King.
305
00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:52,716
(Speaks French)
306
00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:54,716
However they want to phrase it,
307
00:24:54,760 --> 00:24:57,797
the reality is they're taking over.
308
00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,430
This is a nightmare for Henry.
309
00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:06,076
Simon and his mates are saying, "Not only
are we not going to help you with Sicily,
310
00:25:06,120 --> 00:25:11,148
but you're such a disaster we're going to
take away pretty much all your power."
311
00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:16,115
They come armed because they're telling Henry,
"We're stronger than you." And they are.
312
00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:23,192
Henry's forced to agree to all their
demands, just to get out of the room.
313
00:25:23,240 --> 00:25:25,231
(Speaks French)
314
00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:36,068
But as soon as he does,
he backtracks on everything he's promised.
315
00:25:38,760 --> 00:25:44,710
Eight weeks later, at a parliament in Oxford,
Henry faces off against Simon and the barons.
316
00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,594
And he takes his half-brother William,
and his Lusignan thugs, with him.
317
00:25:50,560 --> 00:25:53,996
The town's full of knights from both sides,
armed to the teeth.
318
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:57,077
The atmosphere's electric.
You can feel the tension.
319
00:25:57,120 --> 00:26:00,157
The country's teetering on
the verge of civil war.
320
00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:09,556
The hated Lusignans have no intention
of giving up their castles and land.
321
00:26:10,120 --> 00:26:13,351
They think they can take
on Simon de Montfort.
322
00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:19,314
The explosive meeting
becomes known as the Mad Parliament.
323
00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,997
Simon directly threatens
the King's half-brother.
324
00:26:26,040 --> 00:26:31,034
"Make no mistake. You will either give up
your castles or you will lose your head."
325
00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:34,635
Is he bluffing? Or is Simon serious?
326
00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:37,069
Frankly, I wouldn't put it past him.
327
00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:40,192
This isn't some soft,
wealthy English baron.
328
00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:42,879
This is a hard man, a crusader.
329
00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:45,309
A guy who's used to spilling blood.
330
00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:51,953
The Lusignans are no match for de Montfort
and they know it.
331
00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,391
They flee for their lives.
332
00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:00,231
Henry's resistance collapses.
333
00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:04,396
He has to accept all the barons' demands.
334
00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,508
The new rules that he's
forced to sign up to
335
00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:16,348
are legally recorded in a document
called the Provisions of Oxford.
336
00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,834
This is one of the most important documents
in British history.
337
00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:28,552
Everyone thinks of Magna Carta as the
great bill that limited kings' power.
338
00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,672
But the Provisions of Oxford
are actually far more extreme.
339
00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:37,556
Henry spent his whole life railing against
the restrictions of Magna Carta.
340
00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:41,912
The Provisions of Oxford really give
him something to complain about.
341
00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,475
We have them here, copied in French
into a chronicle from the time.
342
00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:50,196
And you can see a council of quinze -
that's 15 - barons
343
00:27:50,240 --> 00:27:52,913
will meet to manage the
affairs of the Kingdom.
344
00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,115
A parliament will meet tres -
three - times a year,
345
00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:59,674
whether or not the King's summoned it.
346
00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,311
Simon and the barons -
essentially a parliament -
347
00:28:04,360 --> 00:28:08,592
can now make decisions on pretty much
anything that happens in the kingdom...
348
00:28:10,080 --> 00:28:12,116
...whether or not Henry likes it.
349
00:28:13,520 --> 00:28:15,715
He's become a rubber stamp.
350
00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:20,075
And if he breaks the provisions,
the penalty is war.
351
00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:26,316
It's a seismic shift
in political power away from the King.
352
00:28:26,360 --> 00:28:29,989
And it's the basis of
our modern parliamentary system.
353
00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:34,557
This must be devastating for Henry.
354
00:28:34,600 --> 00:28:37,592
He's already lost
most of his ancestral lands in France.
355
00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,712
And now in England, where his authority
is supposed to be supreme,
356
00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:43,194
he's virtually powerless as well.
357
00:28:43,240 --> 00:28:47,392
His whole vision of what it is to be a king
is being shattered.
358
00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,915
The barons demand that everyone
swears an oath before God
359
00:28:56,960 --> 00:28:58,678
to abide by the provisions.
360
00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:06,390
Problem is, Henry and Simon's attitudes
to the oath are poles apart.
361
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,513
Everyone knows Plantagenet kings
and their barons
362
00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,313
have a long history of
breaking their oaths.
363
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:19,512
But for Simon,
once he's made a sacred oath with God,
364
00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:22,836
he's really boxed himself into a corner.
365
00:29:22,880 --> 00:29:25,872
Remember, this guy is a religious zealot.
366
00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:34,957
The oath is sworn
at Blackfriars Church in Oxford
367
00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,676
by Henry, the barons...and by Simon.
368
00:29:47,280 --> 00:29:50,636
So after he makes the oath,
he stays up half the night in prayer.
369
00:29:50,680 --> 00:29:55,117
He abstains from sex and he's still wearing
his hair shirt under his clothes.
370
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,435
This is his treaty with God.
371
00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:59,357
And he's never going to break it.
372
00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:03,271
But he knows Henry will.
373
00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:15,236
Within four years,
de Montfort's worst fears come true...
374
00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,470
...because Henry has sworn the oath
knowing he'll break it.
375
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:23,911
He brings back the Lusignans,
376
00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,077
and just like before
they do pretty much whatever they want.
377
00:30:29,680 --> 00:30:32,911
Henry's gambling
the barons will turn a blind eye
378
00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,599
because the alternative is civil war.
379
00:30:37,680 --> 00:30:39,955
And no-one wants that.
380
00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:41,479
Do they?
381
00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:45,918
It's a massive miscalculation by the King.
382
00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:50,711
One man is committed.
383
00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:54,434
Almost alone amongst those who've sworn it,
384
00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:57,950
Simon will keep the oath,
whatever the cost.
385
00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:04,834
Simon raises an army from those barons who
still believe in the Provisions of Oxford.
386
00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:12,634
In 1264, England is
plunged into a civil war.
387
00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,636
This is the town of Lewes,
close to the south coast.
388
00:31:18,680 --> 00:31:21,752
And it's here that Simon de Montfort
and Henry III
389
00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,190
face off against each other in battle
for the first time.
390
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:29,670
Simon may have the law on his side,
391
00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:31,551
but however you dress it up,
392
00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,558
he's still taking on God's anointed king.
393
00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:36,716
He is now a traitor.
394
00:31:37,520 --> 00:31:42,196
And when it comes to traitors,
Henry can still call on plenty of support.
395
00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,756
By the time they confront each other,
Simon's on the back foot.
396
00:31:48,000 --> 00:31:52,198
Simon's experienced enough to know
that as he approaches the town of Lewes,
397
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:55,630
here on the Sussex Downs,
things don't look very good for him.
398
00:31:55,680 --> 00:32:00,708
He's injured with a broken leg, his army
is massively outnumbered, two to one,
399
00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:04,753
and Henry is holed up down there
behind strong town walls.
400
00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,477
Simon knows the King
will be feeling pretty confident.
401
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:10,829
Then again, that's what he's banking on.
402
00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:18,118
He's planning to force the King into a
winner-takes-all battle on his terms...
403
00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:20,833
by drawing the King out into the open.
404
00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,274
It's a massive gamble.
But that's Simon all over.
405
00:32:27,520 --> 00:32:29,272
Under cover of darkness,
406
00:32:29,320 --> 00:32:32,471
Simon's army takes this ridge
overlooking the town.
407
00:32:33,280 --> 00:32:35,271
Now he has the high ground.
408
00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:39,391
(Speaks Latin)
409
00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:48,119
Early next morning, Simon's army
prostrate themselves on the ground
410
00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:50,037
to be blessed by the Bishops.
411
00:32:50,080 --> 00:32:52,548
In nomine Patris, et Filii,
et Spiritus Sancti...
412
00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:57,350
Simon and his men
are on a crusade for liberty.
413
00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:01,391
He and his men truly believe
that God is on their side.
414
00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:05,433
They're radicalised, driven by the dream
of a different kind of England,
415
00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,074
in which the King no
longer calls the shots.
416
00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,275
Henry is fighting for
the absolute supremacy of the King.
417
00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:17,193
Simon de Montfort is fighting to crush it.
418
00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:21,030
De Montfort may have God on his side,
419
00:33:21,080 --> 00:33:23,958
but the King has got far more men.
420
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,991
He also has a secret weapon.
421
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,553
Edward, his eldest son and heir.
422
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:32,717
He's utterly fearless
and champing at the bit
423
00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:34,910
to hack up de Montfort and his mates.
424
00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:40,310
Henry finally sees a chance
to win his great Plantagenet victory.
425
00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:41,873
How can he lose?
426
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,833
Just as Simon hoped,
the King comes out fighting.
427
00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,348
The battle's a complete
disaster for the King.
428
00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,475
Henry's still a terrible general.
429
00:34:12,360 --> 00:34:16,638
His son Edward goes charging off over
the hill after a rabble of civilians.
430
00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:19,877
His brother Richard
gets himself besieged in a windmill.
431
00:34:19,920 --> 00:34:24,038
And Henry ends up forced back here
to the Priory of St Pancras,
432
00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,230
just outside the town walls.
433
00:34:26,280 --> 00:34:28,555
Simon dares and he wins.
434
00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:32,709
The King and his son Edward are captured.
435
00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:37,114
The King's sword is surrendered to Simon.
436
00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,750
Not exactly the Plantagenet glory
Henry was aiming for.
437
00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:48,195
(Cheering)
438
00:34:48,240 --> 00:34:51,869
Simon de Montfort,
once a minor French nobleman,
439
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:55,356
now holds ultimate power in England.
440
00:34:57,440 --> 00:34:59,078
This is a revolution.
441
00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:03,398
Simon's taken an army to the field
to seize the power of an anointed king.
442
00:35:03,440 --> 00:35:07,399
It's treason and it's also
an unforgivable betrayal of friendship.
443
00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:11,833
The King's dreams of
glory have been crushed.
444
00:35:13,760 --> 00:35:17,958
But there is still one Plantagenet
who could save the dynasty.
445
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,355
And it's not Henry.
446
00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:26,391
(Yelling)
447
00:35:38,320 --> 00:35:40,311
(Cheering)
448
00:35:48,000 --> 00:35:51,675
In the aftermath of Lewes,
Henry's in a desperate state.
449
00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:54,154
He's been humiliated in battle again.
450
00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:57,112
His nemesis Simon de Montfort
is running the country
451
00:35:57,160 --> 00:36:00,152
and to top it all off
Henry's Simon's prisoner.
452
00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:04,114
The King's dreams of Plantagenet glory
453
00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:06,628
have been comprehensively trashed.
454
00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:12,313
For more than a year, Simon de Montfort
dominates the government of England
455
00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:14,510
from his castle at Kenilworth.
456
00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:20,229
Henry's still king in theory.
In reality, he's just Simon's puppet.
457
00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:25,433
To maintain his hold on the country,
Simon keeps the King with him.
458
00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:30,791
Everything in the Government is decided
under the direction of de Montfort.
459
00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:34,428
For the first time in
the history of England,
460
00:36:34,480 --> 00:36:39,315
a political movement has succeeded
in crushing a tyrannical king.
461
00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:42,551
Sounds very noble, doesn't it?
462
00:36:42,600 --> 00:36:47,469
But the reality is that this is at least
as much about greed as liberty.
463
00:36:48,080 --> 00:36:52,596
Simon may have set himself up as a man
selflessly doing what's right for England,
464
00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:55,393
but actually there's a lot more going on.
465
00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,989
Even though he has this vast castle
at Kenilworth,
466
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:03,955
Simon's been brooding that the King
short-changed him on money and land.
467
00:37:04,000 --> 00:37:07,276
And now he has Henry
just rubber-stamping his decisions,
468
00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:09,629
it's an opportunity too good to miss.
469
00:37:09,680 --> 00:37:12,990
Simon decides to take
what he believes he's owed.
470
00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:18,356
De Montfort takes money and land
for himself and his family.
471
00:37:19,600 --> 00:37:21,591
And by keeping the King close to him,
472
00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:24,598
Simon thinks he's got
everything under control.
473
00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:26,995
It's a fatal error of judgment.
474
00:37:32,800 --> 00:37:35,872
It's not Henry who threatens
Simon's hold on England.
475
00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:40,436
The man he should be watching is the
25-year-old heir to the throne, Edward.
476
00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:46,639
But Simon's taken his eye off the ball and left
the Prince in Hereford under house arrest.
477
00:37:47,560 --> 00:37:52,076
With things going so well,
Simon's relaxed the guard on Prince Edward.
478
00:37:52,120 --> 00:37:53,872
He even allows him out riding.
479
00:37:56,200 --> 00:37:58,395
So Edward plays a game with his captors...
480
00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:01,880
...swapping horses to find the fastest.
481
00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:05,271
(Neighing)
482
00:38:17,800 --> 00:38:22,112
They think it's all great fun...
until he finds the fastest horse.
483
00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:29,631
(He laughs)
484
00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:40,716
Prince Edward finds plenty of nobles
increasingly nervous
485
00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:42,990
that Simon will snatch the crown.
486
00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:47,794
And that scares the barons
more than Henry's abysmal reputation.
487
00:38:48,760 --> 00:38:51,638
Edward promises to let
them keep the reforms,
488
00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:56,037
and that persuades many of them
to defect back to the Plantagenet cause.
489
00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:01,510
The Plantagenet army is back on the march.
490
00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:13,030
The end game in the 25-year grudge match
between the former best friends,
491
00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:15,275
Henry III and Simon de Montfort,
492
00:39:15,320 --> 00:39:17,834
takes place here in Worcestershire.
493
00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:22,477
Simon's got the King
with him for insurance.
494
00:39:22,520 --> 00:39:25,876
He's trying to get back to Kenilworth
to gather reinforcements.
495
00:39:26,520 --> 00:39:28,590
But Edward is moving too fast.
496
00:39:28,640 --> 00:39:33,111
At the beginning of August,
he catches up with Simon here at Evesham.
497
00:39:36,320 --> 00:39:38,151
From the top of the old abbey tower,
498
00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:42,159
Simon sees the Plantagenet army
approaching in the distance.
499
00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:45,635
He's pinned down and outnumbered.
500
00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:52,510
De Montfort realises that if Edward's men
free Henry, the game is up.
501
00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:57,874
So Simon disguises the King
in one of his own uniforms.
502
00:39:59,880 --> 00:40:02,758
If he goes down, he's
taking Henry with him.
503
00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:07,992
He doesn't wait for the Plantagenets
to come for him.
504
00:40:08,040 --> 00:40:09,871
Simon attacks first.
505
00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:13,397
This is Simon the crusader.
506
00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:16,876
Last time the odds were stacked
against him, he dared and won.
507
00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:18,911
So this time he dares again.
508
00:40:18,960 --> 00:40:21,520
He can't help it.
It's what he's good at.
509
00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:24,836
Simon's army charges out in a single wedge,
510
00:40:24,880 --> 00:40:27,269
hoping to punch through enemy ranks.
511
00:40:27,960 --> 00:40:30,394
They race up through the centre of Evesham,
512
00:40:30,440 --> 00:40:34,991
to the fields overlooking the town where
the Plantagenet soldiers are lined up.
513
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,678
Simon gambles
that because he's got the King with him,
514
00:40:39,720 --> 00:40:42,632
the Plantagenet army
will be too cautious to attack.
515
00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:45,631
But Simon's as wrong as you get.
516
00:40:45,680 --> 00:40:49,992
This time, the armies rally behind
the King's son Edward,
517
00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,270
and they're out for bloody revenge.
518
00:40:54,160 --> 00:40:57,675
The two armies meet here
in the fields outside Evesham.
519
00:41:02,760 --> 00:41:05,354
As the Plantagenet army piles in,
520
00:41:05,400 --> 00:41:08,631
the battle descends into
an orgy of violence.
521
00:41:16,040 --> 00:41:19,271
The royalists cut down 4,000 of the rebels.
522
00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:24,348
The battlefield and streets of Evesham
are piled high with their corpses.
523
00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,756
More than 30 of Simon's knights
are slaughtered.
524
00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:31,677
But there is only one way
to end the rebellion for good.
525
00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:37,840
Edward sends a 12-knight hit squad
onto the battlefield with one mission...
526
00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:42,433
...find and kill Simon de Montfort.
527
00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:50,638
King Henry, still dressed
as one of de Montfort's men,
528
00:41:50,680 --> 00:41:53,194
is almost taken out by his own hit squad.
529
00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:07,556
Simon, already badly wounded by a lance...
530
00:42:08,480 --> 00:42:10,198
...is not so lucky.
531
00:42:18,720 --> 00:42:22,679
Simon's killed somewhere on these fields
outside Evesham.
532
00:42:22,720 --> 00:42:26,156
And some of the chroniclers
go so far as to call it murder.
533
00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:27,918
This might be a battlefield,
534
00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:32,158
but 12 knights ganging up against one
is hardly playing by the rules.
535
00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:37,238
But, even then, just killing Simon
isn't enough for Henry's men.
536
00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:39,794
This is an upstart, an outsider,
537
00:42:39,840 --> 00:42:44,277
someone who's taken on a king
and undermined what being a king means.
538
00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,919
Simon de Montfort, traitor to the crown,
539
00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,236
once the most powerful
man in England, dies.
540
00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:56,029
The message to everyone
must be crystal clear.
541
00:42:56,080 --> 00:42:59,038
No-one defies the King and lives.
542
00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:04,392
The body of the King's
once-best-friend is butchered.
543
00:43:04,440 --> 00:43:08,319
His testicles are cut off
and then rammed into his mouth...
544
00:43:09,840 --> 00:43:14,356
...before his head is cut from his body
and paraded on a spear.
545
00:43:22,320 --> 00:43:25,915
Henry finally has his moment
of Plantagenet glory.
546
00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:29,637
But, in truth, it's his son
Edward who delivers it.
547
00:43:31,040 --> 00:43:33,031
Henry is just a bystander.
548
00:43:34,360 --> 00:43:37,158
But the price of victory over Simon
549
00:43:37,200 --> 00:43:40,317
is accepting the reforms
that Simon was fighting for.
550
00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:44,231
Because that's the deal Edward sealed
to raise an army.
551
00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:50,318
Henry's won the battle,
but he's lost the war.
552
00:43:53,920 --> 00:43:58,516
The King's dream of absolute power
has died with Simon.
553
00:44:02,560 --> 00:44:04,471
Dismal as Henry's reign was,
554
00:44:04,520 --> 00:44:09,514
he still left behind him two of the greatest
legacies of the whole Plantagenet dynasty.
555
00:44:09,560 --> 00:44:11,994
And they're both right here.
556
00:44:12,040 --> 00:44:15,794
Westminster Abbey -
Henry's extraordinary palace to God -
557
00:44:15,840 --> 00:44:18,274
and over there, Parliament -
558
00:44:18,320 --> 00:44:22,313
seat of the democracy
that still governs our country today.
559
00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:25,477
It was borne not out of wisdom
and smart politics,
560
00:44:25,520 --> 00:44:31,390
but out of the passion and fury of a brutal,
bloody feud between two best friends.
561
00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:37,832
Next time...Edward II.
562
00:44:39,240 --> 00:44:44,951
His short-sighted obsessions plunged England
into a nightmare of political violence,
563
00:44:45,000 --> 00:44:47,878
bloodlust and, most of all, revenge.
564
00:44:47,920 --> 00:44:48,955
(Screams)
565
00:44:52,920 --> 00:45:02,955
Ripped By mstoll