Friends, it's been said that there are decades where nothing happens and weeks where decades happen.

The following episode is certainly going to serve the latter, I'd say, so keep your ears peeled.

But before I hand you over to a pivotal string of weeks in Plantagenet history,

I've got something rather exciting to announce.

After season nine, I'll be launching a special new mini-series with my friend and fellow

history graduate, Elizabeth Day, writer and host of the excellent How to Fail podcast.

We're teaming up to discuss some of history's

greatest failures and learn why losers make history. And this is where you can come on.

On the bonus episodes for this miniseries, we want your favourite failures.

I'll be discussing them alongside producer Al, and we'd love to get your voice notes on this new podcast.

To submit, all you need to do is sign up to become one of our royal favourites at patreon.com

forward slash this is history and find the sign-up link on the show chat room.

Now, on with the episode.

After this short break.

The lookout on the turrets of Beaumaris Castle peers through the salt spray coming off the sea. On the horizon, something has

caught his eye. It looks like a light. He squints, rubs his eyes and looks again. He realizes he was wrong.

It's not one light, it's a whole cluster of them. He's seeing the pilot lights

of a fleet of ships. They're carving their way through the grey waters of the Irish Sea towards

the island of Anglesea, just off the north-western tip of Wales. It's September 1450, and these ships have been expected for the last couple of weeks.

Even so, it's still bracing to see them arriving, because now they're coming, a political play

has to be set in motion.

It's a play sent down from the highest authority in England,

...