It's Christmas, but as the night draws in, there's nothing festive about the weather.

It's cold, it's dark, and it's lashing with rain.

A huge band of electrical storms is rolling across Western Europe, and the skies are dancing

with the crackle of lightning accompanied by booming thunder.

But warm and dry inside a royal palace in Bulaura, Normandy, a grand feast is underway.

The hall is brightly lit by fires and candles, bustling with the great and good of the Plantagenet

Empire.

Bishops, barons, and knights are laughing and toasting one another with fine wines imported

from across Europe.

Bulaura exchanging gifts and telling jokes.

Butlers and servants are threading their way through the crowd, topping up glasses and

drinking cups with flagens brought out from the kitchen.

They have their work cut out.

There are so many guests crammed into the palace that the feasting has spilled out of the

great hall and into side chambers.

This is the only place to be seen this Christmas.

And at the head of it all sits a Plantagenet king called Henry.

Only it's not Henry the Second.

The year is 1171, and as we heard in the last episode our old friend is currently in

Ireland trying to bring the Irish kings and church under English control.

The man presiding over the festive feasting in Normandy is his eldest son, now known

as Henry the Young King.

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