Hello and welcome back to the Historic Royal Palace's podcast.

I'm Charles Varys, a curator at the Tower of London.

Today is the second of two episodes where we're getting to grips with one of the most famous plots in history.

I'm talking of course of the gunpowder plot of 60-05. If you haven't yet listened to the first episode where we covered the context of the plot,

pop back and listen to that now, because next we're going to be picking up where we left off.

Please be aware, this episode contains themes which some listeners may find upsetting,

including religious persecution, torture and executions.

In this episode, we'll explore how the plot was foiled and whether the 5th of November still holds relevance today.

I'm joined again by two wonderful colleagues, Olden Gregory and Brett Dolman. Would you like to introduce yourselves again?

Hello, yes, I'm Alden.

I'm the curator of historic buildings at the Tower of London.

Hello, I am Brett Dolman and I am a curator of collections mostly based at Hampton Court Palace

and I've got an interest in 17th century history and how the events of that century are still with us today.

Fantastic. Well, hello both and welcome back.

Olden, to start off, would you like to give the listeners a quick recap of where we've got to in the story?

Yes, so we left the story on the eve of the 5th of November.

Robert Catesby had put together a group of fanatical Catholic plotters. 13 in number. 13 in number. Amongst them Guy Fawkes. And they're planning to blow up the Houses of Parliament on the day of its state opening the 5th of November,

and in doing so to assassinate King James I, his family, and all of the members of the English government.

Right, and what happened next?

Why did this fall apart this plot?

Brett, would you like to tell us?

Well, our listeners need to transport themselves back in time

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