First Barons' War

In this episode, we explore the First Barons’ War, the turbulent civil conflict sparked by King John’s refusal to honor the Magna Carta and the rebel barons’ dramatic decision to invite Prince Louis of France to claim the English crown. The episode follows the rise of rebel leader Robert Fitzwalter, the brutal Siege of Rochester, and the wider struggle that forced Anglo-Norman nobles to choose between loyalties on both sides of the Channel. After John’s death, the conflict shifted as William Marshal rallied support for the young Henry III, leading to the decisive Battle of Lincoln, the retreat of French forces, and the Treaty of Lambeth. Along the way, we examine how the war reshaped royal authority, noble power, and the lasting legacy of the Magna Carta.