The Lion & The Rose

Step back into the dawn of one of history’s most infamous reigns. In this episode, we explore the early years of Henry VIII, not the tyrant history often remembers, but the young, chivalric prince who inherited a fragile throne and set out to redefine kingship. From his education steeped in humanism to his first tournaments, marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and the promise of a golden age, we uncover the hopes, ideals, and ambitions that shaped the young king. This is Henry before the shadows, full of energy, splendor, and the weight of destiny.

He betrayed a saint, tortured a rebel, and walked away from every regime he served… richer than ever. In this episode, we pull back the velvet curtain on Sir Richard Rich—arguably the most treacherous figure of the Tudor court. From perjuring himself to condemn Thomas More, to racking Anne Askew with his own hands, Rich’s legacy is stained with ambition and blood. Was he a master survivor or a man with no soul? Join me as we trace the rise, reign, and ruthless deals of the Crown’s most infamous turncoat. You’ll never see Tudor politics the same way again.

January 24th, 1536 — the moment when a king hit the ground and England held its breath.In this gripping episode of The Lion and the Rose, we unpack the infamous jousting accident that left Henry VIII unconscious for two hours. But this isn’t just about a fall it’s about how that fall changed everything. From shattered lances and royal bravado to miscarriages, court panic, and the birth of tyranny, this is the joust that broke a legend.⚔️ Why was Henry still jousting at 44?⚔️ What really happened on the field that day?⚔️ How did Anne Boleyn’s fate unravel from it?⚔️ And what did England lose when the crown hit the dirt?It’s action, drama, trauma and the turning point of a king’s reign.🎧 Listen now and ride back into Tudor chaos.🔔 Follow @TheHistoryMike on TikTok and Instagram☕ Support the show atcoff.ee/TheHistoryMike🔗 All links in one place: https://linktr.ee/thehistorymikeKeep your sword sharp... and your history sharper.

He was the golden boy of the Elizabethan court—handsome, headstrong, and dangerously entitled. Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, rose fast on charm and royal favor, but fell harder than anyone before him. In this episode, we unravel the dramatic downfall of Queen Elizabeth’s last great favorite: from battlefield glory to courtroom disgrace, from private whispers to public rebellion. Was it ambition, arrogance, or love that led him to the scaffold? You decide.

You thought the scaffold was silent after last time? Think again.In this follow-up to Heads Will Roll, we return to the blood-soaked stage of Tudor justice—where fear was policy and death was performance. This time, we uncover the executions you weren’t taught in school. Forgotten figures. Suppressed trials. Brutal ends that slipped through the cracks of history.From abbots hung on the heights of Glastonbury… to rebels, servants, and traitors whose stories were nearly erased—we bring them back.These were more than punishments. They were messages.And in Tudor England… messages were carved in flesh.🎧 The Lion and the RoseKeep your sword sharp—and your history sharper.

Treason. Torture. Execution.In this dark journey through Tudor England, we uncover the brutal machinery behind royal justice. From the rack to the axe, from Tower Green to Tyburn Tree—this episode explores how the Crown used pain as power, and fear as law.You’ll hear the stories of Anne Askew, Lady Jane Grey, Thomas Cranmer, and others who met their fate beneath the sword or in the flames. We’ll walk the blood-soaked paths of the Tower of London, Smithfield, and Oxford—and reveal how some voices, silenced in life, refused to be forgotten.This is not just history—it’s a warning.Heads Will Roll… and not always the ones you expect.🎧 The Lion and the RoseKeep your sword sharp—and your history sharper.

Two princes. One tower. No answers.In 1483, Edward V and his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, vanished behind the cold stone walls of the Tower of London—and were never seen again. Was it murder? Political strategy? Or a cover-up that still echoes through history?In this episode of The Lion and The Rose, I dive deep into the disappearance that has haunted England for over 500 years. From Richard III’s rise to power, to the chilling theories surrounding Henry VII and the Duke of Buckingham, we leave no stone unturned.Was it really as simple as history wants it to be? Or is the truth darker—and closer—than we think? Join me as we investigate bones in the staircase, royal paranoia, pretenders to the throne, and the cold case that just won’t die.⚠️ Side note: if I sound a bit tired in this one—it’s because I’m still recovering from knee surgery. But nothing keeps me from chasing down royal conspiracies for you.

He was Henry VIII’s closest friend, a fearless knight, and the only man daring enough to marry the king’s sister without permission. So how did Charles Brandon survive where so many others lost their heads? In this episode, we dive into his rise from obscurity to Duke of Suffolk, his role in Henry’s court, and the scandals that nearly cost him everything.🎙️ Loyalty, ambition, and survival—this is the story of England’s ultimate Tudor power player.

🔥 NEW EPISODE – "The Spies Are Coming: Francis Walsingham & The Tudor Shadow War" 🔥He wasn’t just a spymaster—he was England’s deadliest weapon. Francis Walsingham built a network of spies that exposed traitors, thwarted assassins, and stopped invasions before they began. From uncovering the Babington Plot that sealed Mary, Queen of Scots' fate, to misleading the Spanish Armada, Walsingham’s intelligence web kept Elizabeth I’s enemies one step behind—until the day he was gone.But who really was the man behind the shadows? How did he intercept secret letters, crack coded messages, and manipulate foreign courts? And why did the man who saved England die broke and forgotten?In this episode of The Lion & The Rose, we dive into the life and legacy of Tudor England’s spymaster-in-chief—and the deadly game of shadows he played.🎙️ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your history fix!🔗 Support the podcast on Patreon & unlock exclusive content: [The Lion & The Rose]📖 Join the discussion at Substack & get bonus history insights: [The Lion & The Rose]

🎭 Was he England’s lost prince or the greatest con artist of the Tudor era?In this episode of The Lion & The Rose, we unravel the unbelievable story of Perkin Warbeck—a Flemish merchant’s son who convinced kings, nobles, and even entire armies that he was Richard of York, the missing Prince in the Tower.Backed by Margaret of York, the Duchess of Burgundy, and supported by France, Scotland, and the Holy Roman Empire, Warbeck was treated like a true king. He led invasions, raised armies, and was even proclaimed King Richard IV.But then… it all came crashing down.Join me as we break down:⚔️ Warbeck’s mysterious origins—was he really a fraud?⚔️ How he nearly took down Henry VII’s Tudor dynasty⚔️ The failed invasions that led to his ultimate downfall⚔️ The role of Margaret of York in shaping his royal lie⚔️ And the final twist—did Warbeck actually believe his own deception?Was he a master conman, a Yorkist puppet, or did he truly believe he was Richard of York?