500 years ago this week marked the start of one of the most extraordinary diplomatic gatherings in history: The Field of the Cloth of Gold. In 1520, England and France - traditionally bitter rivals - sought to bring conflict to an end in a magnificent show of opulence and pageantry. Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France agreed to meet in a show of conviviality, to reinforce the European-wide 'Universal Peace.' Of course, they didn't pack light. Both kings brought a hefty entourage of almost their entire political nations. My guest this week is Glenn Richardson, who took me to the heart of this rich tapestry of Renaissance diplomacy. He explained the spectacle of sporting competitions and flowing fountains of wine, the care taken to ensure rivalries would not erupt again, and the important role played by women in managing the rivals courts.
The discovery of the Prittlewell Prince has been lauded as the "UK's answer to Tutankhamun'. The remarkably complete discovery of an Anglo-Saxon prince's burial chamber has given us far more information about the period after the Romans left Britain. Dan chats to two of the archaeologists and res...
From Notre-Dame Cathedral to the Houses of Parliament, European architecture is indebted to the Muslim world. Diana Darke joined me on the pod to discuss how medieval crusaders, pilgrims and merchants encountered Arab Muslim culture on their way to the Holy Land. This early artistic interaction c...
Jessica Dalton joined me on the podcast to talk about the history of the Inquisition. We discussed the Roman Inquisition, the Spanish Inquisition, and how religion and politics have clashed and intertwined in Europe since the fifteenth century.
