History Extra podcast What if the Gunpowder Plot had succeeded?
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Nov 2, 2025 Historian John Cooper, a professor at the University of York and author of The Lost Chapel of Westminster, explores a provocative counterfactual: What if the Gunpowder Plot of 1605 had succeeded? He discusses the explosive destruction of Westminster and the immediate decimation of the government. Cooper examines potential chaos in England’s governance, the conspirators' ambition for a puppet queen, and the likelihood of foreign intervention. The chilling prospect of a sectarian civil war looms, highlighting the delicate balance of power in 17th-century Britain.
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Scale And Lethality Of The Explosion
- If all 36 barrels ignited, the Palace of Westminster and surrounding buildings would have been destroyed and many survivors killed by carbon monoxide.
- John Cooper describes the blast as an "almighty explosion" that could have damaged Westminster Abbey and caused a conflagration.
A Single Strike Could Destroy Government
- The state opening placed king, peers, bishops and hundreds of MPs together, so a successful blast would have decapitated the government in one strike.
- Cooper argues this would have created an unprecedented political vacuum across England.
Local Government Might Not Hold Together
- Local county institutions (sheriffs, lord-lieutenants, magistrates) might have continued, but many local officials were often at Westminster too.
- Cooper compares England without central authority to a hive that has lost its queen, stressing deep uncertainty.