Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six......... What happens when a King goes wrong? The story of Henry VI and his battles with Edward IV continues as Charlie Higson tells the story of one of history's biggest power struggles. And you thought the Roy family were bad!! Plus we hear about the formidable Margaret Of Anjou as we welcome back Helen Castor, author of She Wolves, Joan Of Arc & Blood & Roses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five Six.........The story of Henry VI is a tangled one, intertwined with Edward IV and, not something to be rushed. So over the next two episodes, Charlie Higson unpicks the story of a man who became king, then was deposed only to become king again, only to be deposed.....again!It's a fascinating story which takes in a couple of wars, one civil and one against the French and even Joan of Arc makes an appearance.Helping Charlie make sense of all this is the excellent Helen Castor, author of Joan Of Arc and Blood & Roses Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds, Richard Two, Henry's Four Five....... In this episode, Charlie Higson looks at the second-most famous Henry.....Henry V. As you'll hear, Henry was one tough bugger! Battle Of Agincourt? Easy! Arrow embedded in your face? 'Tis but a scratch! His reign was short but he got things done as you'll hear along with Charlie's proper historian this week, Dr Rory Cox, all round Henry V expert and author of Origins Of The Just War. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three. One Two Three Neds, Richard II, Henry's Four........ yes, welcome to the next batch of Henry's, starting with Henry IV. Forget what Shakespeare said. In this episode, you'll hear Charlie Higson continue his voyage through history with a story of a King who lived fast and died young without really achieving much, while this episodes proper historian, Ian Mortimer, author of 'The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-Made King', argues that Henry was actually genuinely impressive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three. One Two Three Neds, Richard Two........ Charlie Higson's canter through the Monarchy takes us to Richard The 2nd. You'd think by now that they'd have got the hang of this whole King thing. What to do. What not to do. Well, they hadn't and Richard II is a good example of the 'What Not To Do' category. Charlie's proper historian this episode sees the return of Helen Castor, author of 'She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth' who is also working on a new book which looks at Richard II. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds..... Yes, Charlie Higson reaches the third of his Neds, Edward III and for once in our story he actually turned out to be a half decent king, or so it was thought at the time.Find out how he contended with fighting the Scots, the French and the Black Death.Charlie's proper historian this episode is Helen Carr, author of the best-selling The Red Prince: John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a special side edition of Willy Willy Harry Stee, Charlie Higson chats with the excellent Ian Mortimer author of The Time Travellers Guide To Medieval England. As Charlie navigates the Medieval Monarchs, this episode asks the question, what was life really like in The Middle Ages for ordinary folk? Were Monty Python right all along? Well, no. It's a tale of medical ingenuity, religion and buttons. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry Dick John Harry Three, One Two Three Neds..... So goes the rhyme Charlie Higson learnt at school, each a Monarch and each seemingly unable to learn any lessons from their predecessor, as ably demonstrated by this episode's King, Edward The 2nd. Find out how his disastrous relationships, especially with Piers Gaveston gave rise to his downfall at the hands of his own wife Queen Isabella which led to a particularly unpleasant end.Charlie's proper historian this episode is Dr Rory Cox, author of Origins of the Just War: Military Ethics and Culture in the Ancient Near East Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three, One Two Three Neds.........Well in this episode Charlie Higson concerns himself with Ned No.1..Edward The 1st, Edward Longshanks or The Hammer Of The Scots although whilst he did a lot of hammering, the nails weren't really driven home very well.Charlie's 'Proper Historian' for this episode is the excellent Marc Morris, author of A Great & Terrible King: Edward I and the Forging of Britain Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Willy Willy Harry Stee, Harry, Dick, John, Harry Three.........Charlie Higson continues his canter through the Monarchy and along with Henry, comes Simon De Montfort.Was Henry weak and inept while Simon held the real power? We'll find out as Charlie welcomes this week's proper historian, Sophie Therese Ambler  author of a biography of Simon de Montfort called - The Song of Simon de Montfort: England's First Revolutionary and the Death of Chivalry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.