This is History: A Dynasty to Die For

Season 8, Episode 3 – "The Score"
Host: Dan Jones
Release Date: September 30, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the turbulent years before Henry V's accession, focusing on the religious and political tensions shaping early 15th-century England. Historian Dan Jones uses the grisly 1410 execution of John Badby, a heretic tailor, as a lens to explore the power struggles between Prince Henry (future Henry V), Archbishop Thomas Arundel, and Henry IV amidst a backdrop of heresy, public dissent, and shocking violence. The episode is a narrative of politics, religion, and ruthlessness that reveals how Henry V’s character and reign were forged in fire—literally and figuratively.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Burning of John Badby (03:00–08:40)

• Scene Setting: Jones recounts the public execution of John Badby, a tailor burned at Smithfield for heresy, with vivid detail: “The barrel placed over him will ensure that the fire is as hot as it can be, incinerating his blasphemous body and... sending his filthy soul by special delivery straight to hell.” [03:09]
• Unexpected Intervention: As Badby burns, Prince Henry intervenes, offering to save Badby’s life and soul if he recants. Badby refuses, and the execution is completed. The scene is both a dramatic retelling and a symbolic moment in the politics of the period.
  • Quote: “Repent, he says, and you'll be under my protection for the rest of your life. A monthly pension, the whole works.” [06:12] — Dan Jones, voicing Prince Henry’s offer.
  • Quote: "If there's one thing that's got to be worse than being burned at the stake, it's being half burned at the stake." [07:32] — Dan Jones.

2. Heresy, Lollardy, and Political Upheaval (08:41–12:40)

• The Lollard Threat: Jones unpacks the rise of Wycliffism, or Lollardy, as both a religious heresy and a political movement threatening established Church and state power.
  • The 1410 Lollard petition sought the seizure of Church wealth to solve Crown finances and fund societal reform—a direct challenge to the Plantagenet order.
• Prince Henry’s Position: While not a Lollard, Prince Henry is said to sympathize with some Lollard reform proposals and surrounds himself with Lollard-inclined companions, exacerbating tensions between himself and Archbishop Arundel.
  • “There's no suggestion that he's a Lollard himself, but there are whispers that he's sympathetic to the political side of Lollardy...” [11:24]

3. Henry V vs. Archbishop Arundel (12:41–19:43)

• Power Struggle: With Henry IV increasingly incapacitated by illness, Prince Henry wields much of the real power. He clashes openly with Arundel, even orchestrating Arundel’s removal from the royal council for a time.
• Oxford Incident: In 1411, Arundel arrives at Oxford to root out heresy, but is locked out—thanks to Chancellor Richard Courtney, a Henry ally. Arundel is publicly humiliated, while the university sides with academic freedom over religious authority.
  • Quote: “So he's given the order for the key to be lost and Arundel to be left standing in the street with his archiepiscopal dick in his hand.” [16:54] — Dan Jones (on Courtney’s defiance).
• King’s Authority Reasserted: King Henry IV is convinced to intervene; Arundel is restored and resumes his crackdown with royal backing:
  • Oxford must admit Arundel, who then burns books and has rebellious scholars whipped. Prince Henry and his circle are powerless to resist.

4. International Intrigue – Prince Henry’s Friends at War in France (21:09–25:22)

• Foreign Adventure: Three of Henry’s allies (the Earl of Warwick, John Oldcastle, and the Earl of Arundel) join John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, in violent action during the French civil war, including the brutal sack of Saint-Cloud near Paris.
  • “They are three noblemen of about his age—the young Earl of Warwick, an aristocrat with Lollard tendencies called John Oldcastle, and the Earl of Arundel...” [21:17]
  • The English earn favor but little financial reward, as Burgundians prefer executions over ransom.
  • “The Burgundians aren't interested in ransoming the prisoners… They seem to like executing them, chopping their bodies into little bits and carrying them around the streets of Paris on sticks. Well, whatever floats your boat.” [24:20]
• Return to England & Dramatic Reversal: When they return, they discover Prince Henry has been politically eclipsed—his father potentially planning to disinherit him.
  • “Prince Henry is no longer the political force he was at the end of the summer. He's not even in charge of the Royal Council anymore. And not just that, it looks like his father has decided to cut him off completely from the royal succession.” [25:13]

5. Cliffhanger and Foreshadowing

• The episode ends with a teaser: Henry’s political future—and England itself—are now on a knife-edge, with the threat of civil conflict looming if Henry is indeed disinherited.
  • “It's a political bombshell which threatens to push England to the brink of its own civil war. Find out exactly what's happened next time on This is History.” [25:32]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dark Humor:
  • “If there's one thing that's got to be worse than being burned at the stake, it's being half burned at the stake.” [07:32]
  • On St. Lawrence: “That's why today St. Lawrence is the patron saint of barbecue chefs and stand up comedians. I'm not kidding.” [06:53]
  • On Arundel’s humiliation: “Arundel to be left standing in the street with his archiepiscopal dick in his hand.” [16:54]
• On Henry’s Motivation:
  • “He needs to show the people that it's now him and not Archbishop Arundel who's in charge of matters.” [10:09]
• On the High Stakes:
  • “If the score between the Archbishop and Prince Henry was 1:1, it's now 2:1. And as they say so often in soccer commentary, it feels like the next goal is going to decide the match.” [19:29]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] – The burning of John Badby and Prince Henry’s intervention
• [06:53] – St. Lawrence’s story and the parallel to Badby
• [08:41] – The Lollard petition and escalating political-religious crisis
• [10:46] – Prince Henry’s motives and council reshuffle
• [16:05] – Arundel’s Oxford humiliation and the university’s resistance
• [19:29] – King Henry IV’s reassertion of authority; Arundel’s restoration
• [21:09] – English nobles assist John the Fearless in France; sack of Saint-Cloud
• [25:13] – Prince Henry’s political eclipse and cliffhanger ending

Summary & Episode Tone

With characteristic wit, vivid detail, and a dash of dark humor, Dan Jones illustrates how issues of faith, reform, and raw power converged in early 15th-century England. The episode’s focus on public heresy executions, academic standoffs, international intrigue, and a succession crisis brings history to vibrant life, setting the stage for Henry V’s legendary rise and the dynasty’s looming troubles.