The Glass King | 4. A New Hope

Summary

This Is History: A Dynasty to Die For — "The Glass King"

Episode 4: A New Hope
Original Air Date: August 19, 2025
Host: Danièle Cybulskie

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a tense and immersive retelling of the events leading to, during, and after the Battle of Agincourt (1415). Host and historian Danièle Cybulskie frames the battle not just as a military disaster, but as a heartbreaking chapter in the slow collapse of Charles VI’s France — wracked by internal strife, traumatic royal illnesses, and a string of deaths amongst the heirs. With vivid narrative and sharp wit, the episode examines the stakes, the fractured leadership, and introduces the young prince Charles (later Charles VII), hinting at how chaos and unexpected succession will shape France’s destiny.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: Turmoil Before Agincourt

Timestamps: 02:29–05:55

• The French army, fractured by the ongoing civil war between the Armagnacs (led by Bernard, Count of Armagnac) and Burgundians (loyal to John the Fearless), is struggling to respond to the English invasion.
• Danièle gives a cinematic account:
  • Marshal Boucicaut (Jean le Maingre) patrols a rain-drenched camp, worriedly observing the overconfidence of young nobles like Charles of Orléans.
  • Vigorous infighting and rivalry plague the royal house; the king (Charles VI) is unwell, mentally unstable, and others jockey for real power.
• “If the French take to this field tomorrow without a solid plan, it’s going to be a bloodbath. And they’ll have only themselves to blame.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 04:21)

2. Political Maneuvering and Factional Betrayal

Timestamps: 05:56–09:55

• John the Fearless, humiliated and plotting revenge, cannot claim royal favor — he still seeks a pardon for his role in past violence.
• The Armagnac faction grows ever more dominant, especially as Bernard takes the opportunity for brutality:
  • The sack of Soissons:

    “The citizens of Soissons are slaughtered indiscriminately… the Count of Armagnac casually executes those he calls traitors, hanging them by the dozen.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 09:01)

• Despite a new “peace treaty,” dirty tricks abound—Louis (the Dauphin) promises more than he delivers, inflaming tensions.
• The English — led by the ambitious, cool-headed Henry V — land at Harfleur, catching the French unready.

3. Prelude to Disaster: Divided Command and Agincourt Approaches

Timestamps: 13:53–18:41

• The French army musters as best it can but excludes the main faction leaders to prevent infighting, placing command in the hands of the inexperienced 19-year-old Charles of Orléans.
• John the Fearless sends only the minimum troops, withholding his son, Philip the Good, in protest.
• As the French rely on noble pride and outdated tactics, Boucicaut issues warnings:

  “Their superior numbers are not an advantage in the bottleneck of this particular, hedged-in battlefield. In fact, they’re a disadvantage.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 15:38)

• Overconfident nobles insist on leading from the front — a recipe for catastrophe.

4. Battle of Agincourt: Collapse and Horror

Timestamps: 18:42–22:35

• The battle opens in driving rain and deep mud, with the French mired, exhausted, and bunched tightly between hedges and trees.
• A storm of English arrows decimates the French vanguard:

  “The arrows drive straight through plate, chainmail, and flesh. Men and horses tumble and are trampled under hooves…” (Danièle Cybulskie, 19:55)

• Boucicaut’s worst fears are realized: chaos, choked movement, nobles crushed or impaled, and no coordination.
• Miraculously, the underdog English slaughter or capture most of France’s top nobility.
• When a potential French counterattack is spotted, Henry V orders the massacre of prisoners not worth ransom — including young Charles of Orléans and Boucicaut, who witness the horror firsthand.
  • Memorable quote:

    “The English also ransomed the others mercilessly, even those lying on the ground among the dead… who were still breathing and showing some signs of life.” (Monk of St. Denis, as quoted by Danièle, 21:41)

5. Aftermath: Grief, Succession, and a Kingdom in Shock

Timestamps: 22:36–27:16

• News of the disaster breaks the French spirit; Charles VI weeps, Louis the Dauphin rages, and ambitious courtiers angle for vacant positions.
• Charles VI withdraws into fantasy; Louis, determined, starts rebuilding trust circles with survivors.
• The Armagnacs are back in favor, John the Fearless is marginalized, and a new royal player is summoned: Charles of Ponthieu (later Charles VII).

6. The Agony of Succession: Dauphins Drop, New Hope Emerges

Timestamps: 27:17–end

• Two further royal tragedies strike in short order:

  • Louis the Dauphin dies suddenly, likely of illness.
  • His brother Jean, the new Dauphin, is maneuvered up, but both politics and his sudden death (at age 18) leave the third son, Charles of Ponthieu (just 14), as the effective king (regent) of France.
    • Striking anecdote:

      “One chronicler can’t resist adding the gory details, saying he had a pustule near his ear which burst inside his body and strangled him. Gross.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 31:28)

• The royal court is left reeling — relieved at the ascension of someone they know, but fearful because Charles is inexperienced and a “child of civil war”, “the most dangerous prince of them all.”

  “The royal government... will not bend as far as a pardon for John the Fearless." (Danièle Cybulskie, 30:52) "A year and a half ago, [Charles] had been the spare of the spare, and now he’s the heir to the kingdom of France.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 31:42)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On French infighting:

  “It’s hard to say what the King thinks of the violence done to his own people, or even if he’s told at all.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 08:24)

• On Boucicaut’s dread pre-Agincourt:

  “What he sees fills him with dread. Henry has chosen the perfect spot… There’ll be fish in a barrel.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 03:50)

• On Agincourt’s horror:

  “With the vanguard now in complete chaos, the French soldiers charging behind find themselves squeezed in the bottleneck, forced to climb over corpses… In the crush, men are pressed into the thick mud and drown.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 20:50)

• On royal tragedy:

  “For John the Fearless, it must seem like he’s just been sent a first-class ticket from Burgundy back to Paris.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 28:43)

• On the unpredictability of power:

  “The tides of history are often set in motion by great deeds and noble principles. But one should never underestimate the power of sheer dumb luck.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 25:30)

• Closing Hook:

  “Charles of Ponthieu is a child of civil war, and he will prove to be the most dangerous prince of them all.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 32:27)

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Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:29] — French army’s pre-Agincourt camp, Boucicaut’s worries
• [05:56] — Fallout post-Cabochien revolt, rise of Count of Armagnac
• [09:00] — Sack of Soissons
• [13:53] — Fall of Harfleur, English advance
• [18:42] — Agincourt: Battle begins
• [22:36] — Devastation and rebuilding at French court
• [25:30] — The domino of Dauphin deaths, rise of Charles of Ponthieu

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Final Takeaway

This episode underscores the fragility of medieval monarchy, revealing how pride, rivalry, and the unpredictability of fate repeatedly stymied France at a critical moment. Danièle Cybulskie's narrative is at once suspenseful and irreverent, offering a deeply human look at the aftermath of Agincourt — and foreshadowing that, amidst collapse, the seeds of a bold new chapter are about to take root.

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Next episode tease: What will this new, dangerous prince — Charles, now de facto king — mean for war-torn France? Expect more whiplash, more danger, and perhaps, a glimmer of hope.

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Community Prompt:
“Agincourt went terribly for the French, but how does it compare to other military bungles of the Middle Ages? If you think there’s a military loss that tops Agincourt, let me know.” (Danièle Cybulskie, 33:20)

Join the conversation on Patreon.

Transcript

[Danielle Cybylski]

Hey friends. Welcome back to another episode of this Is History. The Glass King before you get acquainted with a squelchy French battlefield, I thought I'd give you a gentle reminder about the royal favorites. Over on Patreon. There are extra special fans and subscribers to this Is History who I'm happy to say have given me a very warm welcome back to the show. These faves have created a wonderful community of medieval buffs who chime in with excellent analysis about the history behind each episode. If you have any questions about the season so far, I'd love to hear from you. I'm doing a special Ask Me Anything for the Favorites on Thursday, August 28th. To join us, head to patreon.com thisishistory now on with the show.

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A chilly October rain pours down steadily on the canvas tents of the French army, pooling on roofs and gathering in puddles as men scurry to take shelter in the twilight. The Marshal of France strides purposefully through the camp, mud squelching under his scarred leather boots. His name is Jean Le Mangre, but ever since he was a child. He's a been called Boucico. It's a name that has become legendary everywhere from Scotland to the Holy Land, coupled with a reputation for both chivalry and fierce courage. As he passes by the tents of his soldiers, the Marshal hears muted conversation mixed with the sounds of armor being polished, swords sharpened and chainmail being rolled in barrels of sand to knock off the rust. The sounds are comforting, familiar to him as his own heartbeat. But as he approaches a blue tent patterned with fleur de lis, an altogether different sound drifts out towards him. One that is far less reassuring inside. 19 year old Charles of Orleans, the son of the King's murdered brother, has gathered with his Armagnac friends to toast to victory over the English tomorrow. A victory that Boucicault has warned the Duke repeatedly is not guaranteed. Ignoring the raucous laughter, the marshal aims for the paddock where his horse is saddled and waiting for him. If he's going to fight tomorrow, he wants to see the battlefield for himself. For weeks the Marshal has been shadowing the English King Henry V's army as it marches east from the coastal city of Harfle. Now they've run the enemy to ground near a little town called Agincourt. The English are sick and low on supplies. Boucicault has pressed them hard to make sure of it. But the young King Henry learned strategy at his father's knee. And the Marshal knows from personal experience just how formidable old Henry had been. Boucico reins in his horse at the edge of a tree lined field and stands up in his stirrups to find out what he can of the English preparations. What he sees fills him with dread. Henry has chosen the perfect spot. Dense forest hems the field, creating a natural V shape. And at the point of the V, Henry's men are cutting down young trees. After 30 years of battle, Boucico knows what he's looking at. The trees the English are felling are are just the right size to make long, sharp stakes. Their plan is to funnel the French into the center and onto a narrow forest of spikes. There'll be fish in a barrel. The Marshal spurs his horse and gallops back through the rain to the French camp. There's still time to stop this madness. Because if the French take to this field tomorrow without a solid plan is going to be a bloodbath. And they'll have only themselves to blame. I'm Danielle Cybylski and from Sony Music Entertainment, this Is History presents the Glass King Episode 4 A New Hope the Years since the Kaboschean revolt of 1413 have been tumultuous for the French. In the aftermath, the rebellious butchers and flayers of Paris had scurried east to the Duchy of Burgundy to find refuge with John the Fearless. The disappointed duke had returned to his own lands with his cheeks still stinging from the embarrassment of being caught trying to sneak King Charles out of Paris. Absolutely no one had believed his cock and bull story about taking the befuddled King Hawking. But instead of going to therapy, John once again starts gathering his troops to seek revenge against the people he feels have wronged him. At the top of this list is Bernard, Count of Armagnac, head of the rival faction that is currently in royal favor. Bernard had gathered allies on behalf of the House of Orleans when John happened to have ordered their duke to be murdered in cold blood. Since then, the count has developed a taste for the limelight, and he's made righteous indignation his entire personality. Well, that and throwing his weight around in increasingly nasty ways. Now, rumor has it that Bernard has the king's ear, as well as being besties with the Dauphin, Louis of Guyenne. If John could only talk to Louis mano y mano, he could get things back to the way they used to be when Louis was a kid and laughed at all his jokes. Or he could just stab Louis to death, one or the other. But Louis hasn't forgotten how good it felt to ride through the streets of Paris being hailed as a hero. And he's bringing big Dauphin energy to the Royal Council. Instead of letting John the Fearless off the hook for the rebellion he started, Louis dispatches Marshal Boucicault to put down any rebel activity stirring over in Burgundy. And when he finds out that the Burgundians are still backing John over the king, Louis laces up his boots. This time, putting John the Fearless in his place is a family affair because. Because King Charles decides to come along for the ride. Filled with enthusiasm, the King rides north to St. Denis to pick up the Oriflamme, the sacred banner of French kings. And father and son head for war. But while he's dressed like the king he used to be, Charles is only sort of with it. The Dauphin makes a show of deferring to his father publicly. But it's Louis who is calling the shots. In the midst of his campaign against John the Fearless, Louis dispatches the sadistic Count of Armagnac to besiege the town of Soissons, northeast of Paris. Not everyone in Soissons is comfortable with the idea of holding out against their own king. So a few of them quietly open the gates to Bernard's forces. But if they thought their loyalty would earn them points with the Count, they're dead wrong. The citizens of Soissons are slaughtered indiscriminately, their homes and churches destitute, consecrated and burned. Drunk on power, the Count of Armagnac casually executes those he calls traitors, hanging them by the dozen. It's hard to say what the King thinks of the violence done to his own people, or even if he's told at all. Before long, messengers arrive bearing letters from John the Fearless. He's willing to surrender, he says, under a few. He wants a pardon for his previous crimes. Too many to list, so let's just say all of them. And pardons for his butcher friends. The Dauphin secretly reassures John that he'll take care of everything. Don't worry about it. Maybe John should have worried, though, because in the peace treaty, Louis pressures John's representatives to actually sign. Months later, only a handful of people are guaranteed a pardon, and the sins of John himself are not absolved. By the time John finds out, the treaty has already been signed and sealed. When it comes to dirty tricks, it seems the student has become the master. But there isn't time for John to put up more than a token resistance to this insult, because King Henry V of England has just landed on the northern coast at Harvlure, and he has his own bone to pick with Louis of Guienne. Although the French have known the English have been planning an invasion for months, their spies had been unable to suss out just where Henry was going to land. So when the English army steps off the boat at Harfleur, the French scramble to respond. But Henry has chosen his moment perfectly. The Dauphin moves quickly to gather a new army. But there's a big problem. The French can't mount an effective resistance without the help of John the Fearless. And John is still in a snit over not being given a free pass for murder and rebellion. To make matters worse, everyone knows John can't be trusted anyway. He's as likely to join the English as to fight them if it looks like they're going to win. So while the French do their best to get it together, Harfleur's resistance to the English siege quickly begins to crumble. The small garrison sends desperate messages to King Charles and the Dauphin, begging them for help. But despite all their efforts, the royal army is too late. In late September, Harfleur falls to the English. Not so long ago, when Louis of Guienne had rudely sent Henry V tennis balls, Henry had vowed to send the dauphin a gift of his own cannonballs. And it seems that unlike the duplicitous dauphin, Henry intends to keep his promises.

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[Danielle Cybylski]

The loss of Harfleur in September 1415 is a miserable embarrassment for the French. It's now clear to the whole world that the infighting between the Burgundians and the Armagnacs has brought mighty France to its knees. But the kingdom refuses to stay down for the count. The French watch as Henry V makes the daring decision to try to march cross country to Calais, rather than just setting up shop in Harfleur and calling it a day. The Dauphin, Louis, camped out in the Norman capital of Rouen with King Charles, sends Boucicault to shadow the English army, forcing them to march faster and take more risks than they might otherwise. Louis and the King summon all the troops they can muster for the inevitable Anglo French showdown. But they know that it's not going to be happy families around the army campfire. So while they call up 500 men at arms and 300 archers from both the Armagnac and Burgundian factions, their leaders are forbidden from coming. That means John the Fearless, Bernard of Armagnac and the King's nephew, Charles of Orleans, must stay in their corners. By order of the king, nobility from all over France show up ready to finally fight the English instead of each other for once. But as they trickle in, it becomes clear that someone royal will have to lead the army. King Charles is out. No one can risk the glass king cracking on the field. And the dauphin Louis should probably stay away too, because they need him to basically run the whole kingdom. That means they need the next royal in line to lead the charge. The responsibility falls to 19 year old Charles of Orleans, a boy who still has a chip on his shoulder after his father's assassination and who has exactly zero experience on the battlefield. The announcement that the young Duke of Orleans gets to be in charge puts John the Fearless nose even further out of joint. Spitefully, he sends the correct number of troops, but no more. He puts his son, a man now known as Philip the Good, on standby and tells Philip to wait for his signal before before joining the army. That signal never comes. So as the army gathers at Agincourt on October 24, it's a hodgepodge of men from all over France with divided loyalties and bone deep grudges. Led by a group of overconfident, excitable aristocrats desperate to earn themselves some glory. The nobles all plan to fight in the vanguard rather than spreading themselves out where they can better coordinate the different sections of the army. Appalled by this plan, Boucicault argues that there's no rush. The English are in rough shape and every day will make them weaker. While the French are still gathering troops, some of whom are expected tomorrow afternoon. He also points out that their superior numbers are not an advantage in the bottleneck of this particular hedged in battlefield. In fact, they're a disadvantage. The thick trees on either side of the field will press the French into a space too tight to maneuver. Added to that are the long stakes he's sure King Henry has prepared. Boucicault has seen the devastating carnage stakes like that can inflict on cavalry. This is a death trap. But the young Charles of Orleans is the voice of the king at Agincourt. And what he says goes. The marshal is overruled. The battle will be held tomorrow and all the nobles will be in the vanguard. All night the rain comes down, turning the field into a bog. The next morning, the French slog their way to the battlefield and begin to get into line, their legs already fatigued from the added weight of the mud caked to their feet. A volley of English arrows is sent to annoy the French as they form up. And to the horror of the marshal, the inexperienced aristocrats take the bait. At the sound of the trumpet, the disorganized vanguard begins its charge. The soft ground slows the horses churning up earth, they advance. Within seconds, the sky darkens above them and an English arrow storm rains down death. Thin and sharp, the arrows drive straight through plate, chainmill and flesh. Men and horses tumble and are trampled under hooves as they draw near the English line. The veteran war horses of the French cavalry see the deadly spikes ranged in front of them and bulk. They rear and swerve, colliding with the riders next to them in a hopeless tangle of limbs. Other riders manage to urge their mounts past their fallen comrades, but they struggle to clear the spikes. In an instant, they're impaled by spears and arrows. With the vanguard now in complete chaos, the French soldiers charging behind find themselves squeezed in the bottleneck, forced to climb over corpses to reach the English enemy. In the crush, men are pressed into the thick mud and drown. Some turn to run but are trapped by the sea of bodies. There's barely enough room to wield a dagger, let alone a sword. Arrows pierce them from all sides. The fighting is savage as men take their and blood slip and slide on the slick terrain, hacking at each other with swords and axes. What should have been a rout turns into a massacre. By early afternoon, it's over. The remaining French are forced to flee while the English take the field. Miraculously, these English underdogs have either slaughtered or captured the most of the highest ranking nobility in France. As they search the piles of corpses for survivors, one of Henry's men cries out in alarm. Another wave of French soldiers has been spotted on the approach, banners raised in challenge. How will they take on more French soldiers with all these prisoners just waiting for a chance to break loose? The hearts of the captured French begin to at the thought of rescue. But the English king shouts an order that makes their blood run. Kill every prisoner not worth ransoming. Bound and helpless, the young Charles of Orleans sits in astonished silence. Next to him, the marshal of France, the legendary Boucicault, closes his eyes and tries to shut out screeners. The monk of St. Denis writes, the nobility of France was taken prisoner and ransomed like vile slaves, or perished at the hands of obscure soldiers. The English also ransomed the others mercilessly, even those lying on the ground among the dead, who were still breathing and showing some signs of life. If a French wave of troops had arrived, they never engaged the enemy. The result is total victory for Henry V. It isn't long before the terrible news reaches the French court waiting at Rouen. The defeat at Agincourt is more than just a blow to French pride. Nearly everyone within the aristocracy and beyond it has lost a family member or a friend in the carnage. King Charles weeps, the Dauphin rages and the hopeful and the tactless start to send letters asking to replace the dead in their royal appointments. The King and court drag their way back into Paris, defeated, dishonored and disheartened. No one can quite believe the extent of the disaster or the bad luck that while so many good men have died or been dragged back to England in chains, the ones respected responsible for this sorry state of affairs, John the Fearless and Bernard of Armagnac, are still breathing. In the aftermath of the tragedy, King Charles retreats into his own little world, dreaming of a grand tournament that they should definitely hold next summer. No one has the heart to keep reminding him that all the best knights in the kingdom are now dead or worse in England. The Dauphin Louis, on the other hand, channels his anger into making plans. He starts rebuilding a circle of trusted advisors to replace those who have been lost. Bernard of Armagnac is called back to Paris, while John the Fearless remains firmly on the blacklist. A new addition to the royal group chat is Louis baby brother, the 12 year old Charles of Ponthieu. Prince Charles is third in the line of succession, coming after Louis and their 17 year old brother, Jean of Touraine. Since they were boys, both Jean and Charles have been living away from court with their in laws, Jean up north in Hainault and Charles out west in Anjou. But with so many of the important men of the kingdom now dead, the Dauphin needs all the help he can get. Jean is left to keep an eye on things in the north, while little Charles is called to the Dauphin's side. Louis advises Charles to learn everything he can from their mother, Isabeau, the one who has guided Louis every step of the way. The Queen is more than happy to take her youngest son back under her wing. Between Louis and Isabeau, Charles begins his royal apprenticeship in earnest. The Dauphin attends all meetings of the royal council, getting himself prepared, personally involved in every aspect of rebuilding the kingdom. It's critical that France is ready for whatever Henry V has in store next. But ever since he got back from Rouen, the council can't help but notice that Louis has been getting sicker and sicker. On a cold day in December, he takes the day off to rest. One week later. Later, the Dauphin is dead. For a kingdom still reeling from the devastation of Agincourt, the timing couldn't be worse because they know the English are still hell bent on their destruction. But no one knows whose side the new Dauphin will be on. Hablas espanol?

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[Danielle Cybylski]

The tides of history are often set in motion by great deeds and noble principles. But one should never underestimate the power of sheer dumb luck. While the death of Louis of Guyenne is an absolute tragedy for his parents, his friends and the Kingdom of France, it's an unbelievable stroke of luck for the man who's been antagonizing him for the last few years. Because not only is Louis himself out of the picture, but the new heir to the throne of France just happens to be married to the niece of, you guessed it, none other than John the Fearless. For the past decade, the civil war has mostly been fought by familiar faces in and around Paris. But with the death of Louis of Guyenne, a new player enters the picture. And for most of France, he's a complete enigma. That's because the new Dauphin Jean of Touraine has been away from court ever since he's been out of short pants. At age 7, Dauphin Jean married Jacqueline of Hainault and as part of the marriage contract, he's been raised in Hainault at the court of his father in law, Count William. Hainault is a rich textile making county neighbouring Flanders. And that's why Count William and John the Fearless are on such dangerously good terms. For John the Fearless, it must seem like he's just been sent a first class ticket from Burgundy back to Paris. He's already started twirling his mustache in Anticipation of the revenge he'll wreak on all his old enemies, especially the hated Bernard of Armagnac. But John the Fearless only ever wants to step into the ring if he's sure he can win. And it looks like the new Dauphin is not going to be as much of a pushover as he'd hoped the second he becomes heir to the throne. Jean of Turenne's phone blows up with relatives and friends wanting favors. But at 17, the Dauphin is not as easily swayed as his sweet but hopelessly ill father. And what he wants more than anything is peace in the kingdom that is now in his care. So the dauphin, Jean, starts to make his way to Paris very slowly. On the way, he collects hangers, on some of whom naturally hail from the Duchy of Burgundy. France can't have real peace, they say, unless John the Fearless is forgiven all his sins and accepted back into the fold. Oh, and if we could also throw in pardons for the Cabotians, that'd be great. The Dauphin, mindful of his duties to his in laws as well as to his own family, agrees. Isabeau and her protege, Prince Charles, head to Vincennes to meet with Count William and the Dauphin's advisors. But they bring bad news. No one in Paris has forgotten the violence stirred up by John the Fearless and his butchers. And the Royal Council refuses to accept peace on these terms, no matter how much Isabeau may want to lay eyes on the son she hasn't seen in a decade. The royal government, under pressure from Bernard of Armagnac, will not bend as far as a pardon for John the Fearless. Count William returns to tell the Dauphin they'll need to go back to the drawing board while the Queen and the Prince wait at Vincennes. But when Count William arrives, he's greeted with somber faces. The unthinkable has happened. Jean of Turenne, Dauphin of France for just over a year, is dead. One chronicler can't resist adding the gory details, saying he had a pustule near his ear which burst inside his body and strangled him. Gross. When the news reaches my son, the Queen collapses in grief over the son she never got the chance to see grow up. Jean is the seventh child Isabeau has had to bury at her side. Charles of Ponthieu is stunned. A year and a half ago, he'd been the spare of the spare, and now he's the heir to the kingdom of France. In fact, it's even bigger than that, because King Charles had lowered the royal age of majority years ago when his illness showed itself to be permanent. At just 14, the new Dauphin, Charles, is now king, considered old enough to rule in his father's place. Effectively, the little prince has become king. Overnight. The royal court is relieved that power has passed into the hands of someone familiar, someone who has spent time being groomed for power by the queen. But the feeling won't last long, because Charles of Ponthieu is a child of civil war and he will prove proved to be the most dangerous prince of them all. Find out next time on this is History presents the Glass King. Whoa. Did you see that coming? I'm not sure anyone in France did. Now, feel free to take a breather from that whiplash of dead dauphins, but when you have a minute, favourites, I'd love for you to help me out with this week's discussion starter. Agincourt went terribly for the French, but how does it compare to other military bungles of the Middle Ages? If you think there's a military loss that tops Agincourt, let me know. As always, look out for producer Al's post on Patreon. That's patreon.com thisishistory.