S9 E6 | The Ambush

Royal favourites, we want your voice notes in our new miniseries on historical failures. Look out for Producer Al’s callout post on patreon.com/thisishistory

Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester — Henry V’s last surviving brother — is lost in delusion. He still believes England can somehow hold its possessions in France, even as its soldiers are exhausted, its treasury is drained, and its enemies grow stronger by the day. Across the Channel, King Charles VII of France hardly needs to fight; he simply needs to wait for England to collapse under the weight of its own war.

But in Westminster, reality is catching up. William de la Pole, Henry VI’s most trusted advisor, summons a special parliament to confront the crisis head‑on — a moment designed to force the kingdom, and Humphrey himself, to face the truth.

What happens next delivers the biggest shock of Humphrey’s political life, sending ripples through the court and reshaping England’s future.

In this episode of This Is History: A Dynasty to Die For, historian Dan Jones unpacks a turning point where denial meets destiny — and a proud duke discovers the cost of refusing to see the world as it is.

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Written and presented by Dan Jones

Producer - Alan Weedon Senior Producer - Dominic Tyerman

Executive Producer - Simon Poole

Production Manager - Jen Mistri

Production coordinator - Eric Ryan

Mixing - Amber Devereux

Head of content - Chris Skinner

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