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191 episodes

Chapter 187- The Last Days of Henry VII (1508-1509)
2026-02-25 | 50 mins.
Henry VII was dying… but as the first Tudor monarch slowly drifted towards death, in London the city was stilled gripped by the terrible regime of his loyal lapdog, Edmund Dudley. As the kings health began to decline, the arrests continued, the terror remained, but around him, various figures, from the desperate Catherine of Aragon, to the kings elderly but wise mother, began to sense the growing anger towards the regime, and made careful moves to make sure the correct scapegoats were prepared.

This week we follow the incredible transformation of young prince Henry, the intricate politics of the court, London surviving oppression and epidemic, and the final retribution inflicted upon those chosen to take the fall for the late King’s folly’s.

Cover shows the terracotta portrait bust of Henry VII by Pietro Torrigiano.
Chapter 186- The Spanish Gambit Part 2 (Storms) (1506-1507)
2026-02-19 | 55 mins.
In the second part of ‘The Spanish Gambit’ we start to draw together the diverse threads of this story- Henry VII’s changing foreign policy ambitions, the ambitions of the Hapsburgs, the desperation of Catherine of Aragon, the Pope’s fury at the Alum smuggling network, the power of the Italians in the capital and above all… Edmund Dudley’s onslaught against London itself. With elections being nullified, innocent men and women being locked up for no good reason, with a cohort of some of the seediest criminals now seemingly dominating everyone from the mayor down, the city was plunged into an era of darkness it had not seen for hundreds of years. The Spanish Gambit had dark implications for London…

Cover art includes detail from “Portrait of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor”
Chapter 185- The Spanish Gambit (1504-1506) (Part 1)
2026-02-12 | 51 mins.
Towards the end of his reign, Henry VII really came into his own; he stood as a giant on the European stage, a player in THE most dynamic and profound change in European politics in decades, poised to strike down his enemies and ensure his dynasty was cemented into the high seat of European politics… but how did he do it?
What follows is the opening part of a story involving corrupt popes, holy cartels, dodgy Italians living in London, dubious Spaniards, an eager but devout heir to the throne, and one of the most lucrative smuggling operations of the era, all of which has Henry VII right in the heart of it. Welcome to the first part… of The Spanish Gambit.
Cover features portrait of Pope Julius II by Raphael.
Chapter 184- In the shadows of a house on Candlewick Street (1503-1507)
2026-02-04 | 55 mins.
In the dying years of the reign of Henry VII, some big changes happened, which London witnessed and had to cope with. This weeks chapter covers quite a lot- what happened to Catherine of Aragon when she was staying in London after her first husband died? How the city witnessed the growing power (and occasional ineptitude) of Henry VII’s spy networks? Why Catherine of Aragon and Prince Henry ended up getting engaged down on Fleet Street? What caused the King to briefly shut down the sex trade in the city? And how a London based lawyer, living near the London Stone, unleashed a new wave of terror in the name of the King?

Cover contains a detail of a picture of Henry VII, Edmund Dudley and Richard Epsom.
Chapter 183- The River of Light (1500-1505)
2026-01-28 | 55 mins.
The five years at the start of the 16th century are often overlooked, but contain elements in the city’s story that cannot be ignored- new rituals that last to this very day, new buildings and palaces that still stand, an epoch defining shift in the politics of London, and two royal deaths… an period defined by a river of light on a dark February afternoon.
Welcome as the story completes the tale of a small man we first met seven chapters ago, and how unexpectedly the very future of the Tudor dynasty was briefly in the balance…
Cover includes a detail from the portrait of Elizabeth of York, in the Royal Collection.

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About The Story of London

Welcome to The Story of London, a podcast dedicated to telling the history of London as a single narrative tale; from its birth until the present day.Each episode takes us along that tale, a chronicle of the most fascinating and vibrant city on Earth.There is a lot of content in here and each listener can enjoy it in a variety of ways. You can listen to an episode by itself for a slice of life from London’s past; or, if you have a favourite period of time you want to explore, find the era and follow the Chapters in that section.Or maybe you want to join us on the grand journey, starting at the beginning and following along? Whatever option, welcome to the chronological tale of this amazing place.The Story of London covers events as they happened, from the actions of the great and the good, down to those of the poor and marginalised. We try to be as historically precise as possible, sometimes stumbling upon little gems of history that change the way we see the past, and never take ourselves too seriously.Feel free to join us… new episodes every week.

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