Uprising: The Civil Wars

A dead king, a banished heir and a new kind of rule The war didn’t end with the executioner’s axe. In this episode we follow the new regime as it wages brutal campaigns in Ireland and Scotland, all while Charles II plots a return. Charting the final throes of war, from the subjugation of Ireland to the Battle of Worcester, historian Rebecca Rideal asks: with the monarchy now abolished, what would...

The king is captured, and the scene is set for the trial of the century The trial of Charles I is an event with no precedent in English history – and one that ended in brutal justice. Yet, as historian Rebecca Rideal reveals, even after years of bloodshed, this was not a popular outcome, and the fallout was huge. So who was responsible for putting the king on trial? Did they always intend for him...

In the absence of certainty, the press drives the narrative In this episode, we discover that this was more than a war of weapons; it was one of words. From royalist broadsheets to radical parliamentarian pamphlets, historian Rebecca Rideal explores how the press fuelled the fire, shaped loyalties, and blurred the line between truth and propaganda. With circulation booming and literacy rising, thi...

Blood, fire, and survival; this is the brutal reality of war In this episode, historian Rebecca Rideal explores what the conflict felt like for those who lived through it. Through pivotal battles and fierce sieges, she meets the people who defined and endured the conflict. From commanders and cavalry to women and foot soldiers, this is war as they lived it. You can listen ad-free to this episode a...

Violence rages in Ireland, England splinters. Is war now inevitable? In this episode, we turn to Ireland in 1641 as a violent Catholic uprising erupts, sparking panic across the British Isles. Meanwhile, in Westminster, trust between parliament and King Charles collapses. Historian Rebecca Rideal charts the domino effect of rebellion, fear, and political failure that led to a stunning moment in hi...

Before the first cannon fires, the Stuart kingdoms are already starting to crack In this episode, we travel across 17th-century England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland to uncover the religious, political, and cultural pressures tugging at the Stuart crown. From the explosive Bishops’ Wars to Europe’s wider religious upheavals, historian Rebecca Rideal speaks to experts to explore how events escalate...

On 30 January 1649, King Charles I was led on to a freshly erected scaffold outside Whitehall’s Banqueting House in London. Thousands of spectators watched in shock and awe as the king of England, Scotland and Ireland was executed as a traitor. It was the climax of one of the most destructive sagas in Britain and Ireland's history: the Civil Wars.   What led to this brutal outcome? How did the dyn...