In this midweek episode, we step back into two pivotal February moments that reshaped power in England.
First, we return to early February 1014 and the sudden death of Viking king Sweyn Forkbeard, a moment that briefly restored Anglo-Saxon rule and exposed how fragile kingship was in early medieval England.
Then we move forward to 8 February 1587 and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots — one of the most dramatic and politically charged events in royal history, where Elizabeth I authorised the death of another monarch and sent shockwaves across Britain and Europe.
From Viking conquest and shifting loyalties to Tudor intrigue, religion and royal power, this episode explores how two very different moments reveal the same truth: the English crown has never been secure for long.
We also connect both periods to the material culture left behind — Anglo-Scandinavian coins and stycas, and Tudor artefacts tied to identity, propaganda and belief.
Two centuries apart. One theme: power, legitimacy and survival.
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