This is History: A Dynasty to Die For S9 E10 | The Battle of St Albans
Mar 10, 2026
A violent 1455 showdown erupts in St Albans as rival nobles clash and the king is dragged to safety. Tense negotiations collapse into surprise attacks, arrow volleys, and brutal street fighting. A public peace parade forces warring magnates to hold hands, backfiring and hardening rival factions. Strange protests and the rise of new power players add twists to this medieval power struggle.
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St Albans Was A Personal Power Struggle
- The Battle of St Albans erupted from a power struggle between Richard, Duke of York, and Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, with regional families backing each side.
- York allied with the Nevilles while Somerset was supported by the Percys, turning national dispute into local vendettas that brought thousands to fight in town streets.
Henry VI Hid In A Tanner's Hut During The Fight
- King Henry VI was hustled through St Albans and forced into a tanner's hut for safety while arrows and swords flew around him.
- An arrow grazed Henry's neck and Buckingham was wounded before the King was taken to the Abbey by Yorkist troops.
Short Battle Had Long Political Consequences
- The fighting lasted only about thirty minutes but produced key deaths, notably Somerset and the Earl of Northumberland, reshaping the political landscape.
- Yorkist forces captured the King and used the shrine of St Alban to assert loyalty while demanding to direct royal policy.
