Portrait of Lord Melvyn Bragg, host of In Our Time

Prisoners in the Tower of London

From an early stage of its history, one of the functions of the Tower of London has been to act as a prison, though it was not designed as one. The earliest known prisoner was Ranulf Flambard in 1100 who, as Bishop of Durham, was found guilty of extortion.

3 episodes

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  1. Margaret of Anjou

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how the Queen of England fought to hold on to power for the sake of her son, when her husband's mental illness made him unable to rule.

    25 May 2018

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    Featuring: Katherine Lewis, James Ross, Joanna Laynesmith

     
  2. Sir Thomas Wyatt

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the Tudor courtier who found a way to write extraordinary and enduring poetry while under the intense scrutiny of Henry VIII's machinery of state.

    09 May 2024

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    Featuring: Brian Cummings, Susan Brigden, Laura Ashe

     
  3. The Death of Elizabeth I

    Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the death of Queen Elizabeth I and its immediate impact, as a foreign monarch became King in the face of plots and plague.

    15 October 2009

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    Featuring: John Guy, Clare Jackson, Helen Hackett