A pyrotechnic dragon roared flames into the river Thames during the coronation week of Elizabeth of York in 1487. These explosive displays were employed as a sign of might and majesty throughout the reign of Henry VIII, and Elizabeth I was the first English monarch to establish their own fire master. By the time of the Gunpowder Plot, fireworks were used not only to celebrate, but to commemorate and incite. 

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb talks to John Withington about the remarkable development of pyrotechnics throughout the Tudor and Stuart eras. 

Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited and produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

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Related episode:

The Gunpowder Plot - The Tudor Origins >

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