DiscoverTudor History with Claire RidgwayThe Gunpowder Plot: How Guy Fawkes Nearly Blew Up Parliament and the King
The Gunpowder Plot: How Guy Fawkes Nearly Blew Up Parliament and the King

The Gunpowder Plot: How Guy Fawkes Nearly Blew Up Parliament and the King

Update: 2025-11-04
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“Remember, remember the Fifth of November…”



It’s one of the most famous rhymes in English history, but behind the fireworks and bonfires lies a night of terror, faith, and betrayal that almost changed the course of Britain forever.



On 5th November 1605, guards discovered Guy Fawkes in the cellars beneath the Palace of Westminster, surrounded by 36 barrels of gunpowder. His mission? To blow up King James I, the royal family, and Parliament in one devastating explosion.



In this podcast, I uncover the gripping true story of the Gunpowder Plot — how religious tension, persecution, and broken promises drove a group of young English Catholics, led by Robert Catesby, to plan the ultimate act of treason, and how it all started in Elizabeth i's reign.



Discover how:

- A secret undercroft was filled with gunpowder right beneath the Lords chamber

- A mysterious letter betrayed the plotters’ plan

- And how one night’s failure created centuries of tradition, from Bonfire Night to the cry of “Remember, remember the Fifth of November!”




Recommended Reading & Viewing:

– God’s Traitors by Jessie Childs

– Gunpowder (BBC/HBO mini-series, starring Kit Harington)



#GuyFawkes #GunpowderPlot #BonfireNight #JamesI #RobertCatesby #TudorHistory #OnThisDay #ClaireRidgway #AnneBoleynFiles #HistoryExplained #EarlyStuartHistory #TreasonAndPlot
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The Gunpowder Plot: How Guy Fawkes Nearly Blew Up Parliament and the King

The Gunpowder Plot: How Guy Fawkes Nearly Blew Up Parliament and the King

Claire Ridgway