How Great a King was Henry III? with Darren Baker

How Great a King was Henry III? with Darren Baker

Author: Reign of London Tours November 16, 2025 Duration: 34:18

On the 16th November 1272 Henry III of England breathed his last.

The grandson of Eleanor of Aquitaine, son of King John and father of Edward I, he often gets overshadowed by his retrospectively more illustrious relatives and nemeses. Let’s look at the king who preferred peace to war, giving money instead of taking it, and who had one of the longest reigns in the history of the British isles. 

Let’s welcome back Darren Baker who has written a book on this topic titled Henry III: The Great King England Never Knew It Had, published with The History Press.


Darren's Books:


Henry III, his sister Eleanor, his wife Eleanor, his brother Richard

https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/henry-iii/

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/The-Two-Eleanors-of-Henry-III-Hardback/p/16782/aid/1238

https://www.amberley-books.com/richard-of-cornwall.html

https://www.waterstones.com/author/darren-baker/243938

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/939368.Darren_Baker


Edward I

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Confessions-Chronicle-Lord-Edward-Longshanks-ebook/dp/B0DTZ17MSQ/


The House of de Montford

https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Crusaders-and-Revolutionaries-of-the-Thirteenth-Century-Hardback/p/18631/aid/1238

https://www.amberley-books.com/simon-de-montfort-and-the-rise-of-the-english-nation.html


Join us for a London walking tour with Reign of London:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452


Find Baroque:

https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/

https://www.reignoflondon.com/

https://substack.com/@ifitaintbaroquepodcast


Support Baroque:

https://www.patreon.com/c/Ifitaintbaroquepodcast/

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If you would like to join Natalie on her walking tours in London with Reign of London:

Saxons to Stuarts:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-the-royal-british-kings-and-queens-walking-tour-t426011/

Tudors & Stuarts:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-tudors-stuarts-walking-tour-t481355/

The Georgians:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/royal-london-the-georgians-walking-tour-t481358/

Naughty London:

https://www.getyourguide.com/london-l57/london-unsavory-history-guided-walking-tour-t428452/


For more history fodder please visit https://www.ifitaintbaroquepodcast.art/ and https://www.reignoflondon.com/



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There's a certain texture to the past that often gets smoothed over in textbooks. If It Ain't Baroque..., an independent history podcast from the team at Reign of London Tours, digs into that rich grain. Instead of a dry march through dates, each episode uses history as a lens-a prism, really-to examine the broader tapestry of life, culture, and the human experience. You'll hear stories where the grand narratives of politics and power intersect with the intimate details of everyday existence, revealing how people lived, thought, and felt in other times. The perspective offered here is grounded in a deep, practical knowledge of historical spaces and stories, moving beyond the abstract to something more tangible. This isn't about memorizing facts; it's about connecting threads from then to now. Tune in for a thoughtful, meandering exploration where a single artifact, a forgotten figure, or a specific event can open up a whole world of understanding. The result is a consistently engaging listen that reminds us how the past is never truly past, but always echoing in the foundations of our present.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

If It Ain't Baroque...
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