The Devil's Crown was a BBC limited series which dramatised the reigns of three medieval Kings of England: Henry II and his sons Richard the Lionheart and John. It was broadcast in thirteen 55-minute episodes between 30 April and 23 July 1978. Henry Plantagenet (latterly Henry II), sees his opportunity to seize the crown of England and create a kingdom of law and order. He cuts a deal with King Stephen in which Stephen will name him his heir, excluding his sons Eustace and William in exchange for a fragile truce. Stephen's sudden death elevates Henry to the throne. He may have been King of England, but the bulk of the Angevin Empire was in France, and it was this that Henry regarded as the Jewel in his Crown, maintained through a series of political marriages and complex allegiances. Henry pays homage to Louis VII, King of the Franks, for these lands, but it is clear that Henry is the shrewder and more ambitious of the two kings, having married Louis' ex-wife Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Keywords
Streaming
Air Date: 1978-04-30
Legend has it that the Plantagenets were descended from the Devil himself – a curse which does not deter the youthful...
Air Date: 1978-05-07
Henry, with the Devil's luck, has married Eleanor of Aquitaine. The crown of England is also his – and now begins his...
Air Date: 1978-05-14
As the friendship grows between Henry and Becket, so does the Queen's mistrust of them both. And then appears another...
Air Date: 1978-05-21
The quarrel between Henry and Becket has culminated in Becket's murder; and when Eleanor leaves Henry to establish he...
Air Date: 1978-05-28
With Eleanor imprisoned at Salisbury and his sons plotting rebellion at Louis' court in Paris, Henry finds comfort in...
Air Date: 1978-06-04
King Henry is dead – defeated, deserted. Long live King Richard, the glorious, golden Crusader.
Air Date: 1978-06-11
Inspired by Richard, his army moves south to the Holy Land for a new crusade. Eleanor has also journeyed south; her c...
Air Date: 1978-06-18
Richard Coeur de Lion has married Berengaria of Navarre... but his Crusade has failed. Embittered and disillusioned, ...
Air Date: 1978-06-25
Released from captivity, Richard Is once more crowned King of England. Imprisonment has sapped both his vigour and hi...
Air Date: 1978-07-02
A chance arrow has extinguished the glory that was Richard. John, at last, is King of England – but his right to that...
Air Date: 1978-07-09
John's impulsive marriage to 12-year-old Isabella of Angouleme has brought rebellion in its wake, Arthur, attempting ...
Air Date: 1978-07-16
The aged Queen Eleanor has died, John's murder of his nephew has caused the barons to desert him, his French lands ar...
Air Date: 1978-07-23
After six years, John has yielded to the Pope. The Interdict is lifted but the English barons remain discontented; th...