#1 – The Iron King
In 1314 Philip IV rules France through an increasingly centralised monarchy burdened by war and debt. His destruction of the Knights Templar reaches its final stage with the execution of Jacques de Molay, whose legendary curse becomes the symbolic beginning of the dynasty's collapse. At court,…
#2 – The Strangled Queen
After Philip IV's death, Louis X inherits the throne while his imprisoned wife Margaret of Burgundy remains an obstacle to a new marriage and a secure succession. Her confinement at Château Gaillard becomes the centre of a struggle over whether the king can obtain an annulment…
#3 – The Poisoned Crown
Louis X marries Clementia of Hungary in the hope of producing an undisputed heir, but his authority is weakened by famine, noble resistance and an unsuccessful expedition against Flanders. Court decisions remain shaped by Charles of Valois, Philip of Poitiers and the continuing feud between Mahaut…
#4 – The Royal Succession
With Louis X dead and Clementia pregnant, Philip of Poitiers becomes regent while Charles of Valois and supporters of Louis's daughter Joan contest the future of the crown. Philip also intervenes in the prolonged papal conclave at Lyon, seeking a pope who will support political stability.…
#5 – The She-Wolf
During the reign of Charles IV, conflict over Gascony brings Isabella of France back to her brother's court as Edward II's negotiator. She refuses to return to England while Hugh Despenser dominates the king and forms a political and personal alliance with the exiled Roger Mortimer.…
#6 – The Lily and the Lion
Charles IV dies without a surviving son, ending the direct Capetian line. Robert of Artois helps Philip of Valois secure the crown as Philip VI rather than allow Edward III's claim through Isabella of France, expecting the new king to reward him by overturning Mahaut's possession…
#7 – The King without a Kingdom
Cardinal Hélie de Talleyrand-Périgord recounts the reign of John II, whose hostility towards Charles of Navarre and dependence on a narrow circle of favourites deepen France's political divisions. War, taxation and the continuing effects of plague leave the kingdom vulnerable to English raids and internal opposition.…