Themed Historical Tours of France & the UK

In northern France, on an August day in 1346, the air grew heavy with dust, blood and the brutal sounds of war.

At only sixteen years old, Edward of Woodstock, heir to the English throne, stood at Crécy on the cusp of manhood. The boy who would later be known as the Black Prince commanded not with hesitation but with striking confidence. By the time the battle cries began to fade, he had carved his name into history, proving that youth was no barrier to greatness on the field of war.

Yet long before he stepped upon his first battlefield, Edward of Woodstock had been marked out for greatness.

Those of us in the history fan community had been waiting in keen anticipation for the release of BBC’s King & Conqueror. A big-budget series on the Battle of Hastings? Of course we were curious.

But now that it’s aired in the UK, the chatter online hasn’t been what many had hoped. Instead of applause, there’s been a storm of criticism over its historical accuracy.

And here’s where I need to confess something: I am one of those people who yells at the TV when history gets twisted. You should have heard me during Vikings! And don’t get me started on Richard the Lionheart’s death in Robin Hood…

This, of course, is not a new debate. From Braveheart to the present day, every time Hollywood or television takes on the past, sparks fly over how much truth has been sacrificed for the sake of drama.

There’s something about the clang of steel on steel, the scent of woodsmoke, and the flutter of banners against a winter sky that always stirs something in me.

Every July, the Abbey Medieval Festival transforms a quiet corner of Southeast Queensland into a place where centuries collide, where knights ride, artisans craft, and crowds gather to glimpse the echoes of the past. Over the years, I’ve been quite a few times, not just for the living drama, but for the way it makes me feel - grounded, curious, and quietly connected to something far older than myself.

Edward III’s early reign was forged in fire — rebellion, betrayal, and the burden of legacy.

He had grown up in a court bruised by betrayal, where the marriage of his parents had unravelled and loyalties lay in ruins. His father had been deposed and died, , all in the midst of scandal and subterfuge. His mother now ruled alongside her lover, Roger Mortimer, a man some whispered was king in all but name.