On this day in Tudor history, 3rd September 1553, Edward Courtenay was created Earl of Devon by Queen Mary I.

It was a stunning reversal of fortune for a man who had spent 15 years imprisoned in the Tower of London after his father, the Marquess of Exeter, was executed for treason.

In this podcast, I trace the extraordinary life of Edward Courtenay:

• His royal blood as a great-grandson of King Edward IV
• His childhood imprisonment and forgotten years in the Tower
• His dazzling restoration under Mary I — knighted, cheered by Londoners, even carrying the sword of state at Mary’s coronation
• Hopes that he might marry Mary (or even Elizabeth) instead of Philip of Spain
• His entanglement in Wyatt’s Rebellion and return to prison
• Exile abroad and rumours of conspiracies, ass ...