20 Jan 2026 – Prof. Nigel Saul, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History, Royal Holloway, University of London – The Hundred Years War, 1337-1453: History and Myth.
Our branch President, Professor Nigel Saul will take us on a journey through the Hundred Years’ War, the epic struggle between the English and French crowns. While often remembered for figures like Edward III, the Black Prince, and Joan of Arc, the war was a complex series of conflicts that profoundly shaped the political and national identities of both countries. Professor Saul will disentangle the historical realities from the myths that have grown around this period, examining the causes of the war, its key battles (such as Crécy and Agincourt), and its impact on medieval Europe.
Nigel Saul is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at Royal Holloway, University of London, and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London. He is author of numerous books on the Middle Ages, among them Richard II (New Haven and London, 1997); English Church Monuments in the Middle Ages. History and Representation (Oxford, 2009); and For Honour and Fame. Chivalry in England, 1066-1500 (London: Bodley Head, 2011). He was historical consultant for the BBC4 series, Chivalry and Betrayal, first shown in 2013. [University of Cambridge]