The real power behind the gunpowder plot... and it wasn't Guy Fawkes

A SHOCKING docu-drama shows Guy Fawkes was simply a insignificant subordinate successful a wider crippled to assassinate King James I.

Conspirators planned to stroke up Parliament astatine its opening connected Novem-ber 5, 1605, re-establishing Cathol-icism arsenic England’s existent religion.

Gunpowder Siege connected Sky History dramatically reimagines the astir infamous rebellion successful British history, shattering myths to uncover the mostly forgotten information down the plot.

Caught red-handed with 36 barrels of gunpowder beneath the Palace of Westminster successful the aboriginal hours of November 5, Fawkes was seized arsenic helium prepared to unleash devastation and “blow the Scottish King and each his Scottish Lords backmost to Scotland”. 

In world helium was peripheral fig successful a larger rebellion warring for Catholic freedom, programme makers claim.

The three-part bid starting connected Monday nighttime reveals the crippled leaders were Robert Catesby,
his relative Thomas Wintour and their ruthless enforcer and “blunt instrument” Thomas Percy. 

Instantly branded the astir wanted men successful England, they and their co-conspirators raced from London to the Midlands, desperately seeking to ignite a Catholic rebellion successful the aftermath of the failed explosion.

The program was to overthrow King James and spot his young daughter, Princess Elizabeth, connected the throne.

And portion Catesby, Wintour and Percy tried to rise a revolutionary army, Fawkes endured brutal torture successful the Tower, lone naming names aft 3 days connected the rack.

Director Mark Everest said: “It’s a communicative that hasn’t been adequately told before. I was brought up astatine a clip erstwhile a feline was enactment connected a bonfire each 5th of November, and everyone saw this fig of Guy Fawkes arsenic a absorption of ridicule. It truly was conscionable astir a large occurrence burning immoderate effigy earlier letting disconnected fireworks, and that was astir arsenic acold arsenic it went.

“It’s absorbing however we are spoon-fed past sometimes. Robert Catesby, Thomas Wintour and Thomas Percy were the radical down the plot.” He adds: “It’s astir their relationship successful the 4 days aft the lawsuit erstwhile they were connected the tally adjacent though from that infinitesimal on, they were doomed.

“A batch of radical labour nether the illusion that the crippled was each astir Guy Fawkes, but helium was conscionable 1 constituent of it. The authorities singled him retired due to the fact that helium was the feline who was caught attempting to airy the fuse, but helium didn’t program it astatine all. 

“Catesby was the mastermind of the conspiracy.”

“Their program was radical. Obviously, nary 1 condones terrorism, which is efficaciously what it was.

“We code Fawkes arsenic a character, truthful he’s not two-dimensional anymore, but a quality being, alternatively than conscionable this entity of ridicule.”

Game of Thrones and The Good Doctor histrion Chuku Modu, who plays Catesby, said: “I didn’t cognize who immoderate of these radical were, barroom Guy Fawkes. The much I researched it, the much I recovered retired Guy Fawkes was conscionable a tiny cog successful a large wheel.

“Catesby was the mastermind and the person of this radical of conspirators. He was irresistibly influential. Anyone who crossed paths with him and had a speech with him was rapidly lured by his ambition and by the things helium said.” 

After the failed plot, a twelve oregon truthful conspirators holed up successful Holbeche House successful Kingswinford, Staffs. Several were severely maimed erstwhile gunpowder near to adust successful beforehand of the occurrence was ignited by a stray spark. 

On November 8, the location was surrounded by a posse led by the Sheriff of Worcestershire.

In the ensuing siege 4 plotters, including Catesby, were killed. Eight were convicted of treason and hung, drawn and quartered. Some walls of Holbeche House inactive person holes from muskets utilized successful fight.

Chris Collett, of Historic England, said: “Holbeche House was added past twelvemonth to the Heritage astatine Risk Register, owing to its mediocre condition.  We are keen to spot it restored and repurposed for aboriginal generations.”

* Gunpowder Siege starts connected Sky History Monday astatine 9pm.