England & Portugal: The Oldest Alliance in the World

If you’re enjoying a glass of port during the festive period, you have the world’s oldest treaty to thank.

Winston Churchill once described the Anglo-Portuguese alliance as ‘without parallel in world history.’ Forged in the backdrop of the Hundred Years War 650 years ago, the alliance is the oldest in the world.

In this episode Dan explores the medieval roots of this diplomatic friendship, which has benefitted both nations politically, culturally, and commercially.

Hear why John of Gaunt travelled to an unassuming town outside Porto to lay the foundations of the alliance in the 1300s, and find out how often the treaty’s been invoked in the six centuries since. 

From the hills of Porto to west London, Dan and the History Hit team uncover the incredible history of the world's oldest alliance.

Produced and mixed by Mariana Des Forges and Charlotte Long. Special thanks to Portugal-UK 650, Maria Joao Rodrigues de Araujo, and the City Council of Vizela.

Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code BLACKFRIDAY sign up now for your 14-day free trial https://historyhit/subscription/.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world-renowned historians like Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsley, Matt Lewis, Tristan Hughes and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code DANSNOW. Download the app or sign up here.

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at [email protected].

You can take part in our listener survey here.