Rex Factor

In the second and final episode celebrating our tenth anniversary we read through all of your lovely messages with good wishes, how you found the podcast, exotic places you've listened and favourite memories from the podcast. We also go through all the results of our English Monarchs Twitter Poll to crown England's Greatest Monarch for 2020. We've also been using our time productively so further episodes will be following in the coming weeks with a special episode on Sulla, a Privy Chamber episode for Privy Councillors and (in the not too distant future) Eleanor of Aquitaine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rex Factor is ten years old! To celebrate, we are releasing two podcasts. In this first part, we reminisce about ten years of Rex Factor, looking at each season and some of the major things we've worked on. We also reveal the details of a Twitter tournament we will be running in the following month where we pit all the English monarchs against each other and see whether this will have the same outcome as our original play-offs. PLUS we would like to hear from you - please let us know your favourite memories, episodes, quotes, etc. from Rex Factor as well as any questions you might have about the podcast. Not discussed in the podcast, but the special episode on Sulla is coming soon and then we will be moving on to Eleanor of Aquitaine - apologies for the delay!     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's nearly 10 years since we reviewed Æthelred the Unready and gave him a score of 0 for Battleyness - not surprising for the king who suffered decades of Viking raids and was kicked off the throne (nearly twice) but have we been too harsh? We speak to Brandon Bender who has written a book about Æthelred's military campaign which suggests he was a far more proactive and capable leader than his reputation suggests. Will we be convinced or will Æthelred remain at the bottom of the pile for Battleyness? Brandon's book is called 'England's Unlikely Commander: The Military Career of Æthelred the Unready' Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're starting a new, intermittent film review podcast for Privy Councillors where we watch and review films relating to kings and queens. In each episode, we'll go through the film plot (largely for Ali's benefit), then review it for historical accuracy and entertainment. Our first film is The King, starring Timothée Chalamet as King Henry V in a sort-of-adaptation of William Shakespeare. As this is the first one and we've not been able to do our normal podcasting recently, we're making this episode available to all Rex Factor listeners. If you've seen the film then send in your reviews and let us know what you think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last of the Normans and the last of the Matilda's, Matilda of Boulogne was Queen Consort to King Stephen through the Anarchy. Stephen's reign was not particularly successful but it would have been far worse had he not had the support of his wife, who played a strong and vital leadership role in his cause. Overshadowed by her namesake and rival, the Empress Matilda, could this be the time for Matilda of Boulogne to shine? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adeliza was the second consort of Henry I of England with the primary task being to produce a new heir for Henry after the death of his only (legitimate) son in the White Ship Disaster. After two very powerful Norman consorts, Adeliza had a lot to live up to as the years without an heir mount up, Henry would look to his daughter, Matilda, instead and Adeliza would be dragged into the drama of the Anarchy. Cometh the hour, cometh the woman? Or would Adeliza be lost amidst the chaos? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Matilda of Scotland (confusingly originally called Edith) was the daughter of the King of Scots and inheritor of the Anglo-Saxon royal line, which made her an alluring prospect of consort for the Norman king Henry I. Matilda was a highly confident and capable queen who proved very popular with her subjects as well as providing ample opportunity for Rex Facts. But will this be enough to get the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A global lockdown is not enough to stop Rex Factor! For the first time, we do a full episode via Skype, meaning Ali is in charge of his own recording equipment! After a slightly chaotic first ten minutes, we have an extended Correspondents Corner with lots of messages from listeners and then previews of some of our bonus content with a clip from our most recent Privy Chamber episode (on Matilda of Flanders) and our most recent special episode (Chateau Gaillard). Normal service will resume next time when we review Matilda of Scotland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We leave the Saxons behind and enter the Norman era. Matilda of Flanders was the first of the Norman consorts, bringing some prestigious French royal genes to the illegitimate William the Conqueror. Matilda was a trusted partner of William in Normandy and enjoyed great status as Queen of England after 1066. Revered for her piety, Matilda also had an independent streak and would clash with William when their eldest son, Robert, rebelled. Who will come out on top? And will Matilda start the new era off with the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ealdgyth of Mercia is not a famous name, but her episode is full of Rex Factors. As consort to Harold Godwinson, she was the last Anglo-Saxon consort and her story has plenty to fascinate: Lady Godiva, Gruffydd ap Llywelyn and a Welsh/Mercian alliance, and of course the dramatic events of 1066. So will the Saxons go out on a high or is Ealdgyth another queen who will remain lost to history? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Edith of Wessex we come to the dramatic events of 1066 and the fall of the Anglo-Saxons. Edith was the daughter of the powerful earldoman, Godwin, sister to Harold Godwinson and queen consort to Edward the Confessor. Things got off to a shaky start with Edward, but Edith was able to establish herself as a powerful figure at court and tried to position herself for the succession. But when 1066 throws everything into chaos, will Edith be able to ride out the storm? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When is a consort not a consort? When she's Ælfgifu of Northampton! Ælfgifu was married to Cnut while he was king but it was his other wife, Emma of Normandy, who was considered the consort. We decide to take a look at events from Ælfgifu's perspective, revealing a remarkable woman who was for a long time Emma's chief rival, with her dramatic life taking her from a powerful midlands dynasty all across Cnut's North Sea Empire and back again in a battle for dominance. But does she count as a consort and does she deserve the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Emma takes us from the dark days of Vikings invasions under Æthelred the Unready to the threshold of 1066. Her remarkable and dramatic life saw her twice be Queen Consort, Queen Stepmother and Queen Mother! Emma was often forced to fight to retain her power as England veered between Saxon and Danish rule, but would she do enough to come out on top and gain the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're back with the Saxons this week, reviewing Ealdgyth, consort to Edmund Ironside. Ealdgyth was from a prominent midlands family who fell out with King Æthelred the Unready in the difficult period of Viking invasions. We find out how these family links drove her into both danger and power amidst Saxon division and Viking invaders and decide what role she might have played in the. chaotic years of 1013-16. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We take a brief diversion from the Saxons to investigate the Viking consort of Sweyn Forkbeard, Sigrid the Haughty. Or is it? There is much debate about the true identity of Sweyn's wife (or wives) and whether Sigrid even existed at all as much of what we know of her comes from the Icelandic sagas. To help us unpack all of this and learn more about the sagas, we are joined by John and Andy from the Saga Thing podcast. Was Sigrid really Sweyn's wife? Did she really exist? And, most important of all, does she have the Rex Factor? Saga Thing is a podcast reviewing all the sagas of the Icelanders which you can find here https://sagathingpodcast.wordpress.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've back from a summer break! In this catch-up episode we explain why we've been busy (real life), read out some of your correspondence AND have an announcement about Rex Factor: The Animated Show. Without wanting to spoil the episode, we're asking you to help choose which queen (regnant) we should do next. The poll is open now and you just have one week (until Friday 13 September) to make your pick! Vote using the link below: https://forms.gle/M7rLsPAokKW6hs3S9 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's fair to say that we don't know quite as much about Æthelred the Unready's first consort, Ælfgifu of York, as we do about his mother (Ælfthryth) nor indeed his second consort (Emma of Normandy). We pick through what we can find about her and consider why there isn't more to go on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ælfthryth was Edgar the Peaceable's third consort but England's first crowned and anointed queen. By building alliances in the church, she was able to raise the office of queenship higher than anything enjoyed by her predecessors and was one of the most influential figures at court. However, she would still face a battle to get her son on the throne, not least from everyone's favourite (and seemingly indestructible) archbishop, Dunstan. Could she fend off the patron saint of fun sponges and win the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's two episodes in one this time as we review the first two of Edgar the Peaceable's consorts. Very little is known about his first consort, Æthelflæd Candida/Eneda, so most of the episode is about Wulfthryth of Wilton, a source of much controversy because she was potentially a nun (or at least intended to become one!) As such, we take an in-depth look at the real history behind 'sex with nuns'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ælfgifu was part of one of the most (in)famous moments of Rex Factor scandal from our first series, but does she deserve her scandalous reputation or has Dunstan been besmirching her reputation? We find out who she was, what she was doing with King Eadwig and why Dunstan didn't like her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices