Rex Factor

The death of Malcolm III in 1093 (as well as his son and queen) left a power vacuum in Scotland. Despite having 5 sons, it was Malcolm's brother, Donald III (Donaldbain in Shakespeare's Macbeth), who decided to take advantage and steal the throne. After thirty years of stability under Malcolm, Donald III took Scotland back to the chaotic years of dynastic wars of succession. With the English king, William Rufus, keen to have his own man on the throne, Donald would have to use all his craftiness to hold on to his crown - but could he outlast his rivals? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the reign of Malcolm III, Scotland emerges from the dark ages and into the chaos of 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England. With his marriage to the Saxon princess (and future saint) Margaret, Malcolm is set on a collision course with the Normans and the battle for dominance in Cumbria and Northumbria. Margaret is one of the extraordinary figures of the age and together Malcolm and Margaret oversee reforms in church and at court that have a lasting impact on Scottish history. But for how long can Malcolm try his luck with the Normans and will it be enough to earn him the Rex Factor? (Please note that we are using new microphones - haven't quite figured out the settings yet so the audio is a bit quieter than usual and we also need to get pop filters!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Macbeth's death at the hands of the future Malcolm III did not mark the end of the Moray dynasty, for into the breach stepped Lulach. Sandwiched between two of the more notable of Scotland's medieval monarchs and equipped with a less than flattering nickname, expectations for Lulach are probably not high but could there be a little more to him than there first appears? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yes, Macbeth was a real king! But, was he the murderous, tyrannical villain as depicted by Shakespeare or has the bard done the real-life Macbeth a disservice? In this episode, we look at Shakespeare's version of Macbeth before considering the real life biography of 'The Scottish King' and then decide whether he has the Rex Factor. We also consider why it was that Shakespeare chose to write about Macbeth at all and why he characterised him as he did. (Please note that the episode image and the audio excerpt at the start of the episode are the property of Studio Canal for the 2015 film, Macbeth) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

William Shakespeare portrayed Duncan as a good, kind and elderly king murdered by the scheming Macbeth in his bed. But was this the true story? After Malcolm II wiped out most of his family tree to ensure that Duncan would succeed him as King of Scots, great things were certainly expected of Duncan in 1040, but with rivals to the south (Northumbria) and the north (Moray) would he be up to the job? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A decade after the assassination of his father, Kenneth II, Malcolm II finally came to the throne in 1005. Faced with enemies from within his own family, the territory of Moray and the presence in England of the most powerful man in Europe, Cnut, things weren't going to be easy for Malcolm. However, having waited so long to become king, he wasn't about to give it up without a fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The dynastic conflict continues in Scotland when Kenneth III comes to the throne in 997. Team Red is no more but Kenneth (Team Purple) still has to face the challenge of Malcolm (Team Blue) to hold on to the throne. Find out who comes out on top in the final showdown! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the stability of Kenneth II, in 995 Constantine III usurped the throne and restarted the dynastic conflict of the Alpin dynasty. Scotland now had three men vying for the throne: Constantine III (Team Red), Malcolm (Team Blue) and Kenneth (Team Purple), but who would come out on top? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The dynastic conflict at the heart of the Scottish monarchy continues with Kenneth II's accession in 971. Kenneth (Team Blue) is taking on Olaf (Team Red) in a bid to win dominance, but will Kenneth be able to succeed where the previous monarchs have failed and draw a line under the succession problems once and for all? Plus we bid a sad farewell to the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba while welcoming back an old friend of the podcast... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The dynastic warfare continues in Scotland, with Cuilean usurping the throne in 967. The rival branches of the Scottish royal family continue to dispute the throne and the violence continues. Will Cuilean be able to deliver a good reign for team red or is the merry-go-round set to continue? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dubh (or Duff) comes to the throne in 962 and marks the beginning of a period of dynastic conflict in Scotland. The system of an alternating succession has made family ties rather distant and rival claimants rather numerous, and Dubh must taken on his distant cousin, Cuilean, to be king. But who will come out triumphant? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Indulf became the King of Scots in 962 and while there is not a lot written about him, there's quite a bit for us to get our teeth into. Edinburgh, Vikings and an unintentionally amusing account of Indulf's demise all await... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Malcolm has to wait a long time to become king and when Constantine II finally abdicates in 943, there's a lot going on. The death of the Saxon king Athelstan has left a power vacuum in Northumbria and Malcolm is very much at the centre of events, making new alliances and facing off against the legendary Viking Erik the Bloodaxe. Will Malcolm come out on top or will the Vikings once again prove the undoing of a Scottish king? If you find yourself losing track of who is who and where is where, have a look at our handy glossary for the episode: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/2015/07/03/malcolm-i-podcast-glossary/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a succession of short and unsuccessful reigns, Constantine II's reign would be crucial in the formation of the Scottish nation. Coming to the throne in 900, his intray included a country still divided by internal strife, facing invasion from the Viking grandsons of Ivar the Boneless while to the south the new country of England was growing under Edward the Elder and then, most ominously, Athelstan. Could Constantine succeed where others had failed? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the Alpin dynasty was sent packing by Giric and/or Eochaid, it came roaring back in 889 with Donald II, winning back the throne after a decade in Irish exile. However, it's one thing to defeat Giric but there are still the tricky issue of Vikings on the horizon - could Donald finally see off the Scandinavian party poopers or would yet another Scottish king be laid low before his time? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the memorably unmemorable reign of Aed (#RememberAed) came to an end in 878, things get rather uncertain in Scotland. So, this week we review Giric...or Eochaid...or is it Giric AND Eochaid? Who is really wearing the crown and will they deserve the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The year 877 was not an easy time for Aed to come to the throne. After a decade of Viking raids, Aed's brother, Constantine I, had been killed and the kingdom was in a precarious position. It would take a strong and skillful ruler to overcome such difficulties, but is Aed that man? #RememberAed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Vikings o'clock in this episode, with saga legends like Olaf the White, Ivar the Boneless and the Sons of Ragnar swarming across Britain. The Great Heathen Army of the 860s-70s has its mind on conquest and the action is ceaseless across Ireland, England and Scotland. Battles are fought, kings are slain, kingdoms fall and everything is in flux. Constantine has his own particular strategy but will it pay off? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Kenneth MacAlpin started a new, Scottish dynasty in wake of a Pictish defeat to the Vikings, it was left to his brother, Donald I, to carry on where he left off. Donald seems largely to have done this but sadly the annals of history have not found an awful lot to say about him but nevertheless a few key questions do arise. Who was his mother? What's going on in Dalriata? And, perhaps most pressingly, what's happened to his trousers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The new series starts properly in this episode as review our first monarch, Kenneth MacAlpin. After the leading Picts were wiped out by the Vikings in 839, Kenneth emerged from the murky past to take the throne of both the Picts and the Scots. But Kenneth is a man of mystery: where did he come from? How did he take the throne? What happened to the Picts? And why does he smell of fish? But most importantly, does he have the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices