Grand Final

Our Twitter tournament to crown England’s greatest monarch is currently underway. The current poll is the Grand Final in which Athelstan, Henry II, Richard III and Elizabeth I are vying for the title. The poll closes at 12:00 (BST) on Saturday 19 September, so please vote and spread the word!

It's the grand final in our quest to crown England's Greatest Monarch. Will it be Athelstan (1st Saxon king of all England), Henry II (1st Plantagenet), Richard III (last Plantagenet) or Elizabeth I (last Tudor)? Cast your vote then spread the word! #englishmonarchs

— Rex Factor (@rexfactorpod) September 18, 2020

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English Monarchs Twitter Poll

To celebrate ten years of the Rex Factor podcast, we are revisiting our first series covering the English monarchs in the form of a Twitter tournament. Running from Monday 24 August, we will be putting (almost) all the English monarchs to the vote on our Twitter handle @rexfactorpod to see who will be crowned England’s greatest monarch for 2020. Will it be the same outcome as the original series, or will someone else storm to victory?

Read on to find out more about the tournament, the draw, the schedule and how to take part.

Æthelflæd of Damerham

Æthelflæd of Damerham did not get much time to make an impression as Queen Consort of England, but she does tell us something about the status of women in the law in Anglo-Saxon times.

Listen to her podcast episode here or read on to find out more.

Netflix Party – The King

At 21:00 BST on Saturday 6 June 2020, we’re going to be watching The King on Netflix and want you to join us in a Netflix Party! To join us, you’ll need to get yourself setup for doing Netflix Party, for which instructions are below, as well as a link to join, which will appear here closer to the time.

https://www.netflix.com/watch/80182016?npSessionId=9f82e7f6ca89717c&npServerId=s88

Chateau Gaillard (Special Episode)

In our latest special episode we look at Chateau Gaillard, a magnificent castle built by Richard the Lionheart. It was the most advanced castle of its time in Europe and went on to be the subject of a dramatic siege. The episode is available for purchase here or you can read on to find out more and hear a clip.

Saint Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury was the first consort of King Edmund I of England, and while her impact on the historical record was limited in life, in death she achieved the lucrative status of sainthood. We look at who the real Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury was and how and why she came to become a saint.

Listen to her podcast episode here or read on to find out more.

Eadgifu of Kent

Although by no means a famous name today, Eadgifu of Kent is the first of the Wessex consorts to have been a major figure at court and she enjoyed great influence for half a century. Interestingly, however, it was not as the king’s wife but as the king’s mother (and even grandmother) that Eadgifu was to demonstrate the potential power that consorts could wield.

Listen to her podcast episode here or read on to find out more.

Ælfflæd

Ælfflæd was the second of Edward the Elder’s three wives and, although the longest serving of Edward’s wives, is a good example of the vulnerability of Saxon consorts. We take a look at her time as consort and then her efforts to have a role in the succession and the significance of consorts in this process.

Listen to her podcast episode here or read on to find out more.

Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians

Æthelflæd was one of the most remarkable figures of the Anglo-Saxon period who played a crucial role in the creation of the nation of England. The daughter of Alfred the Great, consort and then ruler in Mercia, she worked with her brother, Edward the Elder, to defeat the Vikings and brought up Athelstan, who would finish the job of unifying the Anglo-Saxon people under one nation.

Listen to her podcast episode here or read on to find out more.

Ealhswith

The first of the English consorts, Ealhswith, was married to Alfred the Great for over thirty years and yet we know very little about her. Not only is she an obscure figure but she was also only a consort, never actually queen. We take a look at what we do know about Ealhswith, why we don’t know more and why she was never dubbed ‘Queen Ealhswith’.

Listen to her podcast episode here or read on to find out more.