The Scottish monarchy was thrown into crisis and civil war when Kenneth II, having tried to ensure that the succession would pass from father to son, was killed in 995. After ten years of conflict, Kenneth’s son, Malcolm II, has finally become king, but was it worth the wait? To find out how Malcolm II fared as king, listen to his podcast episode here or read on to find out more.
The dynastic conflict at the heart of the Alpin dynasty continued to rage with Kenneth III’s accession in 997. One rival was dead, but Kenneth would still have to see off another if he was to put the crisis to bed once and for all. To find out how he got on, you can listen to his podcast episode here or read on to find out more.
The stability Scotland enjoyed in the long reign of Kenneth II was thrown back into turmoil in 995 when Kenneth was murdered and there were three men disputing the throne. Constantine III was the first to get his grubby hands on the crown, but could he hold on to it? To listen to his podcast episode, click here, or read on to find out more.
As of about 17:30 today (9 September 2015), Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest reigning monarch in British history. To mark her achievement, we take a look at the top 10 reigns in English history and see how the Queen compares to her (not always) illustrious predecessors.
After two short reigns mired by dynastic conflict, Scotland’s monarchy was looking a little precarious at the end of the tenth century. If Kenneth II was going to succeed where others would fail he would not only have to defeat his rival, Olaf, but find a way to solve the succession crisis once and for all. His story involves murder, rowing up the River Dee and one of the most remarkable deaths featured in Rex Factor as well as everybody’s favourite monk! To listen to his podcast episode, click here, or read on to find out more.
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