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.
Continue readingAlthough 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.
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.
Continue readingThe 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.
Continue readingIt’s the Grand Final of Scottish Rex Factor! Time to decide who is Scotland’s greatest and Rexiest monarch – will it be Constantine II, Robert the Bruce, James IV or Mary Queen of Scots? Unlike the First Round of the play-offs, the Grand Final is 100% public vote, so make sure you have your say! Click here to listen to the podcast episode for the Grand Final, or read on for a quick summary on the four monarchs. If you know who you want to vote for then click the link to the survey below:
https://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=4520f9fc-22b0-40a8-8f9f-aa9c123b0e31
The Grand Final of the Scottish Rex Factor Play-Offs is now open – and it’s entirely done to the public to pick the winner! Click here to listen to the podcast episode for the Grand Final where we compare Constantine II, Robert the Bruce, James IV and Mary Queen of Scots. If you already know who you want to vote for, the link to the survey is just below:
https://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=4520f9fc-22b0-40a8-8f9f-aa9c123b0e31
The third and final first-round group in the Scottish Play-Offs sees the first monarch, Kenneth MacAlpin, pitted against the very last, James VI. James faces the daunting prospect of competing against his own mother, Mary Queen of Scots, while amidst all these famous names the top seed is actually Alexander II. Click here to listen to the podcast episode for Group C, or read on for a quick summary on the four monarchs. If you know who you want to vote for then click the link to the survey below:
https://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=05add7ee-f4a5-4560-af52-92718eabef19
Our third play-off group is now live, meaning that you have a chance to vote! Click here to listen to the podcast episode for Group B where we compare Kenneth MacAlpin, Alexander II, Mary Queen of Scots and James VI. If you already know who you want to vote for, the link to the survey is just below:
https://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=05add7ee-f4a5-4560-af52-92718eabef19
Our second play-off group is now live, meaning that you have a chance to vote! Click here to listen to the podcast episode for Group B where we compare Kenneth II, Malcolm II, David I and James IV or read on to get an overview of how they compare. If you already know who you want to vote for, the link to the survey is just below:
https://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=9e72b43b-6a05-4c15-9e45-eccf93494cdc
Our second play-off group is now live, meaning that you have a chance to vote! Click here to listen to the podcast episode for Group B where we compare Kenneth II, Malcolm II, David I and James IV. If you already know who you want to vote for, the link to the survey is just below:
https://www.eSurveysPro.com/Survey.aspx?id=9e72b43b-6a05-4c15-9e45-eccf93494cdc
Rex Factor 