Podcast Episodes | The British History Podcast

Stamford Bridge had been a nightmare.  Thousands of dead… untold numbers of wounded. And the fallout was just beginning. All over Britain, all over Europe, families would slowly be learning the fate of their loved ones. Word was spreading across England and up to Orkney. Out to Flanders, and Norway. The post 391 – The Battle of Hastings first appeared on The British History Podcast .

King Harold, his Huscarls, and the fyrd of Wessex were driving north as fast as they could. The post 390 – Stamford Bridge first appeared on The British History Podcast .

The shores of Saint Valery must have been quite the sight. Looking at the records, which discuss the size of this fleet and other notes that let us estimate the size of the original fleet launched from the River Dives, and comparing those to the records of the fleet following it’s mooring at Saint Valery…historians […] The post 389 – The Tyrant and the Muddy Crossing first appeared on The Br...

We left off in the Court of Harald Hardrada. And you probably feel like you know a lot about this man by now. There’s the stories about the empress, and his time as a Varagian, and about his reputation as a seductive warrior poet. And all of the “oh my god this guy is hot” […] The post 388 – The Stupid Before The Storm first appeared on The British History Podcast .

War was coming.  That much was clear. The post 387 – The Douche is Cast first appeared on The British History Podcast .

William had secured his promises.  Each Baron and lesser noble of Normandy swore to serve him faithfully and take part the invasion of  England.  And William made sure the nerds wrote every single oath down on paper. The post 386 – God’s Messenger first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Ok nerds, take this down. Dear Harry, I was saddened to hear of King Edward’s death. but, I am writing to inform you that my beloved cousin promised me the throne a while back. Don’t worry if this is news to you, it was a secret so I understand if you are a little surprised. […] The post 385 – The Audacity of Boats first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Edward was dead. Harold was King. Edith was sidelined. And as far as the Vita Edwardii was concerned, this was the moment where the wheels came completely off the wagon. The post 384 – King Harold Godwinson first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Christmas of 1065 would have been a grim affair. And as 1066 approached, the Court was likely consumed with anxiety. The King was childless and the throne was being eyed from all sides by foreign dynasties and, according to sources like William of Poitiers, the King had been terribly ill for quite some time. Poitiers […] The post 383 – The Death of King Edward first appeared on The British H...

A 14th century monk made it weird. Or Wyrd? I dunno… it’s weirdly wyrd, though. The post 2021 Halloween Special first appeared on The British History Podcast .

It was 1065.  And King Edward was falling ever more ill. The post 382 – Bros Before Thrones first appeared on The British History Podcast .

After the traitorous murder of King Gruffydd,  Harold returned to England victorious… and as for Wales.  Well, their King had been assassinated and their lands were carved up between rival nobles who were subservient to England. The post 381 – Weekend at William’s first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Up in the hills of Snowdonia, pinned between the sea and the English midlands, King Gruffydd fought against the invading forces of the Godwinsons.  And he was giving the English such a hard time that even  the Life of King Edward admits it in the record. The post 380 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 3 first appeared on The British History Podcast...

Earl AElfgar and his alliance with King Gruffydd of Wales was likely the one true barrier that stood between Harold Godwinson and the throne of England. The post 379 – Everybody Is Killing Everybody Else And Nobody Is Talking About It: Part 2 first appeared on The British History Podcast .

On the year 1059, there is an enigmatic entry in the Welsh Chronicle. The post 378 – Everybody is killing everybody else and no one is talking about it first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Water, and the ability to control water ways, was an important aspect in the Welsh imagination. In fact, the importance of Welsh power on the seas even appears in the Mabinogion. The post 377 – The King of Wales first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Things are moving quickly in our story, now. Pieces are moving into place, and the board is shifting rapidly. Thanks to the benefit of hindsight, we can see where this is going and see how these events are leading to a calamity in just a few years. The post 376 – Lost Years and Lost Lands first appeared on The British History Podcast .

For the first time in a long time, Wales was experiencing a time of internal peace, thanks in large part to its unification under King Gruffydd. The post 375 – Life and Death Politics. But Mostly Death. first appeared on The British History Podcast .

1055 had been an absolutely crazy year. But, for the Godwinsons, it hadn’t been all bad. Having clearly given up on King Edward, Queen Edith was now fully on team Godwinson and bending all of her political and diplomatic talent towards advancing her brother’s positions…and since then they’d made significant advancements with large numbers of […] The post 374 – Be Careful What You Wish For fi...

Earl AElfgar was having a rough time. The clergy and local lords of East Anglia had never really warmed up to him since his appointment to the post in 1053. Their loyalty to Harold went so deep that we can still see evidence of their loyalty to the House of Godwin in surviving records. The post 373 – The First King first appeared on The British History Podcast .

If I could interview one figure from this period, I think it would be Queen Edith. That woman had a WEIRD life. She was married off to a King. Then she watched that King try to destroy her family…As thanks she got stuffed into a nunnery by said King… then got to watch as her […] The post 372 – Hostile Takeover first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Godwin was dead, and now Harold Godwinson found himself leading the family. Befitting this new role, he was due to inherit the wealthy and politically potent Earldom of Wessex. His father’s Earldom. And according to the Vita Edwardi, the Kingdom rejoiced at Harold’s impending promotion. The post 371 – Naked Ambition first appeared on The British History Podcast .

Earl Godwin and his family were back, baby.   Well, mostly. The post 370 – Breaking Bread first appeared on The British History Podcast .

This is an old one, but it was specifically requested. Please forgive the audio quality and delivery. The post Bonus Episode from the Archive: The Poet’s Curse first appeared on The British History Podcast .

When you come at the King, you best not miss… and now the Godwins had the King of France and the Holy Roman Emperor acting as their surrogates while they were constructing no less than two invasion fleets just off of two separate English coasts … which means Edward probably realized he had went at […] The post 369 – Move or You Will Be Moved: Part 4 first appeared on The British History Podc...