Rex Factor

We're back with the Saxons this week, reviewing Ealdgyth, consort to Edmund Ironside. Ealdgyth was from a prominent midlands family who fell out with King Æthelred the Unready in the difficult period of Viking invasions. We find out how these family links drove her into both danger and power amidst Saxon division and Viking invaders and decide what role she might have played in the. chaotic years...

We take a brief diversion from the Saxons to investigate the Viking consort of Sweyn Forkbeard, Sigrid the Haughty. Or is it? There is much debate about the true identity of Sweyn's wife (or wives) and whether Sigrid even existed at all as much of what we know of her comes from the Icelandic sagas. To help us unpack all of this and learn more about the sagas, we are joined by John and Andy from th...

We've back from a summer break! In this catch-up episode we explain why we've been busy (real life), read out some of your correspondence AND have an announcement about Rex Factor: The Animated Show. Without wanting to spoil the episode, we're asking you to help choose which queen (regnant) we should do next. The poll is open now and you just have one week (until Friday 13 September) to make your...

It's fair to say that we don't know quite as much about Æthelred the Unready's first consort, Ælfgifu of York, as we do about his mother (Ælfthryth) nor indeed his second consort (Emma of Normandy). We pick through what we can find about her and consider why there isn't more to go on. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoice...

Ælfthryth was Edgar the Peaceable's third consort but England's first crowned and anointed queen. By building alliances in the church, she was able to raise the office of queenship higher than anything enjoyed by her predecessors and was one of the most influential figures at court. However, she would still face a battle to get her son on the throne, not least from everyone's favourite (and seemin...

It's two episodes in one this time as we review the first two of Edgar the Peaceable's consorts. Very little is known about his first consort, Æthelflæd Candida/Eneda, so most of the episode is about Wulfthryth of Wilton, a source of much controversy because she was potentially a nun (or at least intended to become one!) As such, we take an in-depth look at the real history behind 'sex with nuns'....

Ælfgifu was part of one of the most (in)famous moments of Rex Factor scandal from our first series, but does she deserve her scandalous reputation or has Dunstan been besmirching her reputation? We find out who she was, what she was doing with King Eadwig and why Dunstan didn't like her. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...

Æthelflæd of Damerham was (briefly) the second consort of Edmund I and a wealthy heiress in her own right. We have a deeper look into some of the rights and laws for Anglo-Saxon women and get to hear Æthelflæd's voice in the form of her own will. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ælfgifu of Shaftesbury was the first wife of Edmund I and found an unusual career path in becoming a saint! We review her life and time as consort/saint then have a deeper look at the role of women in early Anglo-Saxon Christianity and how this led to Ælfgifu's lofty status. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adch...

We take a brief break from our normal series to tackle the epic fantasy TV series and books, Game of Thrones. In this feature-length episode, we go through the story of the show and draw out comparisons between the characters and events in the show vs. the real life history that inspired George RR Martin. This episode was recorded after Season 8 Episode 3 (The Long Knight) but before Episode 4 (in...

Eadgifu of Kent was the second consort to Edward the Elder, but it was as the mother of kings that her influence would truly be felt, demonstrating the potential opportunities that existed for consorts whose sons succeeded to the throne. Eadgifu achieved great prominence and was an early patron of monastic reform, helping bring to court a certain someone that Ali will be very pleased to see again....

Ælfflæd was the second consort of Wessex/England and like her predecessor, Ealhswith, struggling against an opposition to consorts being granted power. However, succession struggles for both her husband and sons provides an opportunity for her to assert greater queenly power - will she be successful, or be relegated to operating between the lines of history? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

Æthelflæd is one of the most remarkable and unfairly forgotten figures in English history. The eldest child of Alfred the Great and Ealhswith, she became consort to the Lord of the Mercians but really came to prominence after his death when she took over as a ruler and helped her brother, Edward the Elder, take back lands conquered by the Vikings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

We get the third series properly underway with out first consort: Ealhswith, who married King Alfred the Great. Biographical information is not extensive for Ealhswith, but we piece it all together and then find out from Alfred himself exactly why Ealhswith seems to have been neglected in the histories by taking a deeper look at Anglo-Saxon queenship. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Welcome to Series 3 of Rex Factor! This time we will be reviewing all the Queen and Prince Consorts of England from Ealhswith to Prince Philip. In this introductory episode, we explain how we will be reviewing consorts (as opposed to monarchs) in each of the factors and then have an interview with Privy Councillor Dr Emma Southon, who has written a brilliant book on a Roman Consort, Agrippina. You...

In our final live show of November 2018 we were in Glasgow for the Battle of the Queens where Mary Queen of Scots took on Elizabeth I, Queen of England. They were rivals in life but who would be the victor in history? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our penultimate live show we came to Manchester for the Battle of the Saxons where Alfred the Great took on his grandson, Athelstan, to see which of these two Saxon kings truly deserves the epithet 'great'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was the turn of the baddies for our live show in Leeds with John taking on Richard III in a bid to be crowned England's best baddy of the monarchs. But do either of these much-maligned kings really deserve their reputations or are they good guys in disguise? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ali's scandal bell was getting a good workout in our live show in Oxford as Charles II competed against George IV in the Battle of the Raucous Royals. Both kings got up to plenty of high jinks but who was the most scandalicious of all? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the second of our live shows in 2018, we had the Battle of the Favourites - Ali's favourite (Edward I) vs. Graham's favourite (Henry VIII). All pretence of neutrality went out of the window but who would the good people of Bristol vote as the winner? This podcast features the whole of the main recording as well as the audience Q&As, albeit the audience are not audible so Graham has had to appro...

In November 2018, Rex Factor went on its first ever live tour, starting with this recording in London where we did the Battle of the Champions - Henry II (champion of the English monarchs) vs. Robert the Bruce (champion of the Scots). We present the full live show (barring the first 30 seconds that didn't record) including a Q&A afterwards with the audience (apologies for quiet bits when people co...

Originally planned for 2016, we have finally made a Christmas Special! From Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II, we take a stroll through history and see what some of our favourite monarchs were getting up to at Christmas - be it writing carols, ice skating or murdering the Archbishop of Canterbury. We'll be back in January with the recordings of the Live Tour and then the third series, reviewing all...

Excitingly, the pilot episode of Rex Factor: The Animated Show (crowdfunded by our wonderful listeners) is soon to be released! Ahead of the show's release on 12 September, we spoke to Tom Sanders and Mike Foster of Tinmouse Animation about how this all came about and the process of making the animation. We also reveal the details for the episode's official premiere, which will take place on 29 Se...

Hugely exciting news - Rex Factor is going on tour! This November (2018) we will be doing 6 dates in the UK where we bring the podcast into the live arena! We explain the details in this short news update but tickets are available now from this website - please come along, we'd love to see you there! http://myticket.co.uk/artists/rex-factor   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

With the second series of the podcast complete, it's time for some news about Rex Factor: The Animated Show! There will be a new sizzle trailer coming out on 22 August with the finished show to follow in September, along with news of the premiere! Also, we provide some clips from our most recent special episodes on The Death of Amy Robsart, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire and Bess of Hardwick, plu...