PODCAST

Rex Factor

Rex Factor is a fun podcast reviewing all the kings & queens of England & Scotland.

history

All Episodes

70:42

S1.49 George II

Rex Factor ·

2012/05/05

It's a case of history repeating itself when George II comes to the throne in 1727 - like his father, he has Robert Walpole as his 'prime minister', is at odds with his eldest son, has a Jacobite rebellion to deal with, gets involved in the wars and diplomacy of continental Europe and is keen to get back to Hanover as much as possible. Where George II does differ, however, is in his strong and happy marriage to Caroline of Ansbach and the military triumph enjoyed under his rule, with Britain

68:17

S1.48 George I

Rex Factor ·

2012/04/12

A lack of Protestant Stuarts in 1714 meant the start of a new dynasty with George I and the Hanoverians. Poor George wasn't the happiest of monarchs - he was perfectly happy in Hanover and went back as often as he could, while his British subjects weren't too enamoured with him as a dull German who didn't speak much English. Nevertheless, George's was an interesting reign, seeing the defeat of Jacobite rebellions from the Old Pretender, the rise of Robert Walpole (particularly during the South Sea

69:23

S1.47 Anne

Rex Factor ·

2012/03/25

The tumultuous Stuart dynasty comes to an end in this episode with Queen Anne, but otherwise it's an era of new beginnings. John Churchill (Duke of Marlborough) leads England to military glory against Louis XIV, particularly at Blenheim, while at home the Act of Union with Scotland sees the creation of Great Britain. In many ways a glorious reign, and yet Anne's reputation has never been very good. Has she been unfairly sullied by her once best friend, Sarah Churchill, or is history right to forget

69:56

S1.46 William & Mary (Glorious Revolution)

Rex Factor ·

2012/03/03

With the removal of James II in 1688 in the Glorious Revolution came the unusual position of joint rulers: the husband and wife team of William III and Mary II. William held executive power and spent most of his time fighting wars against his arch nemesis, Louis XIV of France (the Sun King), as well as stopping James II clawing his way back to England. As well as the wars, this was a period of significant constitutional and economic development that would be vital in forming the modern British

68:14

S1.45 James II

Rex Factor ·

2012/02/10

The monarchy was left in a pretty good state by Charles II in 1685, but the trickiest part of his reign had been to prevent Parliament excluding his Catholic brother, James, from the throne, so how would Parliament react to its first Catholic ruler since Mary I? James's life and reign proved to be somewhat turbulent and to a large degree the difficulties were of his own making. Would he be able to persuade his anti-Catholic Parliament to grant religious toleration to Catholics? Would he be want to

67:54

S1.44 Charles II (Restoration)

Rex Factor ·

2012/01/28

After the republican interlude of the Commonwealth, Charles II leads the restoration of the monarchy in 1660. After an adventurous youth alongside his father in the Civil War and a thrilling escape from Cromwell's clutches in 1651, Charles was intent on having a good time and taking things easy. However, increasing tensions around foreign policy and religion (specifically the Catholicism of Charles's brother, James) saw the country once more in fear of civil strife. Will Charles II succeed where his

67:30

S1.43 Oliver Cromwell

Rex Factor ·

2012/01/10

The execution of Charles I in 1649 created something of a dilemma for England, needing to find a completely new way to govern itself. Various parliamentary outfits were tried, but throughout it all one man dominated until in 1653 he officially became the Lord Protector for the Commonwealth and Free State of England. This man was from the lower gentry, at one time a farmer, and little known until the Civil War when he became a renowned cavalry leader. He would become perhaps England's most powerful

67:49

S1.42 Charles I (Civil War)

Rex Factor ·

2011/12/20

Charles I's accession in 1625 would prove a momentous moment in English history, leading to numerous conflicts with Parliament which resulted in civil war and the abolition of the monarchy. Charles's early years were blighted by military failures under the Duke of Buckingham and conflict with Parliament, leading to the Personal Monarchy where he ruled by his own stead. Conflict with Scotland forced the recall of Parliament in 1640 and after two years of tensions the civil war broke out, finishing

67:27

S1.41 James I (VI of Scotland)

Rex Factor ·

2011/12/02

The Tudor dynasty came to an end in 1603 to be replaced by the Stuarts, headed by James VI of Scotland (now James I of England). James had much promise as an experienced king in Scotland with a tendency towards religious toleration, peaceful rule and informality. However, he inherited numerous problems from Elizabeth, in particular a powerful parliament with various grievances and an empty treasure chest. A reign of mixed fortunes saw James survive the Gunpowder Plot, patronise the King James Bible

68:19

S1.40 Elizabeth I

Rex Factor ·

2011/11/14

After the short and troubled reign of Mary I, Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 facing numerous challenges: a country deeply divided on religion, threatened by France and Scotland (via Mary Queen of Scots), an awkward relationship with Mary's widower, Philip II of Spain, plus great uncertainty as to who was next in line to rule the country. Elizabeth survived all these challenges, outlasted her rivals and has become one of the most revered monarchs in English history, but is her beloved status

68:00

S1.39 Mary I

Rex Factor ·

2011/10/15

A lack of male Tudors meant that in 1553 a woman would, for the first time, inherit the throne. Edward VI wished his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, to take the throne but instead it was his older sister, Mary. Mary was Henry VIII's oldest child had seen her fortunes fluctuate dramatically. Beloved by Henry VIII but ostracised for failing to accept his Supremacy, only to be restored to his full affection before being ostracised by her brother, Edward VI, for refusing to comply with his Protestant reforms

67:05

S1.38 Edward VI

Rex Factor ·

2011/09/26

After the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII, in 1547 his young son Edward VI comes to the throne. As a minor, Edward's reign is dominated the machinations of the key men at court, particularly his uncles (Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and Thomas Seymour), and John Dudley (Duke of Northumberland), while Thomas Cranmer pushes forward radical Protestant reforms. However, Edward himself shows great promise and intelligence and comes to exert a real influence on events, particularly in religion and

46:57

S1.37 What Happened to Henry VIII?

Rex Factor ·

2011/09/18

In a departure from our usual fare, this week we take a closer look at Henry VIII and consider how it was that the promising 17 year-old who came to the throne in 1509 should turn into the tyrannical monster that died in 1547. Was his personality altered on account of injuries or ill health? Could his change have been due to traumatic events which pushed him over the edge into tyranny? Or maybe the expectations of 1509 were misplaced and he was always a tyrant, or at least a ticking bomb waiting to

68:26

S1.36 Henry VIII

Rex Factor ·

2011/09/08

In 1509, England's most (in)famous monarch comes to the throne - Henry VIII. Henry dominates the popular imagination even to this day and his reign dramatically altered the course of English history. It all started very pleasantly, with a good-looking and athletic king on the verge of his 18th birthday taking over to great acclaim, but his lack of a male heir led to his annulment of Catherine of Aragon, marriage to Anne Boleyn and the Reformation, where England broke from Rome and the Catholic

67:30

S1.35 Henry VII

Rex Factor ·

2011/08/10

With victory in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Henry VII becomes the first of the new Tudor dynasty. Henry had a difficult time facing down numerous threats to his reign, particularly from pretenders such as Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, but governed effectively, particularly in improving the country's finances. His marriage to Elizabeth of York helped symbolise a unity between the Lancastrian and Yorkist factions in the Wars of the Roses and his legacy was the powerful Tudor dynasty, and yet

63:56

S1.34 Richard III

Rex Factor ·

2011/07/26

By usurping his nephew, Edward V, in 1483 Richard III started his route to infamy and his place in English history as perhaps the most notorious and monstrous king of them all. However, to this day he has passionate supporters who claim he was a far better king than Shakespeare gave him credit. Did his death at the Battle of Bosworth end prematurely a great king? Or was England better off without the last of the Plantagenets? If you lose track of who all the people mentioned in the episode are,

64:05

S1.33 Edward V (Princes in the Tower)

Rex Factor ·

2011/07/17

The name Edward V is unfamiliar to most, but the fate of the Princes in the Tower (Edward and his brother, Richard) is one of the most famous and mysterious issues in English royal history. The 12 year-old king came to the throne in 1483 but never received his coronation, instead being usurped by his uncle Richard Duke of Gloucester (soon to become Richard III). As a reign there's not much to review, but this week Rex Factor goes all whodunit and investigates who was responsible for the murder of

65:29

S1.32 Edward IV

Rex Factor ·

2011/07/06

The Yorkists come to power in 1461 in the form of Edward IV. 19 years old, very tall, exceptionally attractive and a courageous soldier to boot, Edward is a very different prospect to the ailing Henry VI but his reign is not without difficulty. His marriage to Elizabeth Woodville shocks the country and he faces outright rebellion from his former champion, Warwick the Kingmaker, and his upstart brother, George Duke of Clarence. Overmighty subjects caused chaos for Henry VI but will Edward IV prove

64:30

S1.31 Henry VI (Wars of the Roses)

Rex Factor ·

2011/06/21

Henry V's untimely death in 1422 leaves a baby on the throne in the form of Henry VI and marks a total reversal in English fortunes. Disasters in France at the hands of Joan of Arc are eclipsed by the Wars of the Roses, with the Yorkist forces of Richard Duke of York and Warwick the Kingmaker facing off against the Lancastrians led by Margaret of Anjou and the Beaufort family. This is a dramatic period of numerous battles and the deaths of the most high profile figures in the land and amidst this

64:18

S1.30 Henry V

Rex Factor ·

2011/06/08

In 1413 we welcome one of England's most legendary kings to the throne, Henry V. After the trials and tribulations of his father, Henry V makes this 'kinging' business look rather easy, unifying his country before popping off to France and winning unprecedented victories against the French, most notably at the Battle of Agincourt. Military triumph, national unity and pious streak suggests the makings of the perfect medieval king, but some historians have criticised him for his brutality and lack of

310 results

Rex Factor

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

The Old Front Line

Paul Reed

Today In History with The Retrospectors

The Retrospectors

جنود خلدهم التاريخ

ALSUMOOD PODCAST

Film History - Daily

Inception Point Ai

Madonna - Biography Flash

Inception Point Ai