Coronation Catastrophes, a Royal History Geeks podcast

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Gone but never forgotten.
It's been one year since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Royal commentator, James Taylor and history writer, Gareth Streeter reflect on the late Queen's passing, her reign and her legacy.
As well as discussing news of Elizabeth's death and the public reaction, the discussion explores crucial moments from the Queen's reign.

Special bonus episode.  Royal commentator, James Taylor and history writer, Gareth Streeter reunite to share their reflections on the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

In 1838, Britain was in the midst of a new dawn.  Following the years of George III’s mental illness and the debauchery of his sons, a new, young Queen had come to the throne the previous year.

While other coronation ceremonies may have been beset with problems ahead of the event but were alright on the night, Victoria’s coronation didn’t live up to that adage.

There was much confusion about the form of service, she was made to wait around an interminable amount of time, an elderly peer was almost injured paying homage and the Queen left the abbey with a very painful finger.

In this episode, we look at the events of this tumultuous ceremony and, using the Queen’s own words, we explore some of the familial relations within the Royal Family itself at the time.

The marriage between George IV and Caroline of Brunswick was doomed from the start.  Their mutual dislike - which festered from their first meeting - was about the only thing they could agree on.

Estranged within two years, George eventually managed to exile his hated wife to the continent.  But when he eventually ascended the throne, Caroline returned to claim her place as Queen.

Initially, Caroline rode a wave of public support rendering the King unable to secure a divorce.  So when he decided to bar her from the coronation, she decided to try and force her way in.

In this episode, we explore the history of the unhappy couple, the accusations that were levied against Caroline and the surge in popularity she enjoyed as the public rallied to the cause of a wronged woman. 
 

When Henry VIII ascended the throne in 1509 he was weeks shy of his 18th birthday.  Most would have assumed that the young King was to be crowned alone.

However, shortly after taking the throne, Henry announced that he was to marry the resident Spanish Princess, Katherine of Aragon.  The Infanta was the widow of Henry's brother Arthur and had once been betrothed to the new King himself.

The marriage would not end well.  But for Katherine, Henry's decision to marry her was more than a grand romantic gesture.  It rescued her from seven years of obscurity, isolation and genteel poverty.

This episode explores the history of the couple from their first meeting in 1501 to their eventual nuptials and speculates as to why Henry was in such a rush to take a wife.

After his ultimate and unlikely victory at Bosworth in August 1485, many expected Henry VII to quickly marry the Princess Elizabeth of York.  This would have restored the "true" Royal line to the throne and it was Henry's promise to marry Elizabeth that had caused many of his men to support him.  But, much to the likely horror of the nobility, Henry announced that he was to be crowned alone.  The coronation ceremony was hastily rewritten to remove the role of Queen Consort and much of the political class were likely left wondering if Henry was ever going to come true on his promise.

In this episode we explore the practical, ceremonial and political ramifications of Henry’s decisions and speculate about the motivations and factors that shaped his strategy.