Before we get on to the play-offs in the new year, we read some of your messages relating to all aspects of the podcast (both recent and long ago) and share some previews of our bonus content on Patreon. If you would like to join the Privy Council and access the over 350 episodes of bonus content (plus ad-free versions of the main podcast) you can sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor

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We speak to Lucy Hughes-Hallett about her fascinating book Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham was a favourite of both James I and Charles I, lover to the former and mentor to the latter. Lucy tells us about his unlike rise to power and some of the dramatic (and sometimes farcical) stories from his life.

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We speak to Jane Tippett on the fascinating story of Edward VIII's memoir, with Jane telling us about how and why the book was written and the wealth of new material that she has found giving us further insight into Edward's views on his childhood, time as Prince of Wales and the Abdication Crisis.

You can find out more about Jane at her website http://janemtippett.com/ and on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jane_marguerite_tippett/

Her book is Once a King: The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII

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After taking your messages on the first three Windsor consorts, today we deal respond to your messages about Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Philip - only two of them, but as the most recent and very much within living memory, they very much generated the most discussion!

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We tackle your messages about the Windsor consorts, but because we had so many messages and so much to talk about, we've had to cut the episode in half! So in Part 1, we respond to your messages about Alexandra of Denmark, Mary of Teck and Wallis Simpson, with messages on Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Philip to follow next week.

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It's the end of the series - with this episode, we finish our review of all the consorts from Ealhswith to Prince Philip. With the war, gaffes galore and a record-breaking stint as consort, there's plenty to discuss. The question is, will Prince Philip, consort to Elizabeth II, take the final place on the Rex Factor mountain?

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We reach the end of the series, or nearly the end, as we embark on the first of two episodes for Prince Philip, the consort to Elizabeth II. No reviewing this time, but instead we take a look at his life and consortship, particularly a dramatic start to life which sees flight from revolution, family tragedy and the Second World War before things settle down and he becomes consort.

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In Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon's second episode, we review the consort of King George VI by all the factors and decide whether or not she had the Rex Factor.

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In the first of two episodes, we look at the life and queenship of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (AKA the Queen Mother), consort to King George VI. From growing up in a Scottish castle to the First World War, becoming the Duchess of York, helping the monarchy through the Abdication Crisis and the Second World to a half-century as the Queen Mother, Elizabeth spanned the twentieth century. We tell the story of her long life in this episode, with the review to follow in the second of her episodes.

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This time we review Wallis Simpson, the wife-but-not-consort of Edward VIII. There's lots for us to get our teeth stuck into: an independent spirit but not able to become queen; myriad rumours of scandals across the world plus an unhealthy dose of Nazi associations. Famous, notorious and compelling - but does she have that certain something?

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