Royal History Geeks

Earl Spencer, brother of the Diana, Princess of Wales has hit headlines with the release of his sensational new memoir.  We explore his motivation, credibility and the potential impact on the House of Windsor.

We went live to talk about the ongoing investigation and the papers exploring Andrew's appointment as trade representative.  This episode is presented as recorded without major editing.

As William attempts to reassure the public that he is committed to the Church of England, others raise questions about his ability to serve as supreme governor.

The working Royals assembled to mark the centenary of Elizabeth II.  But onlookers note the lack of young blood in their ranks.

Meanwhile, the King and Queen embark on a controversial state visit to the United States.

We discuss all this and more in the latest Royal roundup.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are rarely out of the news.  Recent months have seen critics decry the "failure" of their commercial ventures.  Harry has intervened in global politics and the duchess described herself as the most trolled woman of the last decade.

We discuss recent events and what the ongoing Sussex saga means for the monarchy.

We recap the latest events and reactions in the ever-unfolding drama around the former Duke of York.  As revelations continue to surface we analyse the consequences for the wider Royal family and the legacy of Elizabeth II.

Unedited and unpolished.  What does this mean for Andrew?  What does this mean for the monarchy?

Christmas represents a high-profile time in the Royal calendar, as the world watches the family make their way to church on Christmas Day. 

Recent weeks however, have also given us plenty of unexpected events to discuss. The Queen bravely shares her story of an incident of assault. The King offers a (somewhat, but not very) controversial message, and James and Gareth express some sympathy for the Duchess of Sussex.

We also caught up with Philippa Lacey from British History Tours, who is hosting the "Online History Festival" from 20-22 March.  It  will explore six defining moments from British history.  You can buy tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/defini...

Also, Gareth talks about "Heated Rivalry". A lot. But we edited most of it out.

The King's decision to strip Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of all Royal accolades has raised serious questions about the way styles and titles work in Britain.  We had the pleasure of catching up with Jason Loch, an expert on the British constitution, to discuss the intricacies and history of the title system.

Unfortunately the interview is a little quiet, so put your volume up when you listen.

You can read Jason's work at his blog: https://venerablepuzzle.wordpress.com/

Jason was also kind enough to send links to the various docs we discussed:

https://cbaionline.org/corpus/items/show/488 (1864 Letters Patent declaring styles and titles of the Royal Family)
https://cbaionline.org/corpus/items/show/487 (1917 Letters Patent declaring styles and titles of Princes and Princesses)
https://cbaionline.org/corpus/items/show/374 (1957 Letters Patent conferring the title of Prince on the Duke of Edinburgh)
https://cbaionline.org/corpus/items/show/359 (1996 Letters Patent declaring that a Prince's former wife loses HRH)
https://cbaionline.org/corpus/items/show/358 (2012 Letters Patent granting princely status to children of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales)
https://cbaionline.org/corpus/items/show/486 (2025 Letters Patent removing Andrew's style of Royal Highness and title of Prince)
https://cbaionline.org/corpus/items/show/485 (2025 Royal Warrant directing the Secretary of State to remove Andrew from the Roll of the Peerage)

November was another busy month in Royal news.  Royal commentator James Taylor joins RHG creator Gareth Streeter to discuss the stories that hit headlines in  recent weeks.

Following the Andrew fallout, the Royal finances are inevitably back under the spotlight.  Meghan continues to divide opinion with her content.  The Royal assemble at the cenotaph to remember our heroic veterans.  We discuss a range of new books including a new publication by Diana's former private secretary.

We also caught up with historian Lauren Johnson to discuss her spell-binding new factual book on Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the Tudor dynasty.

To prevent our October 2025 "Royal roundup" being dominated by the fall of the Yorks, we have devoted an entire bonus episode to the topic.

We discuss the events that led up to Andrew's fall, the sanctions placed upon him and impact on the future of the monarchy.

Apologies for the slightly dodgy sound in places.  Hopefully it doesn't impact enjoyment.