Royal History Geeks

The second part in our series on the Abdication crisis of 1936.

Edward VIII ascends the throne and immediately begins a subtle but determined campaign to position Wallis Simpson as his consort.

But even without the dangers posed by Wallis, Edward soon begins to ruffle feathers.  Among government, fears abound around the new King's reliability, capability and political instincts.

This episode again sees Royal commentator James Taylor team up with RHG founder, Gareth Streeter to discuss the unfolding crisis.  It also features a guest interview with Adrian Phillips, author of "The King who had to go".

We discuss:

• The circumstances of Edward's ascension and his immediate decision to break protocol by watching his own proclamation with Wallis
• Concerns about the new King's reliability and work ethic
• The early intervention of Cosmo Lang and Edward's relationship with this seasoned Archbishop of Canterbury
• The politics of the 1930s and the circumstances that made Edward's German sympathies more difficult to manage
• A potential plot to assassinate the King?
• Wallis Simpson's first steps in divorcing her husband Ernest

Unfortunately, there are a few moments in this episode where there is bit of feedback sound.  RHG apologies for this but wants to reassure you that such distractions only crop up a few times and last for just a few seconds.

This episode was originally part of the "Royal Revolutions" series, broadcast in December 2024.

The love affair between Edward VIII and Mrs Simpson could never have been a truly private matter.  But when their relationship began in 1934 few could have predicted that it would lead to Britain's most recent Royal Revolution.

Royal commentator James Taylor once again joins RHG founder, Gareth Streeter.  They discuss:

 - The upbringing and early life of Edward and Wallis

 - Life in the early twentieth century Royal family

 - George V and Queen Mary's parenting skills

 - The character, personality and limits of the dashing but dangerous Edward, Prince of Wales

 - The Prince's love affairs with Freda Dudley Ward and Thelma Furness

 - Wallis and Edward's meeting and early relationship

 - The King and Queen's reactions

 - Wallis and her husband Ernest's motivations for tangling with the Prince

Today marks the paperback release of “Spare” – the tell all biography written by the Duke of Sussex.

It’s now been some years since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step back as working members of the Royal family.  Now that the dust – to at least some extent – has settled – it’s possible to review that decision, and the controversies that followed with an open mind and a level head.  During this two-part podcast, this is what we have tried to do.

In part 2, Royal commentator James Taylor and history writer Gareth Streeter discuss:

• The Netflix series and the background (as far as we understand it) of the deal
• The treatment of the Duchess of Sussex in aspects of the UK media and how this compares with the way the Princess of Wales is discussed
• The importance of source criticism in dealing with any media
• The book Spare, and why Gareth got too angry to finish it
• Harry’s bravery and honesty in being vulnerable about his mental health
• The book’s strengths and weaknesses

Today marks the paperback release of “Spare” – the tell all biography written by the Duke of Sussex.

It’s now been some years since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step back as working members of the Royal family.  Now that the dust – to at least some extent – has settled – it’s possible to review that decision, and the controversies that followed with an open mind and a level head.  In this two-part podcast, this is what we have tried to do.

During this podcast, Royal commentator James Taylor and history writer Gareth Streeter discuss:

• Harry and Meghan’s engagement and initial clash with the media
• The Royal wedding and the huge optimism that surrounded it
• The couple’s early married life as working Royals
• Their decision to step back
• The “Sandringham summit” and the Royal family’s response
• The controversial Oprah Winfrey interview
• How Royal titles work and the reason that the couple’s children were not initially a Prince and Princess

A year ago, the world was rocked by the release of the “missing Princes project” interim findings.  A new book and TV documentary on the “Princes in the Tower” followed hot on the heels.  The epic Philippa Langley was the driving force behind all three.

Okay, so it may have been a relatively niche portion of the world that was “rocked” by this release.  But we Royal history geeks were curiously captivated.

In this video, history writer Gareth Streeter and Royal commentator James Taylor discuss the books strengths and weaknesses.

We cover:

·       The background and merits of the "missing Princes project"

·       The positives of the book and corresponding TV show

·       The problem with biases in historical research

·       Our big issues with the book's approach to source criticism

·       The opportunities for the future of the project

·       Our fears that the quest to prove Richard III’s innocence will undermine the genuine historical value of the project

·       Whether the bones supposedly belonging to Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York should be subject to DNA examinations

Please note that this episode was recorded several months before broadcast.  As such, some topical references will be out of date.

Welcome to the Royal History Geeks podcast.  This is a "catch all" channel where we post content from all our other series.  That said, there will be some original content here.

If you prefer to listen to a series as a discrete unit, go to Royalhistorygeeks/podcasts to check out what we do...

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.

This episode was originally broadcast on September 8 2023

A special bonus episode in the "Coronation catastrophes" podcast.

Royal commentator, James Taylor and history writer, Gareth Streeter, discuss the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

This episode was originally broadcast on June 20 2023

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.

This episode was originally broadcast on May 8 2023

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 tried 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.

This episode was originally broadcast on May 8 2023