The Kings and Queens podcast

Within a year of being crowned, Eadred (946-55) was faced with possibly the most feared, most ruthless and most famous Viking to set foot on English shores. The battle to save Northumbria from Viking control was also fought in conjunction with a battle against a truly debilitating illness. Like his brothers before him, in securing the legacy of his forebears, he could not fail.

Characters

Eadred - King of England (946-55)

Edmund I - King of England (939-46), elder brother of Eadred

Eadgifu - third wife of Edward, mother of Eadred

Edward the Elder - King of the Anglo-Saxons (899-924), father of Eadred

Aethelstan - King of the Anglo-Saxons (924-37), King of England (927-939), half-brother of Eadred

Eadburh - sister of Eadred

Eadwig - son of Edmund and Eadred’s successor

Alfred - King of the West-Saxons (871-886), King of the Anglo-Saxons (886-899), grandfather of Edmund

Dunstan - Abbot of Glastonbury

Aethelwold - Abbot of Abingdon

Aethelstan Half-king - Alderman of East-Anglia

Oda - Archbishop of Canterbury

Hywel Dda - King of Deheubarth

Oswulf I - Earl of Bamburgh, commander of Northumbria

Wulstan - Archbishop of York

Olaf Sihtricson - King of Northumbria (941-44, 949-52)

Eric Bloodaxe - King of Northumbria (947-48, 952-54)

Credits

Viking Calls - Marcus Dellicompagni (www.poundsound.uk)

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Much like those who came before and those who would follow, Edmund I’s (939-46) reign was largely dominated by the Viking threat. Though his early years were tense and characterised by Viking resurgence, he recovered the land won by his father and half-brother and ultimately succeeded in keeping the Viking threat at bay and thus continued the dream of his forebears, the dream of a united, peaceful England.

Characters

Edmund I - King of England (939-46)

Eadgifu - third wife of Edward, mother of Edmund and Eadred

Aelfgith - first wife of Edmund, mother of Eadwig and Edgar

Aethelflaed of Damerham - second of wife of Edmund

Edward the Elder - King of the Anglo-Saxons (899-924), father of Edmund

Aethelstan - King of the Anglo-Saxons (924-37), King of England (927-939), half-brother of Edmund 

Eadred - brother of Edmund 

Eadburh - sister of Edmund

Eadwig - son of Edmund 

Edgar - son of Edmund

Alfred - King of the West-Saxons (871-886), King of the Anglo-Saxons (886-899), grandfather of Edmund

Aelfweard - half-brother of Edmund and Aethelstan and claimant

Edwin - half-brother of Edmund and Aethelstan and claimant

Dunstan - Abbot of Glastonbury

Aethelstan Half-king - Alderman of East-Anglia

Charles the Simple - King of West Francia (898-922), father of Louis

Louis IV - King of West Francia (936-54), nephew of Edmund

Alain - Duke of Brittany

Wulstan - Archbishop of York

Oda - Archbishop of Canterbury

Olaf Guthfrithson - King of Dublin (934-39), King of Northumbria (939-41)

Olaf Sihtricson - King of Dublin (945-47), King of Northumbria (941-44)

Hywel Dda - King of Deheubarth

Idwal foel - King of Gwynedd

Constantine II - King of Alba (900-43)

Malcolm I - King of Alba (943-54)

Owain - King of Strathclyde

Dyfnwal/Dunmail - King of Strathclyde/Cumbria, son of Owain

Hugh the Great - Duke of the Franks

Otto I - King of East Francia

Leofa - outlaw and killer of Edmund

Credits 

Freesound.org:

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Music: The Wizard by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Aethelstan (924-939), renowned through the whole world whose fame flourishes and whose honour endures everywhere, whom God set as king over the English people. Raised on the high throne, and leader of these earthly armies, so that the king himself, mighty in war, could conquer other fierce kings and crush their proud necks.

Characters

Aethelstan - King of the Anglo-Saxons (924-927), King of the English (927-939)

Edward the Elder - King of the Anglo-Saxons (899-924), father of Aethelstan

Ecgwynn - first wife of Edward, mother of Aethelstan

Aelfflaed - second wife of Edward, mother of Aelfweard, Edwin and Eadgifu

Eadgifu - third wife of Edward, mother of Edmund and Eadred

Aethelflaed - Lady of Mercia (911-918), aunt of Aethelstan

Alfred - King of the West-Saxons (871-886), King of the Anglo-Saxons (886-899), grandfather of Aethelstan

Aelfweard - half-brother of Aethelstan and claimant

Edwin - half-brother of Aethelstan and claimant

Constantine II - King of Alba

Owain - King of Strathclyde

Sihtric - Viking King of Dublin (917-20)

Guthfrith - Viking King of Dublin (920-34)

Olaf Guthfrithson - Viking King of Dublin (934-39)

Henry I - King of GermanyHarald Finehair - King of Norway

Hywel Dda - king of Deheubarth

Idwal foel - king of Gwynedd

Morgan ap Owain - king of Gwent

Tewdwr ap Elisse - king of Brycheiniog 

William of Malmesbury - 13th century chronicler

Credits

Music: Chivalry Fair by Alexander Nakarada (www.creatorchords.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Though Edward the Elder's reign (899-924) is overshadowed by his father and his son. His achievements during his 25 years reign were unquestionable. He continued his father’s work with determination and courage. Historian Frank Stenton characterised his reign as one of the best sustained and most decisive campaigns in the whole of the Dark Ages.

Characters

Edward the Elder - King of the Anglo-Saxons (899-924)

Aethelflaed - Lady of Mercia (911-918), elder sister of Edward

Alfred - King of the West-Saxons (871-886), King of the Anglo-Saxons (886-899), father Edward and Aethelflaed

Ealhswith - mother of Edward and Aethelflaed

Aethelwold - cousin of Edward and claimant to the throne

Aethelhelm - cousin of Edward and former claimant to the throne

Ecgwynn - first wife of Edward, mother of Aethelstan and Edith

Aelfflaed - second wife of Edward, mother of Aelfweard, Edwin and Eadgifu

Eadgifu - third wife of Edward, mother of Edmund and Eadred

Aethelstan - aetheling and son of Edward

Aethelred - Lord of Mercia (881-911), husband of Aethelflaed

Plegmund - Archbishop of Canterbury

William of Malmesbury - chronicler

Guthrum - Danish warlord and King of East-Anglia (878-890)

Eohric - Danish Viking king of East Anglia (890-902)

Western-Viking hybrid music - Alexander Nakarada

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Soundmary - wild horses running

Warfare and battlefields - medieval battlefield - weapons- horses- and soldiers

Warfare and battlefields - medieval battlefield - weapons and horses - close perspective

Factus est repente

Alfred the Great (871-99) was the embodiment of the ideal, but practical, Christian ruler. He was the ‘truth teller’, described as a brave, resourceful, pious man. 

Despite his legacy being warped by Victorian and contemporary accounts, his achievements remain visible and profound. They allowed his son and grandsons to build on his political and military initiatives to unite England under the rule of one king.

Characters

Alfred - King of Wessex (871-86), King of the Anglo-Saxons (886-99)

Ealhswith - wife of Alfred

Aethelred - King of Wessex (865-71), brother of Alfred

Aethelbert - King of Wessex (860-65), brother of Alfred

Aethelbald - King of Wessex (858-60), brother of Alfred

Aethelwulf - King of Wessex (839-58), father of Alfred

Ecgberht - King of Wessex (802-39), grandfather of Alfred

Edward - son and heir of AlfredAethelswith - Alfred’s sister, wife of Burghred

Aelle - King of NorthumbriaEdmund - King of East-Anglia

Burghred - King of MerciaCeolwulf - King of Mercia

Lord Aethelred - Lord of the Mercians under Alfred

Aefelflaed - Lady of the Mercians, wife of Lord Aethelred

Viking leaders

Guthrum 

Ivar the Boneless

Ragnar Lothbrook 

Haesten

Ubbe

Credits

Leaving for Valhalla - Alexander Nakarada

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Elizabeth II (1952-2022) ruled for 70 years, the second longest verifiably recorded reign of any monarch in world history behind Louis XIV. For 4 out of 5 Brits, she was the only monarch they had ever known. In a reign that was characterised by a redefinition of monarchy and empire. She offered calmness, reassurance, comfort, leadership and perspective over perhaps the most significant period of social, economic and technological change of any reign in British history. Despite the challenges of modern perspectives around the principles and practicalities of monarchy her adaptability and strong sense of civic duty ensured its survival.

Elizabeth II - Queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms (1952-2022)

Prince Philip - Duke of Edinburgh, Consort of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth realms (1952-2021)

George VI - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Emperor of India (1936-47), father of Elizabeth

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Empress of India (1936-47), mother of Elizabeth

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1936), uncle of ElizabethGeorge V - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), grandfather of Elizabeth

Mary of Teck - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), grandmother of Elizabeth

Princess Margaret - sister of Elizabeth

Prince Charles - eldest son of Elizabeth and heir

Princess Anne - daughter of Elizabeth

Prince Andrew - son of Elizabeth

Prince Edward - son of Elizabeth

Prince William - son of Charles and Diana, grandson of Elizabeth

Prince Harry - son of Charles and Diana, grandson of Elizabeth

Princess Diana - first wife of Charles

Camilla Parker-Bowles - second wife of Charles

Marion Crawford - governess to Elizabeth and Margaret

Cosmo Lang - Archbishop of Canterbury

Winston Churchill - Prime Minister 1940-45, 51-55

Anthony Eden - Prime Minister 1955-57Harold MacMillan - Prime Minister 1957-63Alec Douglas-Home - Prime Minister 1963-64

Margaret Thatcher - Prime Minister 1979-1990

Tony Blair - Prime Minister 1997-2007

Liz Truss - Prime Minister 2022

Michael Fagan - Buckingham Palace intruder

Credits

Jerusalem - Hubert Parry, Edward Elgar

A Moonlit Night On The Spring RiverZadok The Priest - George Friedrich Handel

We Wait For Thy Loving Kindness - William McKie

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George VI (1936-52) led Britain through one of the most consequential periods in world history. His modest and undramatic style of rule in stark contrast to the controversy and drama which surrounded the short reign of his brother was required to guide Britain through the Second World War and the death of the British Empire. He was a steady hand, who overcame his own personal limitations and won the respect of the British people.

Characters

George VI - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Emperor of India (1936-47)

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1936-52), Empress of India (1936-47)

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1936), brother of GeorgeGeorge V - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), father of George

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1901-10), grandfather of George

Victoria - Queen of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions (1837-1901) and Empress of India (1876-1901), Great-grandmother of George

Mary of Teck - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India (1910-36), mother of George

Wallis Simpson - Wife of Edward VIII

Princess Elizabeth - elder daughter of George and Elizabeth

Princess Margaret - younger daughter of George and Elizabeth

Prince Philip - husband of Princess Elizabeth

Prime Ministers

Stanley Baldwin (1935-37)Neville Chamberlain (1937-40)

Winston Churchill (1940-45, 1951-55)

Clement Attlee (1945-51)

Aneurin Bevan - Labour Minister of Health, co-founder of the NHS

Duff Cooper - anti-appeasement Conservative politician 

Alec Hardinge - Private Secretary of George VI

Lionel Logue - Australian speech therapist

Freda Dudley Ward - Edward VIII’s former mistress

Phyllis Monkman - George’s former love interest

Sheila Chisholm - George’s former mistress

Cosmo Lang - Archbishop of Canterbury

Adolf Hitler - Fuhrer of Germany (1934-45)

Benito Mussolini - Dictator of Italy (1922-43)

Richard Grigg - Historian

Credits

Wenn die Soldaten

I was glad Hubert Parry

King Oliver s Jazz Band

The Planets - Jupiter - Gustav Holst

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Edward VIII (1936) ruled for 325 days, the shortest reign of any English monarch since Lady Jane Grey in the 16th century. The first monarch to abdicate since James II in 1688 and the first to do so voluntarily. The abdication crisis shook the British establishment to its core. His connections to Nazi Germany has undoubtedly shrouded his life in ignominy. Even after the war, he was known to describe Hitler as ‘not such a bad chap’. Shunned by the royal family for the crisis he had created and for putting private desire above public duty. It could also have been because they knew, unlike the country, that he was a traitor.

Characters

Edward VIII - King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions. Emperor of India (1936). Duke of Windsor (1937-72)

Wallis Simpson - Duchess of Windsor (1937-86), wife of Edward 

George V - King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions. Emperor of India (1910-36), father of Edward VIII and George VI

Mary of Teck - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and British Dominions. Empress of India (1910-36), mother of Edward VIII and George VI

George VI - King of the United Kingdom and British Dominions (1936-52). Emperor of India (1936-47). Younger brother of Edward. 

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - Queen consort of the United Kingdom and British Dominions (1936-52. Empress of India (1936-47). Wife of George VI

Queen Victoria - Queen of the United Kingdom (1837-1901), great-grandmother of Edward

Edward VII - King of the United Kingdom (1901-10), grandfather of Edward

Herbert Warren - Edward’s tutor and President of Magdalen college, Oxford

Lord Kitchener - Secretary of War

Cosmo Lang - Archbishop of Canterbury

Alec Hardinge - Private Secretary to the Sovereign 

Louis Mountbatten - British Statesman and friend of Edward

David Lloyd George - Leader of the Liberal Party, Prime Minister (1916-22)

Stanley Baldwin - Leader of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister (1935-37)

Winston Churchill - Leader of the Conservative Party, Prime Minister (1940-45, 51-55)

Clement Attlee - Leader of the Labour Party, Prime Minister (1945-51)

Anthony Eden - Foreign Secretary, Prime Minister (1955-57)

Winifred Dudley Ward - mistress of Edward 

Thelma Furness - mistress of Edward

Ernest Simpson - husband of Wallis (1928-37)

Lord Rothermere - media mogul, founder of the Daily Mail

Lord Beaverbrook - owner of the Daily Express

Oswald Mosley - leader of the British Union of Fascists

Ricardo Espirito Santo - Portuguese banker and associate of Edward

Adolf Hitler - Chancellor of Germany (1933-45), Fuhrer (1934-45)

Joseph Goebbels - Reichminister of Propaganda

Hermann Goering - Reichsmarschall and leading Nazi figure

Joachim von Ribbentrop - German ambassador to the United Kingdom, Reichminister of Foreign Affairs, Wallis Simpson’s lover.

Credits

Pomp and Circumstance No. 3Erika (German Soldier’s song)

When Eliza Rolls Her Eyes

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George V's reign (1910-36) stretched across perhaps the most tumultuous period in world history. It saw the bloodiest war to date, the financial markets melt and the rise of fascism and communism

His calm, dutiful leadership would be put to the test, the British monarchy faced perhaps its biggest existential threat as Europe faced unparalleled political and social change. 

Characters

George V - King of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, Emperor of India (1910-36)

Mary of Teck - Queen of the United Kingdom and the British dominions, Empress of India (1910-36)

Edward VII - Father of George, King (1901-10)

Alexandra of Denmark - mother of George, Queen consort (1901-10)

Albert ‘Eddy’ - brother of George

Victoria - Grandmother of George, Queen (1837-01)

Albert - Grandfather of George, Prince consort (1837-61)

David - eldest son of George and future Edward VIII

Bertie - younger son of George and future George VII

John Neale Dalton - tutor

Emmeline Pankhurst - leader of the Suffragette movement

Emily Davison - Suffragette killed during the 1913 Derby

Edward Carson - Irish Unionist politician

Bertrand Edward Dawson - George’s physician

Winston Churchill - Minister of Munitions, First Lord of the Admiralty, Chancellor of the Exchequer

Field Marshal John French - Commander-in-chief of the British Expeditionary Force

Field Marshal Douglas Haig - Commander of the Expeditionary Force on the Western Front

Lord Kitchener - Secretary of State for War

Tsar Alexander III - Emperor of Russia (1881-94)

Tsar Nicholas II - Emperor of Russia (1894-1917), cousin of George 

Kaiser Wilhelm II - Emperor of Germany (1888-1918), cousin of George

Archduke Franz Ferdinand - heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary

Gavrilo Princip - Serbian nationalist and Franz Ferdinand’s assassin

Prime Ministers

Herbert Asquith - 1908-16

David Lloyd George - 1916-22

Andrew Bonar Law - 1922-23

Stanley Baldwin - 1923-24, 24-29, 35-37

Ramsey MacDonald - 1924, 1929-35

Pomp and Circumstance no. 4

The Last Post

Wo alle Straßen enden

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Politips host Ed Castel deep dives into the remarkable reign

Who were the Anglo-Saxons?

What were the seven kingdoms and how did the deal with

How are sources found?

The reign of Athelstan: his rise and consolidation of power,

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