We review Anne of Denmark, consort to James I of England.

Elizabeth I famously never married, but there were various suitors for her hand who came close to becoming Elizabeth's consort. We spoke to Professor Susan Doran about Elizabeth I and the marriage question, with a particular question on her relationship with Robert Dudley, the Hapsburgs and the French candidates and consider why she never married, if she ever wanted to and how close she came.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

It's our first chap of the consort series in the form of Philip II of Spain. A powerful king in his own right, and notorious in England as the man who launched the Spanish Armada against Elizabeth I, it's often forgotten that he was actually King of England through his marriage to Mary I. We learn about Philip's upbringing, how he came to marry Mary, what sort of powers he did or didn't have as King (consort) of England, and the impact he had on English history before the Armada.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

As a lovely finale to our mini-series on the Six Wives of Henry VIII, we share our live podcast recorded at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Saturday 17 June 2023 in which we review all six of Henry VIII's wives in one go, compare them factor by factor and then get the audience to vote for who they think was the greatest of them all.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Before we get started on the Stuart consorts, we read through various listener correspondence as well as sharing previews of our bonus content, including our new special episode (also out today) on Catherine De' Medici.</p><br><p>You can sign up to join the Privy Council and gain access to all our bonus content here: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/rexfactor</a></p><br><p>And you can purchase the Catherine De' Medici special episode (as well as all our other specials) here: <a href="https://payhip.com/RexFactorPodcast " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://payhip.com/RexFactorPodcast </a></p><br><p>If you want to watch us live, we are performing at the Ludlow Fringe on Saturday 17 June 2023 at 19:00 reviewing the Six Wives of Henry VIII in one show: <a href="https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/event/rex-factor-which-was-henry-viiis-best-wife" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/event/rex-factor-which-was-henry-viiis-best-wife</a></p><br><p>Not Just the Tudors podcast: <a href="https://access.historyhit.com/not-just-the-tudors" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://access.historyhit.com/not-just-the-tudors</a></p><br><p><br></p><p>The Partial Historians podcast: <a href="https://partialhistorians.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://partialhistorians.com</a></p><br><p>Tudoriferous podcast: <a href="https://tudoriferous.podbean.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://tudoriferous.podbean.com</a></p><br><p>The Alexander Standard podcast: <a href="https://alexanderstandardpod.podbean.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://alexanderstandardpod.podbean.com</a></p><br><p>For the album featuring compositions by Rex Factor listener Andrew Schneider: <a href="https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.navonarecords.com%2Fcatalog%2Fnv6508%2F&amp;data=05%7C01%7C%7Cb7128f7dd1974d11fe3f08db0a0f4c41%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C638114833031340641%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=0%2FeL%2B308yaA1Y9Izc57%2FSk7Rs5am5Ib%2FRfVn4ly8GE8%3D&amp;reserved=0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6508/</a></p><br><p>The Dig Hartlebury GoFundMe page: <a href="https://gofund.me/ba4def0b" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gofund.me/ba4def0b</a></p><br><p>Talking Tudors podcast: <a href="https://talkingtudors.podbean.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://talkingtudors.podbean.com</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>This week, we chat with Dr Fiona Radford and Dr Peta Greenfield (AKA Dr Rad and Dr G, the Partial Historians) about their new book Rex: The Seven Kings of Rome. Much to Ali's surprise, before the Emperors and before the Republic, ancient Rome was ruled by kings. From Romulus and the founding of Rome to Tarquinius Superbus and the fall of the kings, we learn about the kings and the early history of Rome, then decide how well the kings would fare under the Rex Factor criteria.</p><br><p>Find out more about the Partial Historians and their podcast at their website: <a href="https://partialhistorians.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://partialhistorians.com</a> order their book <a href="https://highlands-press.com/product/rex" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://highlands-press.com/product/rex</a> or follow them on social media:</p><br><p>Twitter - <a href="https://twitter.com/p_historians" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@p_historians</a></p><p>Instagram - <a href="https://www.instagram.com/partialhistorians" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@partialhistorians</a></p><br><p>PG Warning - as this is the Romans, there's some adult content (sex, murder, etc.)</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Just a quick message to say that we are going to be doing a live show at the Ludlow Fringe on Saturday 17 June at 19:00 (BST), where we will be looking at all of the Six Wives of Henry VIII and asking the audience to vote for who they think was the best. We'd love to see some Rex fans in the audience, so if you're able to make it then you can book tickets at the address below:</p><br><p><a href="https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/event/rex-factor-which-was-henry-viiis-best-wife/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk/event/rex-factor-which-was-henry-viiis-best-wife/</a></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Following our mini-series on the Six Wives of Henry VIII, we chat to Professor Suzannah Lipscomb about all things Henry VIII - what was he about? How did he change and why? Plus we get Suzannah's thoughts on the Six Wives, about whom she is currently researching a new book.</p><br><p>You can follow Suzannah on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/sixteenthCgirl" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@sixteenthCgirl</a> and listen to her podcast Not Just the Tudors.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>In a feature-length special episode, we chart the history of the coronation of the English monarchy from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II. We learn about how and why the coronation ceremony started, why it is the way that it is, how it's changed over the last thousand years, and all the funny things that have gone wrong. From a random big stone to oily headlice and reversing horses, there's plenty of fun to be had at the coronation! Plus we learn how Dunstan has ruined Ali's bank holiday.</p><br><p>This podcast has been recorded before the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>We chat to Dr Dean Irwin, long-time listener to the podcast and co-curator of the episode 'History According to Ali', about the history of the Jews in medieval England. We discuss the origins of a Jewish community in England along with their legal status and close relationship to the crown. We look in particular detail at the thirteenth century, considering the attitudes of Henry III and Simon de Montfort as well as some exception individuals like Licoricia of Winchester. Finally, we look at the end of the Jewish population under Edward I with the Edict of Expulsion and why this happened.</p><br><p>If you'd like to hear more about Licoricia of Winchester, you can sign up to the Special Episode or Star Chamber tier of our Privy Council where she was featured in an episode of our special Local Legends podcast series. </p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Having finished our mini-series on the Six Wives of Henry VIII, we go through some of your messages and answer questions about the podcasts, the queens, Henry, and whatever else comes up.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

We come to the end of the Six Wives of Henry VIII odyssey with Katherine Parr. Often neglected but a fascinating character: previous marriages, the Pilgrimage of Grace, and the navigating the treacherous, divided court of Henry VIII's final years. Katherine was closely involved with Henry's children and a key player in the religious divide that was raging in the final years of Henry's reign, but would she be able to emerge unscathed?<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

<p>Katherine Howard was the fifth of the Six Wives of Henry VIII. Young and pretty, she quickly caught Henry's eye while he was extricating himself from his marriage to Anne of Cleves, but Henry's infatuation turned to devastation when revelations about Katherine's past and present dalliances were revealed. Often dismissed as a foolish irrelevance, we consider alternative views of Katherine and whether she has that certain something.</p><br><p><br></p><p><br></p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

The fourth of the six wives of Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves is often recalled as the 'Flanders Mare' but we dig deeper into the true story of where things went wrong between Anne and Henry, why this nickname is unfair and what Anne does after Henry.<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

We move on to the third of Henry VIII's six wives - one of the least famous and yet Henry's favourite, so where does Jane really deserve to rank in the annals of history? She experience life under Katherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, whom she ultimately supplanted as queen, and depending on how you view her either brought some much-needed stability or was just a bit dull! So, an overlooked classic or deservedly in the shadow of her more celebrated predecessors?<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

Although we've reviewed Anne Boleyn, we felt that we needed one final episode to look in more detail about the fall of Anne Boleyn, and to answer the question of why it happens (and why she dies). Was she actually guilty of the crimes she was accused of? Was she brought down by Cromwell? Did Henry tire of her? Was it all just a big misunderstanding?<br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>