A decade after the assassination of his father, Kenneth II, Malcolm II finally came to the throne in 1005. Faced with enemies from within his own family, the territory of Moray and the presence in England of the most powerful man in Europe, Cnut...

The dynastic conflict continues in Scotland when Kenneth III comes to the throne in 997. Team Red is no more but Kenneth (Team Purple) still has to face the challenge of Malcolm (Team Blue) to hold on to the throne. Find out who comes out on top in the...

After the stability of Kenneth II, in 995 Constantine III usurped the throne and restarted the dynastic conflict of the Alpin dynasty. Scotland now had three men vying for the throne: Constantine III (Team Red), Malcolm (Team Blue) and Kenneth (Team...

The dynastic conflict at the heart of the Scottish monarchy continues with Kenneth II's accession in 971. Kenneth (Team Blue) is taking on Olaf (Team Red) in a bid to win dominance, but will Kenneth be able to succeed where the previous monarchs h...

The dynastic warfare continues in Scotland, with Cuilean usurping the throne in 967. The rival branches of the Scottish royal family continue to dispute the throne and the violence continues. Will Cuilean be able to deliver a good reign for team red or...

Dubh (or Duff) comes to the throne in 962 and marks the beginning of a period of dynastic conflict in Scotland. The system of an alternating succession has made family ties rather distant and rival claimants rather numerous, and Dubh must taken on his...

Indulf became the King of Scots in 962 and while there is not a lot written about him, there's quite a bit for us to get our teeth into. Edinburgh, Vikings and an unintentionally amusing account of Indulf's demise all await...

Malcolm has to wait a long time to become king and when Constantine II finally abdicates in 943, there's a lot going on. The death of the Saxon king Athelstan has left a power vacuum in Northumbria and Malcolm is very much at the centre of events...

After a succession of short and unsuccessful reigns, Constantine II's reign would be crucial in the formation of the Scottish nation. Coming to the throne in 900, his intray included a country still divided by internal strife, facing invasion from...

After the Alpin dynasty was sent packing by Giric and/or Eochaid, it came roaring back in 889 with Donald II, winning back the throne after a decade in Irish exile. However, it's one thing to defeat Giric but there are still the tricky issue of Vi...

After the memorably unmemorable reign of Aed (#RememberAed) came to  an end in 878, things get rather uncertain in Scotland. So, this week we review Giric...or Eochaid...or is it Giric AND Eochaid? Who is really wearing the crown and will they deserve...

The year 877 was not an easy time for Aed to come to the throne. After a decade of Viking raids, Aed's brother, Constantine I, had been killed and the kingdom was in a precarious position. It would take a strong and skillful ruler to overcome such...

It's Vikings o'clock in this episode, with saga legends like Olaf the White, Ivar the Boneless and the Sons of Ragnar swarming across Britain. The Great Heathen Army of the 860s-70s has its mind on conquest and the action is ceaseless across ...

After Kenneth MacAlpin started a new, Scottish dynasty in wake of a Pictish defeat to the Vikings, it was left to his brother, Donald I, to carry on where he left off. Donald seems largely to have done this but sadly the annals of history have not...

The new series starts properly in this episode as review our first monarch, Kenneth MacAlpin. After the leading Picts were wiped out by the Vikings in 839, Kenneth emerged from the murky past to take the throne of both the Picts and the Scots. But...

Rex Factor is back! After reviewing all the monarchs of England, now we turn our attention to Scotland. Before we get onto the kings and queens, however, we provide some background to the history of Scotland: stone houses, Hadrian's Wall, Vikings...

In the second part of our question and answers podcast, we continue to answer the questions sent in to us by the audience. Next time, we'll be back with a new series on the kings and queens of Scotland from Kenneth MacAlpin to James VI.

While we get ourselves prepared for the new series of Rex Factor (the Kings and Queens of Scotland), we invited you to send in any questions you have about us, the podcast, or history in general. We wanted to get through as many questions as possible...

Rex Factor will soon be returning for a new series reviewing all the Kings and Queens of Scotland but before we start the new series, we're going to have a Question and Answers podcast to bridge the gap. This is your chance to ask us any questions...

So, after four years we have finally reached the conclusion. The votes have all been counted, the results are in.We have reviewed all the kings and queens of England from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II and you have voted for who you want to win. In...

After four years reviewing all the kings and queens of England from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II we have reached the end - the Grand Final. The three contenders for the Rex Factor crown are Alfred the Great (the founding father), Henry II (the...

We're almost at the end - the Semi-Finals feature 9 of the 18 Rex Factor winning monarchs but after this just three will make it through to the Grand Final. Listen now to find out who is still standing, with sword held aloft, on the Rex Factor...

In the third and final semi-final, our very first monarch, Alfred the Great, is up against the two Edwards - grandfather and grandson, Edward I and Edward III. But who deserves a place in the final? Will it be Alfred for saving Anglo-Saxon England from...

Semi-Final B sees a fascinating mix of characters: the pious, all-conquering Saxon and first king of all England, Athelstan; the relentless, zealous, French-conquering hero of Agincourt, Henry V, and the vibrant splendour of a Tudor golden age in...

Things are hotting up now in the play-offs as we move on to the semi-finals. Semi-Final A is a real humdinger, with the top scoring monarch in Henry II up against two of the most iconic figures in Henry VIII and Queen Victoria. This time only one will...