About this podcast
Rex Factor is a fun podcast reviewing all the kings & queens of England & Scotland.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 325 episodes
- S4.12 Empress Matilda · 1 h 11 min · Season 4The Empress Matilda is perhaps one of the nearliest monarchs of the Nearly Monarch series! The only surviving legitimate child of Henry I and his acknowledged heir, her cousin…
- S4.11 William Clito · 1 h 10 min · Season 4William Clito was the son of Robert Curthose and a thorn in the side of Henry I. With many in England, Normandy and France seeing Clito as the rightful heir, Henry's foreign…
- S4.10 William Adelin · 51 min · Season 4Our nearly monarch this week is William Adelin, only legitimate son of Henry I and famously a victim of the White Ship Disaster. Before this, however, he was being shaped for…
- S4.09 Robert Curthose · 1 h 13 min · Season 4We kick off the Norman nearly monarchs with Robert Curthose, the eldest son of William the Conqueror who managed to miss out on becoming king twice. A dramatic life story…
- Right to Reply 11: Anglo-Saxon Nearly Monarchs · 1 h 15 min · Season 4It's our first Right to Reply of the Nearly Monarch series as we go through your messages on the Anglo-Saxons (and Viking) We hear of suggestions for other Nearly Monarchs to…
- Eleanor Parker: The Last Anglo-Saxons · 1 h 3 min · Season 4This week we chat to Dr Eleanor Parker about the next generation of Anglo-Saxons in 1066 - the young men and women whose lives took a very different path with the Conquest and…
- Tom Licence on 1066 · 1 h 19 min · Season 4This week we chat to Professor Tom Licence about 1066 - initially the question of the succession and who should have succeeded Edward the Confessor, but our timing was excellent…
- S4.08 Edgar the Ætheling · 1 h 5 min · Season 4The final Nearly Monarch of our first mini-series, Edgar the Ætheling is the forgotten figure of 1066 but the one with the best claim to the throne. The only royal Saxon prince…
- S4.07 Harald Hardrada: Review · 1 h 11 min · Season 4In the second part of the Harald Hardrada podcast, we review him and decide whether his exploits in Russia, Byzantium, Norway and his invasion of England will earn him the Rex…
- S4.06 Harald Hardrada: Biography · 1 h 3 min · Season 4The legendary Viking ruler, Harald Hardrada, is our first two-parter of the series due to his remarkable life story. Russian exile, adventures in the Byzantine Emperor, and…
- S4.05 Edward the Exile · 1 h 2 minOne of the least famous nearly monarchs but perhaps the most pivotal, Edward the Exile was the son of Edmund Ironside and a nephew to Edward the Confessor and his survival might…
- S4.04 Edith of Wilton · 1 h 9 min · Season 4Our first female nearly monarch of the series, Edith of Wilton, was the daughter of Edgar the Peaceable and a potential rival to her half-brother, Æthelred the Unready. The…
- S4.03 Ælfweard and Edwin · 55 min · Season 4It's a double-header this week with the brothers Ælfweard and Edwin - not a nearly ruling duo but both seem to have met mysteriously early ends amidst a rivalry with their older…
- S4.02 Æthelwold · 1 h 5 min · Season 6Series 4 begins! We review our first nearly monarch, Æthelwold, a nephew to Alfred the Great (perhaps familiar to many from The Last Kingdom series) who challenged his cousin…
- Ludlow Live News 2026 · 16 min · Season 4Just a quick update from us to let you know that we are going to be returning to Ludlow this year for another live show. Join us at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Friday 21 August…
- Emily Murdoch Perkins - The Queens Who Could Have Been · 1 h 9 min · Season 4As an introduction to our series on the nearly monarchs, we speak to Emily Perkins about her book Regina: The Queens Who Could Have Been, which looks at the queens who could have…
- S4.01 Series 4 Introduction · 35 min · Season 4It's time for a new series of Rex Factor! In this introductory episode, we explain the concept of the series (what is a 'nearly monarch'?), who the nearly monarchs are (i.e. the…
- Offa of Mercia · 1 h 14 min · Season 4This week, after an introduction to the podcast, we review Offa, the eighth century king of an early English kingdom called Mercia. We learn about why he was not the first king…
- David Woodman - Athelstan: First King of England · 1 h 3 min · Season 3We chat to the historian David Woodman about his book The First King of England: Athelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom. He tells us about why Athelstan (not Alfred) should be…
- Messages & Previews 11 · 59 min · Season 3We respond to some of your messages about all elements of the podcast, as well as share some previews of our bonus content. Sign up for lots of bonus content, including an…
- Battle of the Champions (Live at Ludlow 2025) · 1 h 59 min · Season 3Available for all to listen, the recording of our live show at the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Friday 15 August 2025 in which we pit the champions of the first three series of Rex…
- Queen James (Gareth Russell) · 1 h 8 min · Season 3We welcome Gareth Russell back onto the podcast, this time to talk about his latest book Queen James: The Life and Loves of Britain's First King, looking at the life and reign of…
- Right to Reply 10: Grand Final Results Comments · 1 h 8 min · Season 5We go through the comments from the public vote in the Grand Finals of the play-offs, talking through the perspectives on the Nearly Rexy Consorts, Round One and Semi-Final…
- S3.88 Grand Final Results Analysis · 57 min · Season 3Following the Grand Final Results, we take an in-depth look at how the public voted and just how close some of the results were. Graham explains all the stats and ranked choice…
- S3.87 Play-Offs: Grand Final Results · 48 min · Season 3A champion is crowned... After six years and over 60 consorts reviewed, we are finally at the end. In today's episode, we reveal the results of the Nearly Rexy Consorts, Round…
- S3.86 Play-Offs: Semi-Final Losers · 1 h 13 min · Season 3For the first time, we are giving all the Rex Factor-winning consorts a final ranking for the series. In this episode, we are asking you to rank all of the consorts eliminated in…
- S3.85 Play-Offs: Round One Losers · 1 h 21 min · Season 3For the first time, we are giving all the Rex Factor-winning consorts a final ranking for the series. In this episode, we are asking you to rank all of the consorts eliminated in…
- SS3.84 Play-Offs: Grand Final · 1 h 21 min · Season 3It's crunch time! Just four consorts remain to do battle in the Grand Final for English consorts to be crowned the Series 3 champion of Rex Factor. Will it be Emma of Normandy…
- Right to Reply 9: Semi-Final Results · 1 h 12 min · Season 3We go through the stats from the public vote in the semi-finals of the play-offs, explaining how all of the groups finished as they did, plus go through the comments left by…
- S3.83 Play-Offs: Semi-Final Results · 60 min · Season 3Who will make it through to the Grand Final? Twelve will go down to four with today's results episode as we reveal the results of the four semi-finals as well as the Privy…
- Messages & Previews 10 · 51 min · Season 3We respond to some of your messages about all elements of the podcast, as well as share some previews of our bonus content. We are doing a live show! Join us in Ludlow on Friday…
- Live in Ludlow 2025 News · 6 min · Season 3We are doing another live show! We are returning to the Ludlow Assembly Rooms on Friday 15 August 19:30 for The Battle of the Champions, as we pit our three series champions…
- S3.82 Play-Offs: Semi-Final D · 1 h 2 min · Season 3It's the last of the semi-finals - who will be the final consort to make it to the Grand Final? Your contenders this week: Æthelflæd Lady of the Mercians, Eleanor of Aquitaine…
- S3.81 Play-Offs: Semi-Final C · 1 h 8 min · Season 3The semi-finals are underway and the stakes are getting higher: just three consorts in each group and only the winner to go through to the Grand Final. Your contenders this week…
- S3.80 Play-Offs: Semi-Final B · 1 h 10 min · Season 3The semi-finals are underway and the stakes are getting higher: just three consorts in each group and only the winner to go through to the Grand Final. Your contenders this week…
- S3.79 Play-Offs: Semi-Final A · 1 h 11 min · Season 1The semi-finals begin and the stakes are getting higher: just three consorts in each group and only the winner to go through to the Grand Final. Your contenders this week…
- Right to Reply 8: First Round Results Comments · 1 h 21 min · Season 3We go through lots of your comments from the voting forms for the First Round Results of the play-offs, hearing your thoughts (good and bad) about all of the consorts, helping us…
- S3.78 First Round Results Analysis · 60 min · Season 3Ahead of the semi-finals, we have a look at the voting stats from the First Round. We know who has gone through and who was placed where by the public, but how did they get…
- S3.77 Play-Offs: First Round Results · 47 min · Season 3We have reviewed all the queen and prince consorts of England from Ealhswith to prince Philip, and now it's time to find our series champion! In this episode, we reveal the…
- Messages & Previews 9 · 1 h 4 min · Season 3We respond to some of your messages about all elements of the podcast, as well as share some previews of our bonus content. On the day of release, there is one final day to vote…
- S3.76 Play-Offs: First Round - Group D · 1 h 2 min · Season 1The play-offs have begun! In the last of the first round contests, we pit Ælfthryth, Elizabeth Woodville, Matilda of Boulogne, and Æthelflæd, Lady of the Mercians against each…
- S3.75 Play-Offs: First Round - Group C · 1 h 1 min · Season 3The play-offs have begun! In the third of the first round contests, we pit Isabella of France, Henrietta Maria, Caroline of Ansbach, Mary of Teck and Caroline of Brunswick…
- S3.74 Play-Offs: First Round - Group B · 1 h 9 min · Season 3The play-offs have begun! In the first of the first round contests, we pit Eleanor of Aquitaine, Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Eadgifu of Kent…
- S3.73 Play-Offs: First Round - Group A · 1 h 15 min · Season 3The play-offs have begun! In the first of the first round contests, we pit Emma of Normandy, Prince Albert, Matilda of Scotland, Katherine Parr and Margaret of Anjou against each…
- Right to Reply 7: Play-Off Draw · 1 h 6 min · Season 3Before we get started on the Play-Offs, we respond to your messages about the play-off draw - your thoughts on the process, who you are predicting/wanting to win, and what should…
- S3.72 The Play-Off Draw · 54 min · Season 3We have reviewed all the queen and prince consorts of England from Ealhswith to prince Philip, and now it's time to find our series champion! In this episode, we reveal how the…
- Messages & Previews 8 · 1 h 17 min · Season 3Before we get on to the play-offs in the new year, we read some of your messages relating to all aspects of the podcast (both recent and long ago) and share some previews of our…
- Lucy Hughes-Hallett (The Duke of Buckingham) · 1 h 17 min · Season 3We speak to Lucy Hughes-Hallett about her fascinating book Scapegoat: The Brilliant Brief Life of the Duke of Buckingham. Buckingham was a favourite of both James I and Charles…
- Jane Tippett (The Lost Memoir of Edward VIII) · 1 h 5 min · Season 3We speak to Jane Tippett on the fascinating story of Edward VIII's memoir, with Jane telling us about how and why the book was written and the wealth of new material that she has…
- Right to Reply: Windsor Consorts - Part 2 · 43 min · Season 3After taking your messages on the first three Windsor consorts, today we deal respond to your messages about Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon and Prince Philip - only two of them, but as the…
