Robert Curthose

September 25, 2026 · 1 hr 14 min

We 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, tussling with his father and brothers, a bromance with Edgar the…
Right to Reply 11 Anglo-Saxon Nearly Monarchs

September 11, 2026 · 1 hr 16 min

It'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 include, different approaches to the scoring system, plus your…
Eleanor Parker: The Last Anglo-Saxons

August 14, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

This 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 how they adapted. From the semi-legendary Hereward the Wake to…
Tom Licence on 1066

July 31, 2026 · 1 hr 19 min

This 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 as Tom had recently been in the news for his new research…
Edgar the Ætheling

July 17, 2026 · 1 hr 6 min

The 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 left alive, the son of Edward the Exile, he was passed over in…
Harald Hardrada: Review

July 3, 2026 · 1 hr 11 min

In 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 Factor. (Unfortunately the camera pointed at Graham stopped…
Harald Hardrada Biography

June 19, 2026 · 1 hr 4 min

The 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 becoming King of Norway all before he invaded England in 1066. In…
Edward the Exil

June 5, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min

One 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 have meant the Norman Conquest would never have happened. We…