A Chronological History of Britain
Latest episodes
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34 min
Court Costs
King Henry’s Court was huge. And that makes sense. His predecessor, King Rufus, was a party animal and, as such, his Court had swollen into a massive, roving scene where anyone who…
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1 h 02
The Reformation Begins
The King was triumphant and his older brother was, if we’re taking the King’s word for it, retired and happily living in the lap of luxury… and most of the King’s other enemies wer…
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32 min
Law and Order: Normandy
Henry had defeated his brother… but he hadn’t defeated Normandy. At least, not yet. Duke Robert still had supporters out there and Falaise was still loyal to the Duke. In fact, Duk…
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4 min
Chapter Eleven – The Machine
At long last, the struggle was over. The post 506 – Chapter Eleven: The Machine first appeared on The British History Podcast.
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48 min
The Battle of Tinchebray
It was the 15th of August, and King Henry was at Bec. He didn’t want to be at Bec, of course. He wanted to be in the field, fighting Robert. However, until the matter with Anselm w…
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42 min
At Anslem's Bec and Call
It was July 21st of 1105 and Henry was in Laigle. Just like he was in the late 1070s. And, just like in the late 1070s, he was in conflict with his older brother. Only this time he…
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34 min
The Holy Ghosting
Curthose and his attendants, what remained of them, were rushing as quickly as they could to Rouen… and he was, presumably, crossing his fingers hoping that the people of that city…
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36 min
The Cage Match of Bayeux
Henry, with the help of Bishop Serlo, had just rebranded himself and his knights as the pious leaders of Greater Christian Normandy by going through little more than a ritualized b…
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43 min
Bishop Serlo's Pop Up Hair Salon
For months, messengers had been arriving from Normandy carrying news of the disorder and chaos that was gripping the Duchy. Now, normally, this would have been good news for King H…
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33 min
William of Mortain and How Some People Never Have Enough Wealth
Some families are just…the worst. You know how it is, there’s the one or two in there that are half decent, but mostly you avoid them too because the rest of the family is just awf…
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47 min
Power and Predictability
The death of Duke Robert’s chief ally, William of Breteuil, and the succession crisis it kicked off, was destabilizing the duchy of Normandy. And while I’m sure it was a relief tha…
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24 min
That's Me In The Spot. Light.
It was 1103 and things were a mess. And…when are they not? But a major reason for this mess was (oddly) William of Breteuil. Now, as you might recall, William of Breteuil was the f…
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37 min
That's Me In The Corner
For the first time since William the Conqueror, there was going to be a primatial council at Westminster Abbey. This was a HUGE deal. Like… enormous. Anselm had been trying to hold…
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39 min
Power Struggles: Part Two
Ok, let’s return to 1101 and 1102, because Henry’s fight with Anselm, and fight between Henry and the Pope (and the fight between Anselm and the Pope) were …amazingly….only half of…
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35 min
Power Struggles: Part One
In early February of 1102 Queen Matilda was giving birth. The post 494 – Power Struggles: Part One first appeared on The British History Podcast.
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26 min
The Price of Peace
The Treaty penned at Alton had avoided outright war, but it wasn’t truly official. It needed to be finalized at Winchester. The post 493 – The Price of Peace first appeared on The…
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38 min
The War for Perception
In 1668, John Dryden became England’s very first Poet Laureate. But he had a rival. No, not just a rival. A nemesis. This man’s name was Thomas Shadwell, and I can’t overstate how…
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30 min
All Hats On Deck
Duke Robert Curthose was back in Normandy, having reclaimed the Duchy unopposed… and now he was looking to assert his claim on England. The post 491 – All Hats On Deck first appear…
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28 min
Messengers from France
King Henry’s first Christmas Court in the closing days of 1100 had felt…off. The post 490 – Messengers from France first appeared on The British History Podcast.
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41 min
From Normandy With Love
Ok, let’s face it, last year was a lot. Rampant corruption, threats of war, tyrannical leaders, actual war, a greedy feckless aristocracy, rulers weaponizing the legal system, rule…