Storyline | The British History Podcast

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 wasn’t in the town to do something fun, like pee on Robert from a balcony. No, this […] The post 504 – At Anslem’s Bec and Call first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 Henry.  It was no secret that the King wanted to reunite his father’s cross channel empire under himself… nor was it a secret that he […] The post 501 – Bishop Serlo’s Pop Up Hair Salon first appeared on The British History Podcast.

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 appeared on The British History Podcast.

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.

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, rulers completely disregarding the legal system, rulers making grandiose promises they had no interest in actually delivering on, international intrigue, at least one incredibly suspicious death, and finally […] The post 489 – From Normandy With Love first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Edith, the daughter of King Malcolm Canmore, has appeared from time to time in our story and (by this point) she was about 20 years old… and many of those years had been weird ones. The post 487 – Stealing a Wife From God first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The cart carrying the body of King Rufus eventually reached the cathedral at Winchester. And if we are to believe Malmesbury,  blood had been dripping from it from the forest all the way into the Cathedral.  Though, at some point it must have stopped. I mean, even if no one… ya know… sorted it out, […] The post 486 – Stealing a Crown from your Brother first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Zee runs us through the events and it’s… a lot. The post The First Crusade Sample first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was a calm August afternoon in Winchester.   The Royal Palace (or potentially the Conqueror’s castle… our scribes aren’t precise when discussing the location, but probably the Palace)… either way, Winchester would have been full of activity,  but nothing out of the ordinary.  Just Royal functionaries carrying out their duties while the King was away, […] The post 485 – What Happened? first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, when we left off, Rufus threw a big “look at me” celebration… and the prevailing response appears to have been “yeah, man. We see you.” And that wasn’t even the worst part of his year. The post 484 – Final Destination: The New Forest first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The final two years of the 11th century feel like someone was trying to tie up a bunch of plotlines before the start of season 12. Things are moving fast, everybody is suddenly in different countries, and inevitably…some of these characters aren’t having their contracts renewed. The post 483 – Standing on Ceremony first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Alright.  When we left off, I mentioned that while Rufus was in Normandy, things in England had been getting interesting in his absence. Let’s start with Bishop Walkelin. The post 482 – Eye for an Eye first appeared on The British History Podcast.

When we left off, Rufus and Robert of Belleme were marching upon Maine.  Specifically, Count Helias’ fortress at Danguel. This fortress made military incursions and raids into Maine insanely difficult.  Which Rufus and Robert found deeply inconsiderate, so it would have to be brought down or, at the very least it would have to be […] The post 481 – Operation Baguette Storm first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Alright, so when we left off Edgar (the eldest living son of Malcolm Canmore) had claimed the throne of Scotland.  But, in classic medieval style, the way that Edgar had gone about that was anything but simple. Edgar had taken the throne from his  Uncle, King Donald III, and to pull that off  Edgar had […] The post 480 – All Gas, No Brakes first appeared on The British History Podcast.

For years, Normandy had been wracked with internal conflict, war, and political unrest.  The Duchy had nearly been the end of Duke Robert countless times… and if there was a single defining characteristic of Normandy under Robert, it would be “chaos.” The post 479 – Be Like Water first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It’s September of 1096, and Duke Robert was setting out on Crusade, intent on taking the main pilgrim road to Rome and Norman Italy.  Joining him were his retainers, soldiers, and supporters… including high ranked figures like Bishop Odo of Bayeux, Count Robert of Flanders, and Stephen of Aumale (who was the forgettable guy that […] The post 478 – A Fire Sale for the Faithful first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1096, Robert de Mowbray, the former Earl of Northumbria, was living in Windsor.  And he better get comfy, because his majesty seemed quite happy to keep him there as a permanent resident. The post 476 – The Crackdown first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Night fell… and gradually, everything within Bamburgh and the Malvoisin went quiet.  Sure, there were the occasional patrols, and the occasional muffled voice as two people shared a moment, or simply tried to keep themselves awake while on watch… but for the most part, there was no sound except for that of the waves lapping […] The post 475 – The Fall of Mowbray first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Rufus was marching North to directly challenge de Mowbray and anyone foolish enough to follow  him.  And of course he was.  There was only one response this King was ever going to have to de Mowbray’s instigation.  War.   The post 474 – Malvoisin, the Evil Neighbor first appeared on The British History Podcast.

So, when we left off, Anselm finally had his Pallium, and Rufus got… well… Rufus got all the independence and freedom from Church interference that he could have hoped for.  Even better, his Bishops were on the same page as him and were supporting the King’s independence from Rome. The post 473 – Stage Management first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We have spent a lot of time with the situation between Anselm and Rufus, and all their messy interpersonal drama, but we haven’t really discussed the true elephant in the room. Radicalism. The post 472 – Radicals first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was January of 1095 and Rufus was still at war with his eldest brother, Duke Robert. A  war that could have been avoided if the Red King had simply kept his word… or even just apologized. But he wasn’t interested in doing either of those things, so people were dying in Normandy. The post 471 – How To Lose Friends and Irritate People first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Ok, I know at the end of that last episode I kinda sorta promised you a fight. And we are definitely going to have one. But we are pausing real quick to cover some SERIOUSLY good gossip…and possibly a murder? The post 467 – Saint Anselm first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We don’t really know precisely what Henry got up to once he fled Mont Saint Michel. What few records we have are incomplete and some contradictory.  But from those records we /are/ able to glean some details… and when we take the accounts in total, what immediately becomes clear is that, just because Henry was […] The post 464 – Rufus’ Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Campaign first appeared on The British History Podcast.

We’ve been spending a lot of time with Rufus and Robert. And that was the way things were back in the 11th century, too.  Rufus and Robert got the attention, while Henry… the youngest, and apparently most forgettable brother… was often left out.  And this reality was made most clear when their father died… and, […] The post 461 – Destabilizing a Nation: A How-To Guide first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It’s one of the most famous landmarks in the world. The White Tower, or more recently, the Tower of London. If you’ve visited London you likely took time to go see it. The post 460 – The White Tower first appeared on The British History Podcast.

With Count Henry and Robert of Belleme imprisoned under his tender care, Bishop Odo had free rein to guide the impressionable Duke Robert in whatever direction he wanted.  And he had a direction in mind. The post 459 – Lashing Out first appeared on The British History Podcast.

William the Conqueror had not set his sons up for success, and at the heart of it was land. Obviously, the way he distributed those lands in his Will had been a bit of a disaster, as it had set his two eldest sons up for war.   The post 457 – The Bachelor King first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was Easter of 1088.  This was, typically, a  time when the most powerful figures of England would gather at Court.  But this wasn’t a typical  year. The post 454 – Odo’s Rebellion: Worst Easter Ever first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Primogeniture, the practice of handing all wealth and power from father to the eldest son, had done a lot to consolidate power along single family lines. But it created all manner of problems for …well, pretty much everyone else. The post 453 – Odo’s Rebellion: The Cold War first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Somewhere around the time  William the First was bursting out of his tomb like roasted chestnut and  William the Second was making it rain with his dead dad’s money….something was turning in western culture as a whole. The post 452 – Odo? Oh Yes. first appeared on The British History Podcast.

It was early September of 1087, and for weeks…nearly two months, in fact… people had been discussing William’s impending death, and worrying about what would happen next.  And for good reason. This family, which ruled over Normandy, had a history of infighting and civil wars, especially during times of succession. The post 450 – Begin With A Bang first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Strap yourselves in. These kids are something else. The post 449 – Chapter Ten: The Boys first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The story of William and the conquest has been a long road, and I’ve heard from some of you that this season has been challenging to listen to.   I get it.  No matter how awful William is he never seems to face any real consequences… The post 448 – The Death of William the Conqueror first appeared on The British History Podcast.

If the last few episodes have seemed a little confusing, then you’re hearing them right. Europe at the end of the 11th century was a rapidly changing world and it is all going to have a profound impact on the history of Britain. I want you to really have a good understanding of what is […] The post 447 – The End of the Conquest first appeared on The British History Podcast.

When we left off, things were looking pretty bad for William and William’s hope of a legacy. Maine was once again in rebellion against Normandy. But this time half of France seemed to be looking for an excuse to join them. Denmark was preparing an invasion of England … and even William’s brother-in-law, Count Robert […] The post 446 – Death and Taxes first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Matilda was dead and now things were coming apart at the seams. The post 445 – Feeding Frenzy first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Based on the e-mails I have been getting, some of you are having a hard time understanding why on god’s green earth did Odo think he could just trot down to Rome and become the new Pope.  The truth is he was less crazy than we might think, and I’m going to take a moment […] The post 444 – Holy Beef first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1075, Earl Roger and Earl Ralph lead a significant rebellion against King William, spurred by personal grievances and political ambitions. This insurrection, ignited at a wedding, quickly evolves into a major crisis, challenging the king’s authority. The plot thickens with Waltheof’s involvement, revealing intricate alliances and betrayals among the nobility. The uprising, marked by […] The post 432 – The Revolt of the Earls first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1075, amidst the backdrop of William’s strained relations with England and his noble court, a grand wedding intertwines political machinations with matrimonial celebration. Earl Roger and Ralph de Gael, leveraging their noble statuses and familial connections, conspire to challenge William’s authority. Their plot, hatched under the guise of marital bliss, seeks to capitalize on […] The post 431 – The Gang Has A Wedding first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1071, amidst the backdrop of Norman conquest and resistance, the narrative unfolds around the tragic fall of the English nobility and the calamitous effects of William’s policies. This year witnesses the catastrophic fallout from the Battle of Cassel, where pivotal Norman figures, entangled in Flemish civil strife, suffer greatly. Simultaneously, William’s manipulation of English […] The post 426 – Everyone Has Their Limits first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1071, the betrayal by Abbot Thurstan to William, revealing Ely’s defenses, marks a pivotal moment in Hereward’s resistance. Despite starvation and siege hardships, Hereward’s refusal to surrender underscores his unyielding spirit against Norman dominance. William’s struggle to amass a willing army for the final assault, due to past failures, reveals his reliance on promises […] The post 425 – Hereward: The Fall of Ely first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1069, William the Conqueror faces a strategic nightmare as his march north is stymied by natural obstacles and a well-coordinated Danish-led resistance. The rebels’ tactical use of geography, destroying bridges and leveraging seasonal weather, forces William into a difficult position. Amidst a backdrop of widespread rebellion and a lack of local support, William’s attempts […] The post 415 – Cry Me a River first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1069, the victory at York ignites widespread rebellion across England, challenging Norman dominance. The English, bolstered by alliances with the Danes, leverage this triumph to inspire uprisings, symbolizing a significant shift in resistance against Norman control. This period highlights a critical juncture where experienced leadership emerges, altering the dynamics of English resistance. The narrative […] The post 414 – The Uprising first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In the fall of 1069, King Swegn of Denmark launches an invasion of England with a massive fleet, motivated by ambition and the lure of wealth rather than revenge for Hastings. Despite the impressive size of the invading force, their raids along the English coast face unexpected resistance, leading to a series of repelled attacks […] The post 413 – The D first appeared on The British History Podcast.

Harold Godwinson’s sons, continuing their family’s tradition of piracy, return to England with a fleet from Ireland to challenge the crown. Despite the questionable success of this approach in the past, they inflict generational damage on the southern English coast, highlighting a mix of political motivation and opportunistic plunder. The campaign, however, ends disastrously for […] The post 412 – The B Word first appeared on The British History Podcast.

The 1069 turmoil in the North of England sees a chaotic blend of failed leadership, noble mismanagement, and dramatic confrontations with King William. A successful rebellion quickly disintegrates into a farcical retreat as English nobles, initially seizing the moment, falter spectacularly in their strategic endeavors. William, seemingly untroubled, returns to his southern domain, throwing an […] The post 411 – Tell it to St. Peter first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1069, William the Conqueror’s sudden assault on York with a formidable army takes the city by surprise, exploiting strategies learned from previous battles. The city’s defenders, comprising mostly non-combatants, are thrown into chaos, highlighting the harsh realities of warfare on civilian populations. The narrative further delves into the political complexities of the time, including […] The post 410 – The F Word first appeared on The British History Podcast.

In 1068, a pivotal moment unfolds in Northumbria, where the assassination of Earl Robert at Durham sparks a large-scale rebellion against Norman rule. This event signifies a shift in English resistance, transforming disparate uprisings into a coordinated army ready for rebellion. The construction of a castle in Durham underlines the strategic shift, emphasizing preparedness and […] The post 409 – The First Sparks first appeared on The British History Podcast.

I feel for the English commoners in the late 1060’s.  They had nothing to do with the arrival of the Normans… everything they suffered was the result of the actions of the nobles.  Exclusively.   The post 407 – Robbing the Hood first appeared on The British History Podcast.