Rex Factor

After the short and troubled reign of Mary I, Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 facing numerous challenges: a country deeply divided on religion, threatened by France and Scotland (via Mary Queen of Scots), an awkward relationship with Mary's widower, Philip II of Spain, plus great uncertainty as to who was next in line to rule the country. Elizabeth survived all these challenges, outlasted her rivals and has become one of the most revered monarchs in English history, but is her beloved status deserved or is there more to find than the traditional mythology? If all the names get a bit confusing, check out our handy who's who guide to the episode: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-elizabeth-i/

After the short and troubled reign of Mary I, Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 facing numerous challenges: a country deeply divided on religion, threatened by France and Scotland (via Mary Queen of Scots), an awkward relationship with Mary's widower, Philip II of Spain, plus great uncertainty as to who was next in line to rule the country. Elizabeth survived all these challenges, outlasted her rivals and has become one of the most revered monarchs in English history, but is her beloved status deserved or is there more to find than the traditional mythology? If all the names get a bit confusing, check out our handy who's who guide to the episode: http://rexfactor.podbean.com/test-page/whos-who-elizabeth/

A lack of male Tudors meant that in 1553 a woman would, for the first time, inherit the throne. Edward VI wished his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, to take the throne but instead it was his older sister, Mary. Mary was Henry VIII's oldest child had seen her fortunes fluctuate dramatically. Beloved by Henry VIII but ostracised for failing to accept his Supremacy, only to be restored to his full affection before being ostracised by her brother, Edward VI, for refusing to comply with his Protestant reforms. Her unlikely triumph in 1553 was a sadly fleeting, for her unpopular marriage to Philip of Spain and failure to produce an heir made her reign troubled and unhappy, while the burnings of Protestant led to her being defined merely as 'Bloody Mary'. If you lose track of who's who, have a look at our handy guide for this week's episode: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-mary-i/

A lack of male Tudors meant that in 1553 a woman would, for the first time, inherit the throne. Edward VI wished his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, to take the throne but instead it was his older sister, Mary. Mary was Henry VIII's oldest child had seen her fortunes fluctuate dramatically. Beloved by Henry VIII but ostracised for failing to accept his Supremacy, only to be restored to his full affection before being ostracised by her brother, Edward VI, for refusing to comply with his Protestant reforms. Her unlikely triumph in 1553 was a sadly fleeting, for her unpopular marriage to Philip of Spain and failure to produce an heir made her reign troubled and unhappy, while the burnings of Protestant led to her being defined merely as 'Bloody Mary'. If you lose track of who's who, have a look at our handy guide for this week's episode: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-mary-i/

A lack of male Tudors meant that in 1553 a woman would, for the first time, inherit the throne. Edward VI wished his cousin, Lady Jane Grey, to take the throne but instead it was his older sister, Mary. Mary was Henry VIII's oldest child had seen her fortunes fluctuate dramatically. Beloved by Henry VIII but ostracised for failing to accept his Supremacy, only to be restored to his full affection before being ostracised by her brother, Edward VI, for refusing to comply with his Protestant reforms. Her unlikely triumph in 1553 was a sadly fleeting, for her unpopular marriage to Philip of Spain and failure to produce an heir made her reign troubled and unhappy, while the burnings of Protestant led to her being defined merely as 'Bloody Mary'. If you lose track of who's who, have a look at our handy guide for this week's episode: http://rexfactor.podbean.com/test-page/whos-who-mary-i/

After the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII, in 1547 his young son Edward VI comes to the throne. As a minor, Edward's reign is dominated the machinations of the key men at court, particularly his uncles (Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and Thomas Seymour), and John Dudley (Duke of Northumberland), while Thomas Cranmer pushes forward radical Protestant reforms. However, Edward himself shows great promise and intelligence and comes to exert a real influence on events, particularly in religion and concerning his oldest sister, Mary. Often dismissed as an insignificant interlude, Edward's reign is another fascinating episode in the Tudor dynasty - but is it a successful one? If you get confused by all the different names (and indeed, promotions mean some people change their name!) check out our Who's Who guide: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-edward-vi/

After the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII, in 1547 his young son Edward VI comes to the throne. As a minor, Edward's reign is dominated the machinations of the key men at court, particularly his uncles (Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and Thomas Seymour), and John Dudley (Duke of Northumberland), while Thomas Cranmer pushes forward radical Protestant reforms. However, Edward himself shows great promise and intelligence and comes to exert a real influence on events, particularly in religion and concerning his oldest sister, Mary. Often dismissed as an insignificant interlude, Edward's reign is another fascinating episode in the Tudor dynasty - but is it a successful one? If you get confused by all the different names (and indeed, promotions mean some people change their name!) check out our Who's Who guide: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-edward-vi/

After the tumultuous reign of Henry VIII, in 1547 his young son Edward VI comes to the throne. As a minor, Edward's reign is dominated the machinations of the key men at court, particularly his uncles (Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset, and Thomas Seymour), and John Dudley (Duke of Northumberland), while Thomas Cranmer pushes forward radical Protestant reforms. However, Edward himself shows great promise and intelligence and comes to exert a real influence on events, particularly in religion and concerning his oldest sister, Mary. Often dismissed as an insignificant interlude, Edward's reign is another fascinating episode in the Tudor dynasty - but is it a successful one? If you get confused by all the different names (and indeed, promotions mean some people change their name!) check out our Who's Who guide: http://rexfactor.podbean.com/test-page/whos-who-edward-vi/

In a departure from our usual fare, this week we take a closer look at Henry VIII and consider how it was that the promising 17 year-old who came to the throne in 1509 should turn into the tyrannical monster that died in 1547. Was his personality altered on account of injuries or ill health? Could his change have been due to traumatic events which pushed him over the edge into tyranny? Or maybe the expectations of 1509 were misplaced and he was always a tyrant, or at least a ticking bomb waiting to off... Let us know what you think - what happened to Henry VIII? Email rexfactorpodcast@hotmail.com, follow us on Twitter @rexfactorpod leave a message on our Facebook wall or a comment on the Podbean website. Normal reviewing service resumes next time with Edward VI.

In a departure from our usual fare, this week we take a closer look at Henry VIII and consider how it was that the promising 17 year-old who came to the throne in 1509 should turn into the tyrannical monster that died in 1547. Was his personality altered on account of injuries or ill health? Could his change have been due to traumatic events which pushed him over the edge into tyranny? Or maybe the expectations of 1509 were misplaced and he was always a tyrant, or at least a ticking bomb waiting to off... Let us know what you think - what happened to Henry VIII? Email rexfactorpodcast@hotmail.com, follow us on Twitter @rexfactorpod leave a message on our Facebook wall or a comment on the Podbean website. Normal reviewing service resumes next time with Edward VI.

In a departure from our usual fare, this week we take a closer look at Henry VIII and consider how it was that the promising 17 year-old who came to the throne in 1509 should turn into the tyrannical monster that died in 1547. Was his personality altered on account of injuries or ill health? Could his change have been due to traumatic events which pushed him over the edge into tyranny? Or maybe the expectations of 1509 were misplaced and he was always a tyrant, or at least a ticking bomb waiting to off... Let us know what you think - what happened to Henry VIII? Email rexfactorpodcast@hotmail.com, follow us on Twitter @rexfactorpod leave a message on our Facebook wall or a comment on the Podbean website. Normal reviewing service resumes next time with Edward VI.

In 1509, England's most (in)famous monarch comes to the throne - Henry VIII. Henry dominates the popular imagination even to this day and his reign dramatically altered the course of English history. It all started very pleasantly, with a good-looking and athletic king on the verge of his 18th birthday taking over to great acclaim, but his lack of a male heir led to his annulment of Catherine of Aragon, marriage to Anne Boleyn and the Reformation, where England broke from Rome and the Catholic Church. From 1536, his reign was a succession of dramas, including the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Pilgrimage of Grace, numerous executions (including some of his six wives) and an ongoing rivalry with France and Spain. He is perhaps England's most famous king, but is he worthy of the Rex Factor? As ever, lots of characters crop up in the episode, so check out our who's who to keep track of them all: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-henry-viii/

In 1509, England's most (in)famous monarch comes to the throne - Henry VIII. Henry dominates the popular imagination even to this day and his reign dramatically altered the course of English history. It all started very pleasantly, with a good-looking and athletic king on the verge of his 18th birthday taking over to great acclaim, but his lack of a male heir led to his annulment of Catherine of Aragon, marriage to Anne Boleyn and the Reformation, where England broke from Rome and the Catholic Church. From 1536, his reign was a succession of dramas, including the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Pilgrimage of Grace, numerous executions (including some of his six wives) and an ongoing rivalry with France and Spain. He is perhaps England's most famous king, but is he worthy of the Rex Factor? As ever, lots of characters crop up in the episode, so check out our who's who to keep track of them all: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-henry-viii/

In 1509, England's most (in)famous monarch comes to the throne - Henry VIII. Henry dominates the popular imagination even to this day and his reign dramatically altered the course of English history. It all started very pleasantly, with a good-looking and athletic king on the verge of his 18th birthday taking over to great acclaim, but his lack of a male heir led to his annulment of Catherine of Aragon, marriage to Anne Boleyn and the Reformation, where England broke from Rome and the Catholic Church. From 1536, his reign was a succession of dramas, including the Dissolution of the Monasteries and the Pilgrimage of Grace, numerous executions (including some of his six wives) and an ongoing rivalry with France and Spain. He is perhaps England's most famous king, but is he worthy of the Rex Factor? As ever, lots of characters crop up in the episode, so check out our who's who to keep track of them all: http://rexfactor.podbean.com/test-page/whos-who-henry-viii/

With victory in the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, Henry VII becomes the first of the new Tudor dynasty. Henry had a difficult time facing down numerous threats to his reign, particularly from pretenders such as Lambert Simnel and Perkin Warbeck, but governed effectively, particularly in improving the country's finances. His marriage to Elizabeth of York helped symbolise a unity between the Lancastrian and Yorkist factions in the Wars of the Roses and his legacy was the powerful Tudor dynasty, and yet he has been largely forgotten by history. Is his obscurity justified, or is this the time for his place in history to be celebrated? If you lose track of who is doing what to who (and there are a lot of names in this one!) check out our handy who's who guide to the episode: https://rexfactor.wordpress.com/english-monarchs/whos-who/tudors/whos-who-henry-vii/