Rex Factor

We're almost at the end - the Semi-Finals feature 9 of the 18 Rex Factor winning monarchs but after this just three will make it through to the Grand Final. Listen now to find out who is still standing, with sword held aloft, on the Rex Factor mountain... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the third and final semi-final, our very first monarch, Alfred the Great, is up against the two Edwards - grandfather and grandson, Edward I and Edward III. But who deserves a place in the final? Will it be Alfred for saving Anglo-Saxon England from the Vikings? Edward I for conquering Wales with his magnificent castles and his reforms to the law and Parliament? Or Edward III for the Arthurian glories of Crecy and the Hundred Years War? Only one can go through to the final, so use the link below to vote for your favourite - the deadline for voting is Thursday 12 June: Survey Link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Semi-Final B sees a fascinating mix of characters: the pious, all-conquering Saxon and first king of all England, Athelstan; the relentless, zealous, French-conquering hero of Agincourt, Henry V, and the vibrant splendour of a Tudor golden age in Elizabeth I. Only one can go through to the Grand Final, so make sure you vote for your favourite in the link below: Survey Link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things are hotting up now in the play-offs as we move on to the semi-finals. Semi-Final A is a real humdinger, with the top scoring monarch in Henry II up against two of the most iconic figures in Henry VIII and Queen Victoria. This time only one will progress into the Grand Final, so make sure you vote for your favourite monarch in the link below! Survey Link Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things get real in the play-offs as 9 of the 18 Rex Factor winners are eliminated from the competition. The results are revealed for Groups A, B and C in the first round - the scores from Ali, Graham and the combined votes of the public at large will be put together and the top three in each group will go through to the semi-finals. For more about the play-offs, check out our blog: http://rexfactor.wordpress.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the last of the first round ties, Group C is a fascinating battle between medieval (William the Conqueror, Edward III & Henry V) vs. the modern (William IV, Victoria & George V). William conquered England after the Battle of Hastings, while Edward III & Henry V enjoyed military glories against France in the Hundred Years war. William IV saw the beginnings of a constitutional monarchy, helping to usher in the Great Reform Act, while Victoria was at the centre of Britain at her imperial height. George V established the Windsor dynasty amidst the turbulence of the First World War and interwar years. As ever, YOU can help decide who goes through - click on the link below and vote for your THREE favourites: Group C Survey The survey will close on 31 March 2014 so make sure you vote before it's too late! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Group B is a heavyweight affair of empires and conquerors. Cnut, a Viking, is one of a very small number of leaders to have conquered England, as well as presiding over a North Sea Empire, Henry II established the Angevin Empire (England and the 'left' of France), while Richard the Lionheart set his sights on Jerusalem and Edward I on Wales. Elizabeth I did not conquer but she presided over a golden age and saw off the Spanish Armada while William III set in motion the Glorious Revolution. Once again, YOU can help decide who goes through - click on the link below and vote for your THREE favourites: Group B Survey Link The survey will close on 31 March 2014 so make sure you vote before it's too late! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So the play-offs finally begin. There are three rounds and in the opening round we have three groups of six, which for Group A consists of Alfred the Great, Athelstan, Henry I, Edward IV, Henry VIII & Charles II. In this episode, we look at all the monarchs together, factor by factor, and debate who should come out on top. But who goes through will be determined by voting, so once you've listened to the episode, click on the link below and vote for your THREE favourites: Group A Survey Link The survey will close on 31 March 2014 so make sure you vote before then to have your say. If you have any problems with the survey, email rexfactorpodcast@hotmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After 67 episodes, three and a half years and numerous broken bones (all belonging to Ali) we have reviewed all the Kings and Queens of England from Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II. We were left with 18 monarchs standing tall and proud atop the Rex Factor mountain but no mountain is big enough for England's greatest monarchs so we are going to decide who is the greatest of them all. In this episode, we explain how the play-offs will work, how the monarchs will be drawn and how YOU will help us decide! While the play-offs are underway, check out our new blog https://rexfactor.wordpress.com for more information. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After three years we finally complete the journey "From Alfred the Great to Elizabeth the Second" as in this episode we review the reign of Elizabeth II. Given that the Queen is still reigning, these are effectively provisional scores as we don't yet have sufficient perspective on how certain events will be viewed in 30 years time, nor the full knowledge of what the Queen's role has been in the affairs of the nation and the world behind the scenes. We will also not be considering whether or not she has the Rex Factor (it's just too soon!) but there's plenty to enjoy in our final episode of this series before we return for the play-offs in 2014! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Queen was just 27 years old when she was crowned in 1953 and in this episode we look at her life and reign from 1953 to the present day - history becomes the present! This episode takes us from the glitz and glamour of the 1950s and her tour of the Commonwealth, through the scandals and disasters of the royal family in the 1980s and 1990s to the hugely successful Diamond Jubilee of 2012. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Alfred the Great to Elizabeth II - as Rex Factor's journey through the monarchs of England reaches its close, we finally come to THE Queen! In the first of three episodes, we examine the biography of Princess Elizabeth up to and including her coronation in 1953. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While Ali continues to recuperate from his bicycle injury, some Rex Factor fans have provided something to fill the audio void: History According to Ali. Trawling through every episode of Rex Factor, they have picked out some of Ali's best moments and put them all together with summaries for every monarch from Alfred the Great to George VI. Ali is coming on well and looking forward to Queen Elizabeth II, but for now, enjoy this retrospective! (P.S. Listeners new to Rex Factor may find this slightly confusing, so start with one of our earlier monarch review episodes!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unfortunately a nasty bike accident for Ali means that there's a bit of a delay in reviewing Queen Elizabeth II. I'm sure you'll all want to wish Ali well and if you want to send him a message then you can contact us in the following ways: email - rexfactorpodcast@hotmail.com twitter - @rexfactorpod facebook - the Rex Factor Podcast facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/rexfactorpodcast The plan is to gather all your 'get well soon' messages together and give Ali one big glorious Rex Factor card, which I'm sure will cheer him up no end. Long or short, funny or tear-jerking, it would be really good if you could drop us a line and show your support. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week on Rex Factor we put right what once went wrong and step back 1,000 years in history to review England's first Viking ruler, Sweyn Forkbeard. Sweyn was the father of the legendary Cnut and the first Viking to be acknowledged as full king of England when he forced Aethelred the Unready from the throne in 1013, adding to his crown in Denmark and overlordship of Norway and Sweden. So why did he get missed out the first time round? Will his patience be rewarded with the Rex Factor? For one episode only, slip back into the Vikings and prepare for big battles, cool names and the best Rex Fact to date! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Having covered his life and reign, this week on Rex Factor we review George VI. Hear of his exploits serving in the battle of Jutland, doing his bit in the Second World War and stoically keeping calm and carrying on through speech impediment, ill health and nationalisation. Does his record in two world wars grant him battleyness beyond compare? Does his dedication and oversight of the National Health Service win him subjectivity points to be dreamed of? Did he even bother chasing after scandal? And most importantly, does the last king of England have the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the shock of the Abdication Crisis in 1936, George VI came to the throne in less than ideal circumstances. And with a history of ill health, a stammer and an aversion to the limelight, George was perhaps less than the ideal future monarch. However, in his favour was a strong sense of duty, personal stoicism and a charismatic wife in the form of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - just as well, as after the Abdication Crisis came the Second World War. In this episode, we examine George VI's life, the Second World War and one of the most famous figures in British history, Sir Winston Churchill. In the next episode, we'll just go straight in to reviewing him and deciding whether or not he has the Rex Factor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1936, a very different character came to the throne in the shape of Edward VIII. He was handsome, charismatic and a modern man with modern interests. Unfortunately, he was also in love with a twice-divorced American, Wallis Simpson, at a time when the Church of England would not tolerate re-marriage while the former spouse(s) was still alive. At odds with his Prime Minister, Stanley Baldwin, and Archbishop of Canterbury, Cosmo Lang, Edward abdicated after less than a year on the throne, the only monarch to do so voluntarily, and married Wallis. Edward's reign may have been short, but this is one of the most (in)famous stories in royal history and his later association with Nazism has only increased his notoriety, but does this mean he can't win the Rex Factor, or will his star quality and famous life win through? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George V came to the throne in 1910 in the midst of a constitutional crisis and from that point on things didn't really get any easier. As monarch, George faced hung Parliaments, social upheaval, the Great Depression and the horrors of the First World War - arguably one of the toughest in-trays for any British monarch. For a man who was rather averse to change and preferred the quiet life of a country squire, this represented something of a challenge and that the monarchy was left still standing by the end of his reign, rebranded as the House of Windsor, was no mean feat - but will it be enough to earn him the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the epic reign of Victoria, Edward VII (known as Bertie) had a lot to live up to. Lacking in academic rigour, romping and making scandal like his Hanoverian forefathers, Bertie was a source of anxiety for both his parents and the country at large. However, after a nearly 60-year wait, Bertie became King Edward VII in 1901 and proved surprisingly good at kinging. His natural charm and laid-back indulgence was a breath of fresh air and characterised the Edwardian age. Edward found himself at the centre of international diplomacy and, with David Lloyd George's 1909 "People's" Budget, at the heart of the biggest political crisis since 1832. But will he save the day and earn himself a place on the Rex Factor mountain? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices