Rex Factor

After being chosen to be King of Scots in 1292, John Balliol had a tough job on his hands. He had not been raised for kingship, the nobility were divided and, most worryingly of all, Edward I of England had established himself as feudal lord of Scotland and was determined to make this clear to all concerned. Could Balliol restore Scotland's prosperity and remain independent from England or would the task be too big for him to face? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A largely forgotten figure in Scottish history, Margaret the Maid of Norway's "reign" would be a pivotal turning point in Scottish history. After Alexander III died in accident in 1286 without an heir, his only descendent was Margaret, his three year-old granddaughter who had never set foot in Scotland. A special group known as the Guardians of Scotland sought to preserve the peace of the kingdom for Margaret, but at the cost of involving King Edward I of England, who would prove to be something of an ogre in Scottish history, starting by presiding over "The Great Cause' to determine the future of the Scottish succession. Would Edward take this chance to snatch the kingdom? Would the Guardians preserve the peace? Would Margaret make it to Scotland? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexander III was only just approaching 8 years when his father died in 1249, resulting in a divisive minority and the king of England, Henry III, playing an increasingly strong role in Scottish affairs. As king, Alexander would need to restore order among his barons, finish his father's work in subduing the Western Isles and assert his independence against Henry III and (far more ominously) the looming black cloud on the horizon of Scottish history that is Edward I. A tough job, but was Alexander III up to the task and worthy of the Rex Factor? (Parental Guidance - there may be some juicy scandal!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexander II seems to have been something of a man on mission, determined to remove all the grey areas in Scotland by imposing his authority across the whole country. Previously rebellious or non-Scottish areas like Moray, Caithness and Galloway were firmly on the royal radar while Norway would now have to worry about their control over the Western Isles. Throw in an invasion of England after King John repudiated Magna Carta and you have a very busy reign, but has Alexander II bit off more than he can chew? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

William the Lion's life and reign was defined when as a teenager in 1157 he had the earldom of Northumbria taken away by Henry II. From then on, it was his life's ambition to get it back but he had the mighty Plantagenets standing in his way. With trouble brewing in Galloway, Moray and Caithness, it would not be an easy task, but with a name like William the Lion, could it be possible? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the successful reign of David ended in 1153 with Scotland in possession of most of northern England, Scotland was at the peak of its medieval powers. Unfortunately, the new king was a 12 year-old boy faced with numerous regional threats and an England reunited under the rule of Henry II, a king even more powerful than his Norman predecessors. Could Malcolm see off the challenges of Gaelic warlords, a Plantagenet powerhouse and a distinctly unimpressive epithet? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David came to the throne in 1124 as the last of Malcolm III and Saint Margaret's six sons following a period of internal fighting and short reigns. However, unlike his brothers, David had luck on his side. He won favour and wealth in England as a protege of Henry I and then took advantage of the Anarchy in England to pursue Scottish interests in Cumbria and Northumbria, whilst also introducing far-ranging reforms. But how successful would he be in his efforts, would he be too Norman for Scottish tastes and will he get the Rex Factor? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexander's peaceful succession in 1107 marked a move away from the chaos of the preceding decade of internal conflict but that's not to say that Alexander himself would have an easy time of it. Pressured by his younger brother, David, and the powerful King of England, Henry I, Alexander struggled to find his own niche but looked to make big reforms to the Scottish church that would wrest some independence back from the interference of England. Would Alexander be a fresh start for Scotland or just another nearly man? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death of Malcolm III in 1093 led to something of a succession crisis in Scotland and by 1097, Malcolm's brother (Donalbain) and one of his sons (Duncan II) had not done a very good job of ruling the country. Next up was Edgar, backed by the English king, William Rufus, and his namesake uncle, Edgar the Aetheling, Edgar sought to re-establish stability in Scotland, but would he be the king to get things back on track? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death of Malcolm III and his queen, Margaret of Wessex, sent Scotland back into the chaos of dynastic conflict. Malcolm's brother, Donaldbain, stole the throne in 1093 but there were many sons of Malcolm ready to challenge him and first up was Duncan II. In Duncan's favour, he was a well-trained knight, brought up at the Norman court and backed by the King of England, William Rufus. On the downside, he was a well-trained Norman knight, brought up at the Norman court and backed by the King of England. Would the Scots accept this Anglo-Norman figure, or would Duncan be sent packing? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The death of Malcolm III in 1093 (as well as his son and queen) left a power vacuum in Scotland. Despite having 5 sons, it was Malcolm's brother, Donald III (Donaldbain in Shakespeare's Macbeth), who decided to take advantage and steal the throne. After thirty years of stability under Malcolm, Donald III took Scotland back to the chaotic years of dynastic wars of succession. With the English king, William Rufus, keen to have his own man on the throne, Donald would have to use all his craftiness to hold on to his crown - but could he outlast his rivals? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the reign of Malcolm III, Scotland emerges from the dark ages and into the chaos of 1066 and the Norman Conquest of England. With his marriage to the Saxon princess (and future saint) Margaret, Malcolm is set on a collision course with the Normans and the battle for dominance in Cumbria and Northumbria. Margaret is one of the extraordinary figures of the age and together Malcolm and Margaret oversee reforms in church and at court that have a lasting impact on Scottish history. But for how long can Malcolm try his luck with the Normans and will it be enough to earn him the Rex Factor? (Please note that we are using new microphones - haven't quite figured out the settings yet so the audio is a bit quieter than usual and we also need to get pop filters!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Macbeth's death at the hands of the future Malcolm III did not mark the end of the Moray dynasty, for into the breach stepped Lulach. Sandwiched between two of the more notable of Scotland's medieval monarchs and equipped with a less than flattering nickname, expectations for Lulach are probably not high but could there be a little more to him than there first appears? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yes, Macbeth was a real king! But, was he the murderous, tyrannical villain as depicted by Shakespeare or has the bard done the real-life Macbeth a disservice? In this episode, we look at Shakespeare's version of Macbeth before considering the real life biography of 'The Scottish King' and then decide whether he has the Rex Factor. We also consider why it was that Shakespeare chose to write about Macbeth at all and why he characterised him as he did. (Please note that the episode image and the audio excerpt at the start of the episode are the property of Studio Canal for the 2015 film, Macbeth) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

William Shakespeare portrayed Duncan as a good, kind and elderly king murdered by the scheming Macbeth in his bed. But was this the true story? After Malcolm II wiped out most of his family tree to ensure that Duncan would succeed him as King of Scots, great things were certainly expected of Duncan in 1040, but with rivals to the south (Northumbria) and the north (Moray) would he be up to the job? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A decade after the assassination of his father, Kenneth II, Malcolm II finally came to the throne in 1005. Faced with enemies from within his own family, the territory of Moray and the presence in England of the most powerful man in Europe, Cnut, things weren't going to be easy for Malcolm. However, having waited so long to become king, he wasn't about to give it up without a fight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The dynastic conflict continues in Scotland when Kenneth III comes to the throne in 997. Team Red is no more but Kenneth (Team Purple) still has to face the challenge of Malcolm (Team Blue) to hold on to the throne. Find out who comes out on top in the final showdown! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the stability of Kenneth II, in 995 Constantine III usurped the throne and restarted the dynastic conflict of the Alpin dynasty. Scotland now had three men vying for the throne: Constantine III (Team Red), Malcolm (Team Blue) and Kenneth (Team Purple), but who would come out on top? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The dynastic conflict at the heart of the Scottish monarchy continues with Kenneth II's accession in 971. Kenneth (Team Blue) is taking on Olaf (Team Red) in a bid to win dominance, but will Kenneth be able to succeed where the previous monarchs have failed and draw a line under the succession problems once and for all? Plus we bid a sad farewell to the Chronicle of the Kings of Alba while welcoming back an old friend of the podcast... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The dynastic warfare continues in Scotland, with Cuilean usurping the throne in 967. The rival branches of the Scottish royal family continue to dispute the throne and the violence continues. Will Cuilean be able to deliver a good reign for team red or is the merry-go-round set to continue? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices