Royal History Geeks

What are your burning Royal history questions? Over twixmas, Gareth will do his best to answer them...

As the events of 1936 heat up, the King abandons the traditional Balmoral summer for a pleasure cruise of the Balkans. The world media goes crazy for pictures of the King and Mrs Simpson. The pressure begins to get too much for Wallis.

In this episode, Royal commentator James Taylor joins RHG founder, Gareth Streeter to discuss:

• Churchill's "failure" to tell the King and Wallis what they want to hear
• Edward's "sulky" attitude toward his duties
• Why someone, please, in the name of mercy, needs to think of the poor debutantes
• Whether Wallis was intelligent
• Observations of Edward and Wallis's behaviour on the Balkan trip, based on eye-witness testimony
• Wallis's attempt to break it all off
• The King abandoning his duties to collect Wallis from Aberdeen station

Gareth also embarks on a rant about Edward acting like a rebel within the system, rather than the head of the system with real agency to make change if only he had the courage to confront.

The second part in our series on the Abdication crisis of 1936.

Edward VIII ascends the throne and immediately begins a subtle but determined campaign to position Wallis Simpson as his consort.

But even without the dangers posed by Wallis, Edward soon begins to ruffle feathers. Among government, fears abound around the new King's reliability, capability and political instincts.

This episode again sees Royal commentator James Taylor team up with RHG founder, Gareth Streeter to discuss the unfolding crisis. It also features a guest interview with Adrian Phillips, author of "The King who had to go".

We discuss:

• The circumstances of Edward's ascension and his immediate decision to break protocol by watching his own proclamation with Wallis
• Concerns about the new King's reliability and work ethic
• The early intervention of Cosmo Lang and Edward's relationship with this seasoned Archbishop of Canterbury
• The politics of the 1930s and the circumstances that made Edward's German sympathies more difficult to manage
• A potential plot to assassinate the King?
• Wallis Simpson's first steps in divorcing her husband Ernest

Unfortunately, there are a few moments in this episode where there is bit of feedback sound. RHG apologies for this but wants to reassure you that such distractions only crop up a few times and last for just a few seconds.

A year ago, the world was rocked by the release of the “missing Princes project” interim findings. A new book and TV documentary on the “Princes in the Tower” followed hot on the heels. The epic Philippa Langley was the driving force behind all three.

Okay, so it may have been a relatively niche portion of the world that was “rocked” by this release. But we Royal history geeks were curiously captivated.

In this video, history writer Gareth Streeter and Royal commentator James Taylor discuss the books strengths and weaknesses.

We cover:

· The background and merits of the "missing Princes project"

· The positives of the book and corresponding TV show

· The problem with biases in historical research

· Our big issues with the book's approach to source criticism

· The opportunities for the future of the project

· Our fears that the quest to prove Richard III’s innocence will undermine the genuine historical value of the project

· Whether the bones supposedly belonging to Edward V and his brother Richard, Duke of York should be subject to DNA examinations

Please note that this episode was recorded several months before broadcast. As such, some topical references will be out of date.

Gone but never forgotten.
It's been one year since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.
Royal commentator, James Taylor and history writer, Gareth Streeter reflect on the late Queen's passing, her reign and her legacy.
As well as discussing news of Elizabeth's death and the public reaction, the discussion explores crucial moments from the Queen's reign.

This episode was originally broadcast on September 8 2023