.jpg)
Battle Royale: French Monarchs
Passing judgement on all the Kings and Emperors of France from Clovis to Napoleon III. Each episode, Ben recounts the story of a monarch to Eliza, then together they decide on how to score them in 5 categories. But who will they select as the crème de la crème, and who will they send to the Guillotine? Proudly inspired by the Rex Factor podcast.
Episodes
109 episodes
59 - Louis XIII
The Louis XIII of Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers" is a comically naïve and easily manipulated do-nothing king, dominated by his scheming chief minister Cardinal Richelieu. But as we're about to learn, the history is a little more compl...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 59
•
1:29:01
58.5 - Marie de' Medici
After seizing the regency upon the death of Henry IV, will the second Medici to rule France be as successful as the first? Get ready for court intrigue, family drama and shocking twists of fate. To view Marie's most famous series of dep...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 58
•
1:28:21
.png)
58 - Henry IV, Part 2
How will "Good King Henry" fare as we rate him? We know he spent his reign fighting, drinking and womanising, but what did he do for France? And more importantly, was he really the second coming of Hercules?Let is know what you thought ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 58
•
1:17:54
58 - Henry IV, Part 1
We're back!!! And we're starting off a new royal line with Henry IV, the first Bourbon king. Is this stinky, ill-mannered heretic really the hero France has been waiting for after 30 years of civil war?Stay tuned for Part 2 next week, w...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 58
•
1:20:39
57.5 - Marguerite de Valois (Queen Margot), Part 2
It's time for Margot to truly REBEL.How will Margot's rollercoaster end, and how will she rate compared to the rest of the Valois clan? ⚜️Visit our Wordpress for e...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 57
•
54:49
.png)
57.5 - Marguerite de Valois (Queen Margot), Part 1
The last surviving of the Valois, this beautiful and intelligent princess is often seen as either a victim or a villain, but the memoirs she left behind and the reevaluation of modern historians show a different side to her story. She was a wom...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 57
•
58:46
.png)
Ranking Roundup #3 - The House of Valois
Au revoir, Valois! We have now ranked all the kings of France belonging to the House of Valois, the cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty which reigned supreme from 1328 to 1589. Before they take a well-earned break and start gearing up for the ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 57
•
44:01
57 - Henry III
This week we delve into the treacherous, tumultuous and frankly bizarre reign of King Henry III, who is certainly unlike any other king we've seen thus far! Will his entertaining shenanigans earn him a place in the tournament? And how much of h...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 57
•
1:32:39
56.5 - Catherine de' Medici, Part 2
This episode, we close out Catherine de' Medici's life and give her a score. How does this notorious queen measure up against the likes of Charlemagne and Philip Augustus?⚜️ Visit our
•
Season 1
•
Episode 56
•
1:35:49
56.5 - Catherine de' Medici, Part 1
In our first part of the endlessly fascinating life that is Catherine de' Medici's, we chart her rise from an orphaned Italian "merchant's daughter" to the Queen-Mother of Europe's most prestigious kingdom. Next episode, we will conclud...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 56
•
1:06:01
56 - Charles IX
There will be blood.⚜️A summary of the major political figures in this episode (most of whom will be dead by the end):Catherine de' Medici, ruling on behalf of her son Charles IX, a moderating force between the fa...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 56
•
1:21:08
.png)
55 - Francis II (ft. Mary, Queen of Scots)
After the sudden demise of his father, young Francis II struggles to grasp his new responsibilities as King of France. Meanwhile, his ambitious young wife Mary Stuart and her relatives, the Guise family, make their first big bid for power. And ...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 55
•
1:01:46
.png)
54 - Henry II
He's the husband of Catherine de' Medici, the lover of Diane de Poitiers, the father-in-law of Mary, Queen of Scots. Can Henry II stand out in a period dominated by these legendary women? How will he fare against the might of the Hapsburg Empir...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 54
•
1:20:04
.png)
53 - Francis I (Part 2)
It's time to pass judgement on Francis I, deciding whether or not King Big-Nose deserves the guillotine! With this monarch, we enter a new age of Protestant rebellions, American colonialism and Hapsburg domination. Did Francis rise to m...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 53
•
1:19:52
.png)
53 - Francis I (Part 1)
The long-awaited Renaissance king has finally arrived! This episode we go through the big moments his life from birth to death, from his famous meeting with Henry VIII at the Field of Cloth of Gold to his disastrous imprisonment in Spain. <...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 53
•
1:06:21
.png)
52.5 - Louise of Savoy
From unwanted daughter to first lady of France, this episode we chart the gradual rise of Louise of Savoy - the mother, mentor and "great regent" of King Francis I. We'll see how she measures up to other French rulers of her time, and s...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 52
•
1:20:03
52 - Louis XII (Part 2)
Now that we've done his life, let's pass judgement on Louis XII, AKA the Porcupine! Does he deserve a place among the great kings of French history, or is he just another snack for the guillotine?⚜️ Visit our
•
Season 1
•
Episode 52
•
1:23:27
.jpg)
52 - Louis XII (Part 1)
After a life spent in second place to his royal cousins, how will the Duke of Orléans fare with his new promotion to King of France?Stay tuned for Part 2, where we discuss Louis's legacy and rate him, with special appearances from porcu...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 52
•
1:06:04
.jpg)
51.5 - Anne of Brittany (Part 2)
In Part 2, we learn of Anne's second marriage and her ultimate fate! Does she deserve the score she got? Were the unicorn tapestries inspired by her? Was she the Taylor Swift of her time? Flock to our social media and let us know!...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 51
•
1:12:48
51.5 - Anne of Brittany (Part 1)
This episode, we take a brief detour from the Valois boys to visit gorgeous Brittany and give our latest queen, Anne, her own episode, as she was also a fierce ruler in her own right, and fought for her independence from a very young age.
•
Season 1
•
Episode 51
•
1:01:45
51 - Charles VIII (Part 2)
As we reach the shocking end of Charles the Affable, we'll see how he measures up to his fellow kings of France. ⚜️ Visit our Wordpress for episode images, scor...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 51
•
1:12:24
51 - Charles VIII (Part 1)
Charles VIII's exciting and storied reign takes us on an adventure (i.e. invasion) of Italy at the height of the Renaissance and all the soap-opera-worthy drama of the Medici, Sforza and Borgia families. In Part 1, we learn what led him t...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 51
•
49:51
Regency of Madness - Results & Quiz!
It's time for us to close up a loose end and finally announce the winner of the Regency of Madness mini-tournament. And to help refresh our memories, Ben has also trapped Eliza in a quiz! So put on your thinking chapeaux, and get ready for some...
•
Season 2
•
Episode 6
•
27:41
50.5 - Anne of France
Also called Anne de Beaujeu or Madame la Grande, this princess inherited all the best traits of her father the Universal Spider. Like him she was cunning and ruthless, yet she also had an eye for art and literature, updating the court for the n...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 50
•
1:27:12
50 - Louis XI (Part 2)
Louis XI, the Universal Spider, is perhaps the ultimate antihero. We've rooted for him every step of the way as he takes down his enemies and returns France to its former glory. But how will this translate in his scores? Will he beat Charles VI...
•
Season 1
•
Episode 50
•
1:07:02
.jpg)