<p><strong>A seasonal cracker from the podcast that loves Royals and history </strong>- listen now.</p><br><p>In this special edition of <em>Queens, Kings &amp; Dastardly Things</em>, Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams unwrap the surprisingly rich, and frequently eccentric, festive legacy of the monarchy. From a 10th-century duke reinvented as a Victorian Christmas hero, to Henry VIII moonlighting as a carol writer, to the Tudor court’s rather questionable idea of “seasonal cheer,” it turns out the royals have been shaping our holidays for over a millennium.</p><br><p>We travel from medieval Bohemia to Cromwell’s anti-Christmas crackdown, before settling by the fire with Victoria and Albert, the couple who practically invented the modern festive season. Along the way, we explore SEDITION in much-loved carols, rogue wassailers, musical monarchs, and a surprising link between the Windsors and “Good King Wenceslas.”</p><br><p>This episode asks the big question: <strong>what have the royals ever given us for Christmas?</strong></p><p>Quite a lot, as it turns out.</p><p>Hosts: Robert Hardman and Professor Kate Williams</p><p>Series Producer: Ben Devlin</p><p>Production Manager: Vittoria Cecchini&nbsp;</p><p>Executive Producer: Bella Soames</p><br><p>A Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular.</p><br><p>Sign up to&nbsp;Palace&nbsp;Confidential, the FREE royals newsletter from the Mail's top experts. Delivered straight to your inbox every Thursday, it's the smartest way to stay in the royal inner circle. Just head to <a href="https://dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">dailymail.co.uk/palaceconfidential</a> to sign up today. </p><br><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>