Who Was The Best English Monarch? David Mitchell Rates The Royals!

Who was the worst King and Queen of England? What made a King or Queen successful?
In this video, comedian and author of 'Unruly: A History of England's King and Queens', David Mitchell, sits down with historian Dan Snow to explore how England's monarchs, while acting as feared rulers firmly guiding their subjects' destinies, were in reality a bunch of lucky sods who were mostly as silly and weird in real life as they appear today in their portraits.
Taking us right back to King Arthur (spoiler: he didn't exist), David and Dan discuss the founding story of post-Roman England right up to the reign of Elizabeth I (spoiler: she dies).
It's a tale of narcissists, inadequate self-control, excessive beheadings, middle-management insurrection, uncivil wars, and at least one total Cnut, as the population evolved from having their crops nicked by the thug with the largest armed gang to bowing and paying taxes to a divinely anointed king.
How this happened, who it happened to and why it matters in modern Britain are all questions David answers with brilliance, wit and the full erudition of a man who once studied history - and won't let it off the hook for the mess it's made.
We hope you enjoy this hilarious conversation!
Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free exclusive podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more. Watch, listen and read history wherever you are, whenever you want it. Available on all devices: Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV, Roku, Xbox, Chromecast, and iOs & Android.
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#historyhit #kingsandqueens #davidmitchell

[@wordtothewise9723]

I loved his take on the British invading France. "A burglar often find himself outnumbered in the house he's burgling, but that doesn't make him plucky."

[@wargey3431]

mind you the french did change the law of inheritance to stop Edward being king so its a bit like the brother arriving with a smaller force of men against a larger force to capture a farm he believed his even though the butler said it went to the other cousin

[@Trebor74]

​@@wargey3431he was the legitimate heir. That's the whole point. But points get ignored by certain people

[@thomasdequincey5811]

Do you know what that actually means? 'Cause I don't. To me, it sounds like he's afraid of hurting "France's" feelings and doesn't want to be cancelled.

[@wordtothewise9723]

@@thomasdequincey5811 I doubt it. That's not David Mitchell's style. He has a talent for taking constructive and truthful point of view, and arguing his case superbly.

[@drachna]

​@@Trebor74A ruler who doesn't live in the country they claim to rule is never going to be recognised as legitimate by a sizable amount of the population.

[@ArcCushion]

This is the most comfortable I've seen David in any interview, ever.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

I know, right? 😁

[@lindarockafellow5058]

He was great on Graham Norton. What a package... historian with a sense of humor!

[@blondie9422]

His whole face is lit up 😂 Bless him ❤

[@Outside85]

He is worried that the (ancient) QI 'teachers pet' fanfare will sound at any moment.

[@jaybestnz]

He looks so happy talking about it.

[@Simian-bz7zo]

I could quite happily sit in a corner and listen to Dan and David talk about history for hours.

[@funkophone]

They play well off of each other.

[@lindala2602]

Yes, this video is much much to short

[@Popjaksound]

It's a shame i missed him at Cheltnam lit fest.

[@-Blackberry]

I like how they dont dumb it down, they're just enjoying talking about interesting facts of different kings without patronising the audience having to explain the context behind every little thing.

[@doctor_gibbo1392]

Chance would be a fine thing. A very fine thing indeed.

[@LuluThinking]

Isn’t it a joy to listen to two informed, thoughtful, knowledgeable people sharing thoughts, ideas, and having a laugh while they’re doing it?

[@UPalooza]

He's not even joking, and I'm smiling the whole time. We are lucky to have you David.

[@rebecca-georgiawood8947]

Idk, something about David saying “sometimes history just happens to you and there’s nothing you can do when your a victim of it” Been having a rough time lately but this really just hit me in the feels today

[@johnhiscott-walsh5198]

👍

[@timburdsey]

Hope everything’s Ok now, Rebecca. Keep your chin up. 👍🏻 Hope you get back on your feet and can enjoy making your own history. 😊

[@curiousman3655]

In a rough patch atm. Hope ur okay and we will make it out

[@shentser01]

Hope you’re feeling a bit better soon Rebecca

[@sethshaffer681]

If you're a fan of the ONLY correct way to interpret history, Historical Materialism, you'll find that this is the case for every single human that's ever lived from the grandest emperor down to the lowliest slaves and prisoners. Some individuals just happen to have a hold onto more of the reigns of the thing to move a bit more of the resources, influence and power towards their own direction.

[@RemoteEars]

A David Mitchell history rant? All my interests align

[@caitlinb]

And he narrates the Unruly audio book! I've never made a audio book purchase faster

[@WHITERAGS]

Love David Mitchell!

[@13thcentury]

I strongly suggest he goes back to school, and acquires an 11 plus level of history. Absolute cringe.

[@WyattRyeSway]

Oh I have to buy it now! I love David Mitchell. I’m an American and you can’t find him on TV here, which is sad! Sometimes our TV and movies suck because the Brits have the funniest most talented guys.

[@BumMcFluff]

Any facts to back that up?@@13thcentury

[@bovisjeaks]

I love David Mitchell. I wish there were more people around that speak as well as he does about absolutely anything. Top bloke.

[@dalemevans]

Yes and none of that cod S. Fry coyness

[@Deluxedracula]

These two dudes are truly fascinating to listen to. On one hand a bloke with supreme knowledge and intelligence and wit and on the other hand a bloke with supreme knowledge and intelligence and wit.

[@EleanorPeterson]

My late mum was a keen historian and named me after Eleanor of Aquitaine (Queen of England from 1154 to 1189). As a monarch she was reputedly somewhat less than awful; I have based my life on striving to be somewhat less than awful. It's something to work towards.😁

[@patwilson2546]

Eleanor was an amazing person. Just too much to say about her in an internet comment. Anybody interested in early Norman England absolutely must look into her.

[@peartree460]

Keep strivin. I have, in this later stage of life, achieved the right amount of awfulness.* Excluding wedding parties with free wine after 11:43 p.m. (im still working on that😂😂😂

[@benbeasant3443]

It's a beautiful name regardless

[@Silver_Owl]

It's a lovely name.🙂If I'd had a daughter, I would also have called her Eleanor. (I have sons.)

[@ripdbtpoo1441]

Yes, but here we're talking about Mitchell and the monarchs of England and Britain, not about you. There's too much of this.

[@TheNordicHermit]

I can't express why I find so much joy in seeing a celebrity of comedy (like Mitchell) or from any field, showing that they have deep interest in another field, like history, philosophy, or physics.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

UK comics tend to be pretty cerebral. Not all of them, mind you, but if you were trying to put together a curriculum & you were short on teachers you could probably put together a decent lineup from The Edinburgh Fringe, last week’s panel shows & Taskmaster.

[@DanielVerberne]

I find myself wishing some of these wonderful individuals were my real-life friends. David Mitchell would make a fascinating addition to almost any occasion.

[@jennytmaher]

History is what David Mitchell has a degree in.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

@@DanielVerberneSame!

[@oliverchambers2544]

@@jennytmaher but that's all ancient history now!

[@-Blackberry]

Glad he is taking time to cover the Anglo-Saxon kings, I always find it weird how many make out that English history starts at 1066.

[@robtyman4281]

It actually starts before this, but the Normans were very efficient at getting rid of alot of the symbols, traditions, and way of life of Anglo-Saxon England. They essentially tried to 'erase' it from history. I think I've finally realised after all these years that the Normans very much saw 1066 as a 'year zero' .....in mych the same way Pol Pot did in Cambodia in 1975. We need a reappraisal on William the Conqueror, as we've got him all wrong. If anything, he was worse than the Vikings. At least they didn't try to destroy all vestiges of Anglo-Saxon England. Because remember Britain wasn't created until 1707! I think we celebrate William the Conqueror in the wrong way. Far from being a saviour figure, he was an even more ruthless ruler (and killer) than Henry VIII.

[@-Blackberry]

@robtyman4281 Yeah he was a genocidal psycho, in a time when that wasn't very unusual he still stands out. The Anglo-Saxon nobility was pretty much completely replaced, the harrying of the north was devastating. However, one thing they were never able to wipe out was our language, which carried on through the common people. A hostile elite can never truly eradicate the culture of a people when they remain in high enough numbers at least. Ironically a result in later centuries was the french speaking ruling class finally had to embrace an English identity in opposition to the French enemy and the English kin had the last laugh imo with their language consigned to immortality all the way into our day, albiet altered considerably throughout the centuries.

[@zapkvr]

And I. Most peculiar

[@jonbaxter2254]

Yeah, English literally mean "Land of the Angles" who arrived in the 5th century!

[@gerardodwyer5908]

​@@-BlackberryTrue, the Germanic Anglo Saxon Anglishe identity did rebound through inter-marriage with the Franco Normans. Although, only the French language, not German, remains on the front cover of the modern British passport.

[@bigcat3596]

hell of an interview by dan snow, always so refreshing to see two people who care about history talk about what interests them

[@jaedenreppert9879]

I met David at his book tour in Edinburgh for this and I can safely say he is not acting at all. This is the man himself.

[@snufkinhollow318]

I must confess that Dan Snow wasn't among my favourite historians until History Hit took off and now he is. David Mitchell always makes me laugh with his 'history rants' but I love the way he puts different, intelligent perspectives forward at the same time. This combination of two people who are passionate about history but also incredibly entertaining has produced one of my favourite history videos in a long time. Thank you.

[@TehScareM8]

Interestingly I'm the same, maybe it's something about working for television with more constraints and procedures whereas Dan can let loose a bit more on youtube.

[@snufkinhollow318]

@@TehScareM8 That's a very good point, Long may it continue!

[@glassberg5018]

David Mitchell is one of the greatest entertainers of the last 50 years and I will watch anything he makes.

[@numberonedad]

i love mitchell but the viking/covid analogy is something mark would come up with

[@sealand4950]

He did business studies @@numberonedad

[@rimstieskorsakovs]

@glassberg5018 i absolutely concur.

[@chunkylover48]

* David Mitchell sits on jar *

[@newtexan1]

“Upstart Crow” is a brilliant series.

[@rebel.taylord]

I wish this was an hour, 29 minutes is too short. I can listen to David talk about anything, he is so intelligent, articulate and funny!

[@swaffelkonijn5166]

I really like David Mitchell the comedian, but as someone who also has a MA in history it is really cool to also see something of David Mitchell the Cambridge history graduate.

[@joedwyer3297]

Yeah hes not just a one dimensional funny posh guy getting bullied by Lee Mack and as much as I enjoy that I also enjoy him speaking about the Subject which hes passionate about

[@oisinquinn9469]

Ancient history

[@louisetrott5532]

Agreed. I have a PhD in Old Norse, and I loved this interview.

[@LindaLinda80Linda]

What is the name of the book? You mean the one on the shelf just to your right? Just pick up the book, say the author’s name and the book’s title and say goodbye. I mean, we can see the book right there.

[@ripdbtpoo1441]

Why do you awful people who comment always talk about yourselves ? "I, who have a degree..." There are quite a few out there, sir, but are we not here to discuss Mr Mitchell's book ?

[@ashleymason4471]

he's absolutely beaming the whole interview

[@steveshaw6799]

What a superb conversation. Thanks Dan and David!

[@danaglabeman6919]

I'm SO glad to hear someone who knows what they're talking about put the blame for the English loss at Hastings in the right spot. The number of times I've heard somebody talked about how they lost because they were tired from marching across England after defeating Hadrada...no. David Mitchell gets it. Harold knew how the Normans fought, he knew they'd feign a retreat, he warned his men to hold the line unless he personally ordered them to break formation, and then they fell for the fake retreat and broke their line to pursue. Twice. Being "tired from marching" had nothing to do with it. You don't hold an infantry line against the greatest calvalry in Europe for 7 hours if you're too tired to fight a battle. They fell for the act, even though the boss had warned them about that exact trick.

[@thepebblesexplore83]

You can’t say it had NOTHING to do with it. But it wasn’t the catalyst.

[@eddieharris6004]

Were you there?....

[@tonyharrison2112]

I've literally never heard anyone ever say that hastings was lost because they were tired from marching. I've heard it mentioned as to say that it was incredibly impressive to fight one battle and then almost immediately turn heel after victory and go and fight to defend another invasion. But the supported theory that I've only ever heard in regards to pinning down The Anglo Saxons defeat was because they thought they'd won and the army split and William siezed the oportunity and segmented the Anglo Saxons until they were cut down root and stem.

[@mrtoothless]

The grownups are talking, sit down.@@eddieharris6004

[@debse.7286]

No, I think fighting then marching a hundred miles would have a negative effect. But most of all, they shouldn't have fought the army so soon at all. They were defending and should have had all the advantage of knowledge of terrain, supplies and locals on their side (I presume). William the conqueror, defeated much larger French armies twice using strategy and keeping his people under tight control. He lured the invaders in and waited until they were vulnerable. Harold had every advantage and still lost. Unless, of course, he wasn't as popular in England as we are led to believe...

[@invisibleman4827]

"The standard of conduct is woefully below what we'd expect even of Hollywood." Bravo, sir! 😂👏

[@bonniemccormack1361]

I liked that too

[@carolefreeman2544]

I purchased the Audiobook of Unruly by David Mitchell and I am enjoying listening to David narration of his book. Not only is it interesting but it’s hilarious too! ❤🇨🇦🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@CarlinConnolly]

you've just given me an idea for xmas!

[@AmazingJane137]

Oh that’s great to hear. Thanks

[@tuibabbington4869]

I just bought the e-reader version, never thought of the audio...heading off for a road trip tomorrow, I know what we will be listening too now. 😉

[@tommonk7651]

I got it as well. Looking forward to listening to it soon....

[@bexp436]

Brilliant. Thanks for that and I will now go and purchase the audio book. Can't wait to listen.😊

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

Glad to hear David supporting Harold, the more you learn about him the more impressed you are, tragedy for England his loss

[@tomwright4969]

"I'm doing it dad, I'm studying ancient history and there's not a thing you can do about it!!"

[@KairuDeLarge]

I've never clicked on a recommended video so quickly. I love David so much.

[@arliafrink3043]

When David talks of how Henry VIII won at being a king if his goal was to create interesting content, I about died laughing, because I suddenly pictured HRH as a social media influencer creating content 🤣😂 Love David Mitchell's work!

[@fatbadboy329]

A bit like Trump with the presidency if you think about it, doesn't it?

[@argusfleibeit1165]

@@fatbadboy329 Is that what happened? They elected a content creator, instead of someone who actually cared about trying to properly run the government? Everything was just for "likes", and to attract advertisers? It all make so much more sense now.

[@ジ金]

HRH is twitter but it keeps banning itself.

[@Outside85]

And all I am seeing there is that fat guy from South Park at the computer...

[@signals356]

I'm imagining a follow up to The King's Speech now, let's call it The King's Tweets. "In the past all a monarch had to do was smile for the cameras and remember the lines for the Christmas speech. This family's been reduced to those lowest, basest of all creatures: we've become influencers. But before we continue, I just want to give a quick shout out to today's sponsor..."

[@tatlockandfriends]

david is obviously so passionate about this period of history, it's so interesting to listen to his thoughts. thanks for having him on!!

[@steveshaw6799]

Thanks

[@ghostlyamy]

10 minutes in and i've already bought the book. david mitchell's writing greatly balances informative and funny

[@maartineriksson]

David's points about the vikings and covid at ~ 1:45 is perfectly on point: There is nothing scarier to us humans, than accepting that things just happen for no reason other than coincidence and chance. We always try to build a connection to something else as a reason to it, instead of realizing it just... happened.

[@vaguelyright6833]

Shit happens?

[@beedubree2550]

same reason we get conspiracy theories, at least the milder ones like 9/11 or Titanic truthers, I have no idea how people wind up at the "Earth is flat and vaccines will make you a gay communist" stage

[@kennethlauer4735]

It's even worse when you consider the people advising us through COVID were the ones funding it's research in the first place.

[@markpower9081]

@@kennethlauer4735 I'd expect health authorities to advise on public health, and also to research it.

[@monkeydude9192]

​@@markpower9081Research wasn't the best way to say it. Directly and deliberately creating it is much more accurate.

[@jakewilliamson8807]

"They were all right bastards basically" is an amazing opening line

[@MusikCassette]

true but Billy the Bastard was an unusual nasty one

[@livethefuture2492]

I love the comparisons to gangsters, cuz in a way that's basically what politics at this time was...

[@gordondean9189]

@@livethefuture2492 Some things never change.

[@kramnam4716]

Plus ca change

[@steffantherock]

A very clever man making history more interesting and easier to understand with his comedy and vast knowledge. David Mitchell is a national treasure.

[@ripdbtpoo1441]

Argh, that boring overused expression again !

[@laurabrowning7973]

This was so enjoyable and informative! PLEASE have David Mitchell back for more discussions!!

[@MichaelCWBell]

Enjoyed the use of the word clobber. Mitchell has that manner of pleasant brightness one occasionally finds in someone who has a passion or two. It’s very affirming (thank you both).

[@Fitaroy]

The first thing to note when discussing Unruly: A History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell is an acknowledgement that their era was so completely different from our own that almost all cultural, political and, particularly, business parallels we draw between the two eras are bound, by their very nature, to be wrong.

[@AnjaliSingh-ks1gf]

SURELY Business Secrets of the Pharaohs is due a reprint?

[@sethshaffer681]

@@AnjaliSingh-ks1gf My favorite quote " Some say that whipping your slaves 40 times a day works for getting the best results. However, kindness goes a long way and I've found that reducing it to 35 really adds to the production speed of building my pyramid."

[@bobblehat6603]

This seems a rather curious comment to post on a History Hit, given that the pyramids were built by elite, skilled artisans, rather than slaves, therefore your favourite quote has absolutely no basis in historical fact.@@sethshaffer681

[@tessie1033]

😂😂

[@RonniePickaring]

That's elementary.

[@nathanthomson1931]

As a History teacher, I wish I could just conduct my classes like a David Mitchell rant lol. Unfortunately, there are standards and practices and the like 🙄

[@Prof.Pwnalot]

As a History teacher you should take a lot more pride in your conductings than David does. His book is a reposting of events, that you can find on most history sites. It's nothing new and hardly anything deep delved. Plus he just isn't very funny when intellectual. You however and speaking on behalf of myself, real fans of history want indepth, accounts, events, and some facts that aren't easy to learn or find. David didn't put much effort into his book, historically speaking and especially information wise. Comedy wise, king of rants, however time and a place, and despite blowing david out the water, there's a time and a place and he's simply un-engaging I'd be fucking pissed if I was a student of yours and you went on a rant. I want to learn not fuck around, can do that any other time of the day. David lacks intellectual prowess. Being an author when it's mostly reformatted words and copy pasted info exerts is nothing to be proud of / admire.

[@nathanthomson1931]

@Prof.Pwnalot omg the rant you just went on because I said I enjoy his style of farcical conversation and said I wish I could teach my classes like that... who asked you!?

[@CaptainGrimes1]

​@@nathanthomson1931don't be rude

[@kylehurlburt6114]

​@Prof.Pwnalot I think you suck. So there is plenty of disliking others ranting to go around.

[@Flooding474]

@@CaptainGrimes1lol

[@nichollelindner]

Wonderful to hear David Mitchell talk about British history and the resulting politics. Loved his hilarious show “Ambassadors” and wish he’d do more episodes. 😂

[@Outside85]

David is really good at these kinds of things because he doesn't sugarcoat or gloss over that some of the most important people in history were just a bunch of bastards.

[@d8o8m8]

I love his book, Business secrets of the Pharos. It was a challenging read as the text went into the binding.

[@bruhbruhrza4925]

That wasn't his fault, that was a publishing error by British London and they even spelt his name wrong.

[@livethefuture2492]

This was endlessly entertaining! I would love to see a talk show just about 2 men cracking jokes nerding out about history like this! 😅

[@kateliias1838]

What a fun video! Loved listening to these two. I feel like I learned more from them in this little video than I have in other long form documentaries.

[@johnkitchen4699]

As an Englishman living in America, where my grandchildren live, I decided to write a poem on the history of England for their ‘education’. The research was transformational as far as my knowledge of the detail was concerned. To my delight, I found Messrs Mitchell and Snow were very much in line with the content of said poem, and in an enjoyable way. I feel this discussion will reinforce their understanding in an entertaining way. Thank you.

[@Active_Sun_Particles]

We, the terra firma English, command you to share this piece.

[@Mattyboyzie]

Show us the poem broooo

[@devyanilimaye8560]

Interested to read the piece

[@gemh89]

Yup, Scot here concurring, out with the poem

[@alexsilva-vn7jc]

Could you adopt me as an extra grandchild please?

[@mitzloo1933]

I'm not sure I ever felt more simpatico with a character than I did with Mark Corrigan. I would have loved to hear Mitchell's take on Richard III, but this was delightful!

[@kurtmac]

Well considering that Richard III reigned for only two years, barely a footnote when it comes to English monarchs, but we should be grateful to him for being so awful that he ushered in the House of Tudor!

[@margo3367]

I was waiting to hear about him too.

[@ImpossiblePinwheel]

Simpatico normalo or simpatico maximus?

[@jmwilliamsart]

@@kurtmacRichard III probably wasn’t as horrible as the Tudors would have us believe.

[@guyharandonmusic]

@@jmwilliamsart True, he lowered taxes massively and wanted to intoduce equal education throughout the country. The Tudors definitely did him dirty!

[@billbunting4253]

I Object,…David Mitchel. You just brushed off Alfred of Wessex, my favourite British King. This is a man who fore shadow the current day in every way being the person he was,……the original and ultimate Public Servant.

[@scriven-shafts]

I just finished the audiobook, which David narrates himself. It was lovely, I highly recommend it.

[@thetinmanify]

Finally a Business Secrets of the Pharaohs interview!

[@conwaysmith9167]

Its always a pleasure when two different public personalities who I follow for very different reasons do collaborations together. Great video!

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Omg both of them are such a delight 👏🏽 P.S. What an interesting Tier Ranking video.

[@vonvard]

Two absolute Gents. I feel blessed watching this

[@piccalillipit9211]

I cant stand Dan Snow. Married the Duke of Westminster's daughter and used her money to dominate and crowd out the historical KZbin and Podcast arena whilst making a massive loss until everyone either went bust or worked for him. Leaving him to clean up.

[@annaclarke7643]

I thoroughly enjoyed this conversation. Please do something like this again.

[@shannab4]

What a great conversation. David Mitchel has been inside my brain. I’m in American with an obsession for English history. It’s better than any Game of Thrones series. I agree with almost everything he said

[@AK47_ASH]

Incredible if only David Mitchell did his own history podcast

[@Trebor74]

Please,no

[@dh7314]

@@Trebor74it wouldn’t be compulsory to listen to it

[@kaiserjoe2316]

Imagine David Mitchell on whizz. I give you Lindybeige.😄

[@elvisjames]

I'm a 35 y/o African-American listening to this on south beach Miami beach, That tickles me

[@andreaandrea6716]

Wow.

[@MotionMcAnixx]

I'm in suburban Sydney reading your comment.

[@alexanderg1935]

This is genuinely one of the coolest comments I've read. I just love the contrast. It's like Miami Vice meets Wolf Hall.

[@andreaandrea6716]

@@alexanderg1935 Hilarious. And apt!

[@keepitsteel1993]

You could say this is your.. Miami Vice. I'll..get my coat

[@mohammedosman4902]

this is a great discussion. I love both David Mitchell and Dan Snow

[@josephcollins6033]

Wow! This talk, this long approach of history, was fantastic!!!! MORE, PLEASE!!!!

[@jeffwhitehead7990]

“THe Holy Hand Grenade” on the book cover is perfect.

[@MrChalac]

Awesome! Would love to see more David Mitchell on the channel!

[@yohojones]

Love David! I hope he contributes more to History Hit.

[@SunnyBeetle1922]

What a fantastic and fascinating look inside the mind of David Mitchell!!!… I hope to hear his new book ‘unruly’ on audio as I love to listen to books while sowing , solo walks and pottering around the house and it’s also great to listen to when winding down at the end of the day!!!… Can’t wait to hear/ read David’s work!!!

[@infin8ee]

I could listen to these two for hours. Great podcast. Please, give us more.

[@danbev8542]

His book is good! David reads it for the audio version. Highly recommend. Thanks for this interview!

[@AJC508]

I live quite near to Château Gaillard (Les Andelys, France … look it up). To think that this was the place that the balance of power in Europe shifted forever, and to be able to visit it still, is fabulous. The village where I live actually used to be Norman territory and there is a marker stone for the boundary between France and old Normandy about 7k from here. History, when made interesting, never goes away.

[@xenotypos]

Technically, Normandy was always inside the kingdom of France, so I assume it was the limit between Normandy and the domain controlled by the king. France was a heavily decentralized kingdom, so many duchies, counties etc... were at some point or another de facto independent. But not de jure.

[@Baegitte]

David Mitchell and HH is the collab we never expected, but now always need

[@samuelgarrod8327]

The comment we never needed but always expected.

[@Baegitte]

@@samuelgarrod8327 lol fair enough

[@fredhasopinions]

ohhh don't make this comment when in germany

[@rsr789]

@@fredhasopinions Wouldn't that be AH and not HH?

[@fredhasopinions]

@@rsr789 I was thinking of “Heil…”, but u right

[@pmuk4]

love David's enthusiasm for the subject, bought the audio book of this interview alone!

[@educatedmanholecoverbyrich8890]

I, too, am a Harold fan. I deal with Tostic in my book Tumbling Angels

[@Sue474]

I'm reading "Unruly" at the moment. Thoroughly enjoying it, as it combines my two favourite things, which are history and humour.

[@Scraggledust]

Always enjoy the discourse and always learn a tidbit I haven’t heard before❤ literally taking photos of the monarch butterfly while listening to a discussion about monarchs 👑 🦋 Ty and all have a weekend that’s above average 😉

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Congratulations to David on his new book! 🎉

[@mariambajelidze8515]

Love David ❤❤❤ Thanks for the video😊

[@katherinewestbrook504]

As someone who is struggling mentally with COVID disabling me, I needed to hear that. Thank you.

[@adam_p99]

What a great mix, the viewpoint of this brilliantly funny mind and British history. More please!!

[@dreamcrusher112]

All good and reminded me that I am actually a historian. Emma's words are recorded through the Encomium published for her after her time in exile, designed to legitimise Edward and Harthacnut while delegitimising Harefoot who was king before, and had killed one of her sons already. It is an excellent source and I wrote extensively using it at Univeristy. A great primary source.

[@barbarabaker3056]

Very interesting and enjoyable. I liked the mentioning of Athelstan, Edward the Elder and Emma. They are too often overlooked.

[@SecondSince]

Anything with David Mitchell is incredible! The wit of that man!

[@maryhatch9225]

I always enjoy David Mitchell, and hugely appreciate his wit on WILTY. And I found this interview /conversation very interesting. I even made a mental note of the name of his book. And then he mentioned, not once, not twice, but many times, that his favourite English King was Henry II -- the one who obtained the permission of the Pope (yes Adrian, the English one!) to take control of Ireland. But I was fascinated by his saying that there was no notion of "England" until the Vikings invaded, as it seems we define and characterise ourselves by who and what we are not by comparing ourselves to others, others who are near us but not us. In his book "Inventing Ireland, The Literature of the Modern Nation" Declan Kiberd observes "Ireland was soon patented as not-England, a place whose peoples were, in many important ways, the very antheses of their new rulers from overseas." With the huge movements of population currently under way, it will be interesting to observe, a century from now (if our species survives to do it) how we will then define our identities.

[@obscurazone]

More of this please! A perfect duo! Can we have a series, thanks.

[@kariannecrysler640]

You two just made my day! Fun talk✌️💗🤘

[@klackon1]

Surely Athelstan was the first recognised King of the English. He gave the combined Welsh, Irish, Scots and Viking armies a good kicking and was recognised both in England and continental Europe as King of the English. He was a much revered king, both at home and abroad.

[@andremaines]

What about King Arthur

[@-Blackberry]

@andremaines King Arthur was a legendary King of the Britons, following the depature of the Roman empire he fought against the Anglo-Saxon incursion, those who would become the English. So he is very much not an English king. Ironically and to confuse a lot English kings latched onto the legend because Arthurian stories were all the rage in the middle ages so everyone wanted to 'own' King Arthur.

[@nadialittle5821]

THIS!!!!!!!

[@tomben6180]

@@andremainesdidn’t exist and wasn’t English anyway

[@tomben6180]

If we can’t have Alfred, Athelstan is mine.

[@CeasarJames]

Dan Snow is so knowledgeable and is a legitimate historian and a pleasure to listen to ❤️👊🏼

[@howwwwwyyyyy]

He's a bit taken aback by Davids knowledge, Emma of Normandy etc

[@calico27]

This felt like it was mucchhh shorter than it should have been!! Was an absolute joy. Thank you for bringing it to us.

[@WhistlerTrainer]

That was a great interview! More like this please and thank you 😀

[@harrisonrawlinson5650]

I recently went to the Bayeux tapestry and it was very interesting to see the Norman perspective of Harold Godwinson compared to what I’d always heard about him. Then I went to Battle a few days later and seeing the perspective in an English museum was a stark contrast. I think that’s part of what makes history so interesting

[@patwaddington]

Yeah I went to the bayeux tapestry last year around June. Was absolutely amazing. wanted to get a beach towel in the gift shop and it was the only thing they didn’t have 😂

[@harrisonrawlinson5650]

@@patwaddington ahaha, I got a mug

[@pamjohnson5363]

I am LOVING this discussion with David Mitchell! You both see the greater history, the bigger picture, and say it with such humor and sweeping insightful statements. Wonderful job!

[@wearwolf2500]

I like how much fun these two seem to be having with this conversation.

[@tinacarroll3594]

Half way through Unruly and loving it. I've always enjoyed History, this is brilliant and so much fun to read.

[@andrewclayton4181]

That was Brilliant. I think David must have read the same books as I have, his opinions mesh with mine perfectly. The only difference is he is articulate enough to express them in a coherent way. His new book is definitely top of my Christmas list this year.

[@JohnDoe-px4ko]

Totally agree with David about the Normans and the Tudors.

[@rickrudd]

I think Henry VII's life was nothing short of amazing. Never knew a moment's peace.

[@balabanasireti]

Cool, that means that I don't care about you either

[@katfromthekong414]

"It used to be vikings, now it's sewage." 😂😂 I love how David Mitchell's mind works!

[@SomeThingOrMaybeAnother]

I appreciate him diverting the conversation from that landmine.

[@Joe-t4v]

Love the strategically placed book..you disappoint me

[@headerahelix]

I'm so happy I found this channel, it's criminal it's not more popular.

[@tonisiret5557]

David could do documentaries as well as Starkey, Wood, Robinson & Snow. Let him come forth! 👏🏼

[@coloneljackmustard]

And don't forget the Jew Schama!

[@RalphBrooker-gn9iv]

Like an angelic horde :)

[@parkerbrown-nesbit1747]

​@@coloneljackmustardwhat does Schama's being Jewish have to do with his writing?

[@Murdo2112]

@@parkerbrown-nesbit1747 Coloneljackmustard is probably Starkey's secret youtube account.

[@tommerker8063]

he could read the phone book and it would still be hilarious

[@dh7314]

This is genuinely amazing. This would be an excellent spin-off podcast

[@sherrylandrum7901]

I feel like I’m watching an Anglo Saxon and a Viking talk to one another about their mutual past. Great conversation and very informative. Thanks!

[@susie8557]

Wonderful! The perfect combination of knowledgeable chaps.

[@toniisaacson6282]

I heard this in the podcast first and have just found it on KZbin. So much fun to watch as well!!

[@reppinTV]

Would love to see more of David and Dan just talking about history

[@shesaknitter]

Fascinating! I am now reading "The White Ship" by Charles Spencer (highly recommended) and I think next I'll read "Unruly," which has overlapping subject matter. Thank you very much!

[@overcomerbtboj]

I want to read that book myself i’m currently reading dan jones’s book about the Plantagenets and sharon kay penman’s novel about the anarchy - both great reads

[@leemarlin9415]

Very nice to see David again. I am an American but really enjoyed all the panel shows he used to be on. Very sensible intelligent man. You can tell that by the quality of the lady he married.

[@junbh2]

He's still on panel shows.

[@ericadunn9435]

I could not care less about his wife. David Mitchell is interesting because he's David Mitchell.

[@erika33648]

Reading Unruly. David… please write more history books!! Nobody writes them so humorously honestly like you do. Brilliant!!

[@chaddubois8164]

I keep coming back to this interview. I need more!!!

[@matthewwalker5430]

Am I the only 1 who has a sneaky suspicion that Edgar Aetheling had some sort of hand in William II's "unfortunate accident"? Edgar is SUCH an interesting guy and he really needs his own book in my view. Despite losing his birthright once the Norman's invaded he somehow managed to keep himself around and influencing history in the background. He was the one who appears to have encouraged Robert Curthose to rebel and, once Robert failed, Edgar somehow manages to keep himself around and continue meddling, whether it is by going up to Scotland where he is responsible for putting a King on the throne or by encouraging mischief in England. He vanishes off to the continent almost perfectly in time with William II's "accident" and then joins the First Crusade where he remains highly influential, potentially also serving in the Varangian Guard. It's amazing that Edgar then returns to England and encouraged Robert Curthose to rise against Henry I and Henry imprisons his brother yet pardons Edgar ... could that perhaps be because Henry felt he owed Edgar in some way for what happened to William that ultimately put Henry on the throne? (I know that Henry had married Edgar's niece by then and people give that as a reason for his pardon, but honestly, she was only his niece and I don't think that would have bothered Henry 1 bit - Curthose was Henry's actual brother!). I don't think he actually wanted to be King, but I think Edgar would have made an excellent King of England in that time. He certainly seems to have known how to play politics, how to win people over and how to stay relevant and despite living through some of the most turbulent times in our history, despite going on the First Crusade, Edgar died in England of old age. It's sacrilege that more people do not know of his exploits today

[@onsitehistory228]

Great comment 😊

[@meth4163]

THIS. Edgar Atheling was the true claimant to the throne and deserved it imo.

[@perniciouspete4986]

I refuse to read the above--too damned long.

[@matthewwalker5430]

Why chose to reply to a comment to notify everyone that you won't read it? I could even call you pernicious ... oh, wait, you got me