Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is Episode 330.

Athelred, The Purge.

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The Court of Athelred had already turned over three times during his reign. First, we began with

his Regency Council. Then, when he took full power, he replaced that Regency Council with his

young friends and corrupt enablers. Then, in the 1990s, the Old Guard reasserted itself,

along with the powerful wolf dynasty from the Midlands. And now, in 2006, the Court was turning

over again. The Old Guard, having returned in what looks like an attempt to get the kingdom back

on track, was now legitimately really old. Queen Elthrith's faction was dying out. Uncle Lord Wolf,

cousin Athelweird, even Wolfritch Spot, and of course, Queen Elthrith. They were all dead,

and with them went the last semblance of competency in statecraft. But I don't want to give you the

wrong impression. Old English politics was full contact, and even though mom's faction did a

pretty good job at stabilizing things when they were in power, this group wasn't exactly cuddly.

When he ousted the previous court, they did it brutally, and only Elthrith of Hampshire

appears to have walked away with his life. Similarly, the Old Guard wasn't altruistic. They got

pretty rich while they controlled the king. But, even for all their grift and self-interested

grasping, the Old Guard did manage to keep the train from coming completely off the rails.

And that meant that with the loss of this group, while the kingdom was in a tight spot,

...