Welcome to the British History Podcast.

My name is Jamie and this is Episode 318.

Atholred.

Chaos is a ladder.

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By 984, the Regency Council had been broken and a new inner circle of nobles had been elevated.

And this development was accompanied by a rapid series of changes at the highest levels

of the kingdom.

And as a result of this, the political rivals of this new council were rapidly losing

power, with titles and even lands of wealthy dynasties being systematically funneled towards

the king.

And no one was safe during the surge of political consolidation.

Even the powerful elder of Mercia had found himself losing his title, being exiled on

charges of treason.

King Atholred and his new council had moved quickly to break the power structures that had

long dominated English life.

And in the process, he was becoming phenomenally wealthy.

...