Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jamie and this is Episode 348.

Rueling hard or partly ruling.

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Europe was in chaos in the 1020s. The crises just kept coming and the powerful were trying

to capitalize on the disorder that followed. And in times like these, actions can have an

outsized impact, even the smaller ones, the ones that most people aren't paying attention

to. For example, if you were sitting in Lester during the 1020s, the last thing you would

have been paying attention to would have been the spat between the dukes in northern

France. And even further below your list of interests would have been the fact that

one of those dukes had taken a mistress and had a bastard baby boy. Similarly, the fact

that Godwin had become the king's second in command and was taking charge of the throne

during Knut's increasingly frequent absences would have seemed like just a bit of trivia

for the hardcore politicos. Basically just interesting for a certain type of person.

And it's unlikely that anyone would have seen it as a pivotal development that would

shape European politics for generations to come. And the difference between those who

watched these events in 1020 and those of us who are listening to them now is that only

we know what happens next. We know that we're witnessing the rise of two powerful dynasties

that in a matter of years would launch into a life or death struggle over who would rule

...