Welcome to the British History Podcast. My name is Jimmy and this is Episode 379.

Everybody is killing everybody else and no one is talking about it.

Part 2

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According to historians like Sir Frank Stanton, Earl Elfgar and his alliance with King Gruffeth of Wales

was likely the one true barrier that stood between Harold Godwinson and the throne of England.

Which means yes, you heard that right Englishman.

King Gruffeth, a naftaff, was smack dab in the middle of an English succession crisis.

But now Elfgar, as well as Elfgar's eldest son and heir, were both dead.

And as a result, Mercia was being helmed by the young and inexperienced Edwin, who was likely

only about 13 years old. And King Gruffeth's problems kept coming.

The fact is, he wasn't exactly popular with the Welsh at this point.

Not only was he was he prone to pissing off key allies, there was also the fact that nobody was crazy about how he allied himself with all these

loyalty.

he was getting from his own subjects? Well, that was starting to collapse.

Gruffith found himself in the most perilous position he'd been in for years.

And that happened right as Harold Godwinson decided he needed him out of the way.

Now, to be fair, it's possible that Harold Godwinson was just the luckiest man alive and everyone

who ever presented any sort of barrier between himself and the crown just happened to conveniently

...