Welcome to the British History Podcast.

My name is Jamie, and this is episode 491.

All hats on deck.

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the British History Podcast.com for about the price of a latte per month. And thank you very much

to Erica, Susie, and Rebecca for signing up already. Duke Robert Kurt Hose was back in Normandy,

having reclaimed the Dutchie unopposed, and now he was looking to assert his claim on England.

But obviously he wasn't going to be able to do this unopposed. He would definitely need help.

So this meant providing gifts to powerful but wavering nobles like Robert of Bilem in order to secure their support.

And also promising them that they'd get even more stuff after he became king,

and of course installing loyalists into strategically important castles and other positions

in case any of this comes blowing back upon him.

Recently, he'd also welcomed the fugitive bishop flambard into his court as an advisor.

And actually, even Robert's non-political actions begin pointing towards an imminent campaign for England.

For example, during this same time, the Duke undertook a pilgrimage to

Mont Saint-Michel. And if you were a Norman Duke who was seeking to keep your zealous nobles in line

by capitalizing on the cultural cachet that you gained by being a victorious crusader,

well, a pilgrimage of this type was politically brilliant, especially if you're

about to face off with your baby brother Henry, who never took the cross, and was instead

famous for his lechery. So watching all of this from across the channel, King Henry was probably

...