This is the true tale of the biggest scandal ever to engulf the British Royal Family – a forbidden love affair which had a devastating impact. This BBC Select Original Documentary series recounts the story behind the ten days leading to Edward VIII abdicating his throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson. It would change the royals, the press and British history forever.
Lucy Worsley re-investigates some of the most dramatic chapters in British history. She uncovers forgotten witnesses, re-examines old evidence and follows new clues.
During London's swinging sixties, young Jewish Vivien Epstein follows her lover into danger and when he is caught between life and death, she finds herself going undercover with the fascists, not only for him but for the sake of her country.
Part documentary, part historical drama, this series follows the fortunes of the different members of the Boleyn family, ultimately made notorious for daughter Anne’s marriage to Henry VIII and execution.
With 1066, Professor Jennifer Paxton's exciting and historically rich six-lecture course, experience for yourself the drama of this dynamic year in medieval history-centering on the Norman Conquest of England that would dramatically reshape both English and Western history. Taking you from the shores of Scandinavia and France to the battlefields of the English countryside, this course plunges you into a world of fierce Viking warriors, powerful noble families, politically charged marriages, tense succession crises, epic military invasions, and more.
On the edge of London stands Hampton Court, one of Britain's biggest palaces and most popular tourist spots, attracting almost a million visitors every year. Spanning 750 acres of grounds, it boasts 1,300 rooms and 23 courtyards...along with a host of secrets and historic stories. This two-part special provides an exclusive and intimate look at life inside the court today for the people keeping Henry VIII's world alive in the modern age, and also explores what life was like in the palace where the private world of the Tudors began.
Investigating the most notorious murders ever to take place on the British railways. The cases start from 1864 with the the first murder on a British railway.
This four-part series tells the stories of the landscapes, towns and cities which inspired four of the UK's greatest writers - Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens and the Brontes.
The comedian explores the British isles in her vintage camper van, Helen, taking in some dramatic scenery, unspoilt countryside and incredible historic sights along the way.
Professor Alice Roberts and Dr Yasmin Khan dig deeper into he fortunes of rich and poor in Georgian London through the excavations at St James's burial ground next to Euston station that will make way for the new HS2 terminus. They are on the hunt for the lost explorer who extended Britain's empire across the globe.
In this 3-part documentary series, Lucy Worsley travels across Britain and Europe visiting the locations where royal history was made. In palaces and castles and on battlefields she investigates how royal history is a mixture of facts, exaggeration, manipulation and mythology.
Historian Lucy Worsley debunks popular myths and royal as well as anti-royal propaganda about key events from British royal history including the English Reformation, the attack of the Spanish Armada and Queen Anne's forgotten legacy.
Tori Herridge and a team of scientists piece together life stories behind unearthed bones
Taking a 'bottom-up' view of history by exploring everyday lives of the nations ordinary people.
In this four-part documentary series, leading Hollywood actors undertake a fascinating journey into their family's past by re-tracing the footsteps of their grandparents during World War Two. We follow the moving, personal stories of Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Carey Mulligan as they travel to historic locations, from the beaches of Dunkirk to prisoner of war camps in Asia, to learn about the war their grandparents experienced. All of the actors have unanswered questions about the scars war left on their grandparents, and in each episode one of the actors explore how six years changed the lives of their family and the world forever while learning about the life and death decisions that their grandparents faced.
History series telling the glorious and gory story of the city's rise to power.
This two-part series profiles Princess Margaret, whose life and loves reflected the social and sexual revolution that transformed Britain during the 20th century.
This series travels the length and breadth of Britain to find out how the Victorians built Britain. It uncovers the incredible and surprising stories behind iconic landmarks; discovers the hidden heroes behind the epic constructions; and finds out how the incredible advances made by the Victorians forged the world we live in today.
In this unique take on British history, Professor Alice Roberts explores Britain's rich and varied past through the stories of individual towns and cities. In each programme Alice studies one key period in history by delving into the secrets of a historic town that encapsulates the era, providing an accurate impression of what life was really like at key moments in our turbulent past. At the climax of each programme, cutting-edge CGI reveals the entire historic town in all its former glory.
Mary Berry discovers the rich history of Great Britain's greatest stately homes through the prism of food.