Kings and Queens of England – Documentary

“Six episodes documentary covering 41 kings and queens of England from 1066 to the present — almost 1000 years of monarchs.

It’s mad to think that since 1066, only 41 men and women have sat on the throne of England.

You can trace a thousand years of our history through the lives and events of these 41 people. This six-part series made for UKTV History gets intimate with the Kings and Queens of England, from Anglo Saxon times through to Queen Elizabeth II.

EPISODE 1: Normans to Magna Carta (1066-1216)

This programme studies the Normans, covering historical landmarks such as the Battle of Hastings, the creation of the exchequer, Thomas Becket’s murder, the Crusades and the signing of the Magna Carta.

EPISODE 2: Middle Ages (1216-1485)

This episode covers the time from the Magna Carta through to Henry VI, taking in the 100 Years War, the Peasant’s Revolt and the Battle of Agincourt along the way.

EPISODE 3: The Tudors (1485-1603)

The three main Tudor monarchs (Henry VII, Henry VIII and Elizabeth I) played an important part in turning England from a European backwater still immersed in the Middle Ages into a powerful Renaissance state that in the coming centuries would dominate much of the world. King Henry VII Founder of the Tudor dynasty.

King Henry VIII & his six wives. Queen Mary I – Bloody Mary. Queen Elizabeth I – The Virgin Queen

EPISODE 4: The Stuarts (1603-1714)

Taking a look at the reign of the Stuarts.

An era of an expanding court, plague, fire, radical politics, religious debate, and bloody civil war in the mid-seventeenth century between Cavaliers and Roundheads.

EPISODE 5: The Hanoverians (1714-1837)

Lust, tempestuous relationships and madness feature in the colourful reigns of the Georgians.

George I brought two mistresses over from Germany, George II
quarrelled openly with his son Frederick, and George III became ruler of the British Empire – but madness eventually disabled him.

His son reigned as Prince Regent for eight years, and later as King George IV.

EPISODE 6: The Moderns (1837-Present)

In this edition, a look at the modern royal family of Saxe-Coburg and Windsor, whose direct lineage stretches back to Queen Victoria and continues up to Elizabeth II.