Private Lives of the Monarchs
The iconic images of the monarchs, frequently captured in famous portraits and paintings, are part of the very fabric of national culture, in carefully-arranged poses. This is all well and good, but actually, they were all just human beings, with the same ticks and foibles, bad habits and weaknesses, as the rest of us.
Genre: Documentary, Biography, History
Cast:Tony McMahon , Hallie Rubenhold , Dominic Selwood , Tracy Borman , Roxana Lupu , Rebecca Rideal , Matthew Green , Matt Green , Jane Desborough , Peter Garrard , Martin Rowson , Isabella Coraca , Ivan Day , Simon Berry , Geordie Willis , Adam Fishlock , Steven Probert , Aaron De Strete
S1.E1 ∙ Queen Victoria
We explore two of the most important relationships in her private life - with her husband Prince Albert, with whom things may not have been quite as they seemed; and her eldest son Edward, who she came to utterly despise.
S1.E2 ∙ Louis XIV
The Palace of Versailles pays testimony to Louis XIV, the self-styled Sun King, who ruled at the height of French power for an incredible 72 years. He had a very open 'secret' second marriage, as well as very infrequent bathing practices.
S1.E3 ∙ Charles II
Hampton Court and Whitehall Palace provide the backdrops for a man besotted by sensuality who presided over a court obsessed by sex. A 24-hour 'pox doctor' was constantly on call.
S1.E4 ∙ George III & The Prince Regent
We see how a handsome and popular young man with exquisite manners, a witty conversationalist, the first gentleman of England, indeed, turned into a bloated, boorish and bullying monster who hated his son.
S1.E5 ∙ Henry VIII
It turns out that Henry VIII was a bit of a prude, and shocked by the worldliness of Anne Boleyn; he had decent table manners, contrary to his image. The king's life eventually had to be adapted to accommodate his ever-increasing weight.
