Sutton Hoo is the oldest Royal burial site in Britain, which witnessed the elaborate funeral ceremony for the man often described as the first King of England. Was his claim justified and what happened to his Royal line? The first in a new series of programmes written and presented by Edward Windsor, the Queen's son, telling the story of his Royal ancestors down the troubled centuries.
For centuries Harwich was the safe haven that allowed Kings and Queens of England access to and from Europe, while Colchester's links with Royalty go back even further. Edward Windsor explores the area's connection with his ancestors, follows the trial of Britain's most famous warrior Queen, and discovers a macabre obsession with black magic.
Edward Windsor tells the extraordinary story of the first patron Saint of England, and of the growth of Europe's largest shrine. He also unearths some far more sinister goings-on! There is murder, mystery, and intrigue. We learn how the most unusual country estate was created as he traces the connections between the English market town of Bury and his Royal ancestors.
Edwards Windsor returns to his old University to learn about the conflicts between "town" and "gown", and the Royal connections that make Cambridge the most celebrated seat of learning in the world. There are tales of student pranks and worse from the days of the first Royal student, and a chance to find out why Queen Victoria blamed Cambridge for the death of Prince Albert.
A Saxon Princess who defied her King and a Tudor Queen who won popular acclaim (although she was banished by her King) are just two of the ancestors Edward Windsor discovers as he traces the connections between England's Royal Family and these two historic towns.
Edward Windsor goes home to the house that has become a private retreat for his family since his great great grandfather bought the estate in 1862. He discovers that Sandringham owes much of its glory to a rather special treasure, and how both past and present have contributed to the unique charm of the house derives. More purchase options
Edward Windsor chooses Tower Hill and the Pool of London as his starting point for the series, and tells us why this is where the story of London really began. Travelling east on a River Police launch we learn about the origins of the force, which celebrated its 200th anniversary in 1998. See the glories of Greenwich, the Isle of Dogs and return for an insiders guide to the Tower of London.
Travelling west from the Tower, Edward Windsor has the Royal Watermen as guides on a voyage that passes some of the English capital's famous landmarks. We visit the city's first amusement park, visit the Royal Hospital at Chelsea with the Duke of Edinburgh, and hear how a Lord tried to cheat the Chelsea pensioners out of a fortune.
Why did King William, the Conqueror of England, build castles in these towns on opposite sides of London? Edward Windsor explores this and some of the other historic links the towns have. We visit a magnificent garden that was given away by the Crown, and hear about the death of the country's most adored Princess in the 19th Century.
This episode tells the odd tale of two towns and two very different but equally fascinating women; Queen Elizabeth who learned she was Queen of England while in a garden at Hatfield House, and Lady Caroline Lamb whose strange antics enlivened proceedings at nearby Brockett Hall! Edward Windsor also reveals how the Cathedral at St. Albans brought a new word into the English vocabulary.
Edward Windsor visits the two Palaces at the very heart of the Crown's power. One where the sovereign is crowned and the other where the sovereign rules: Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster. What is the origin of the Royal pomp and ceremony, and what symbolic significance do the various artefacts have.
Buckingham Palace is probably London's most famous building, but how did it come to fulfil its current role? Edward Windsor, no stranger to the corridors of the palace, takes us behind the scenes at "BP". We also discover London's great "missing Palace", and find out the unexpected connection between France's Versailles and the English capital.
Hampton Court was given to Henry VIII by his Chancellor, Thomas Wolsey, and was then continuously occupied by the Crown until the reign of George II. What is its special relationship with the Crown of England? What was William and Mary's unique contribution to the development of the surrounding park and gardens? We also visit nearby Kingston-on-Thames where ancient Saxon Kings were crowned.
Site of the Palace once occupied by Diana, Princess of Wales, Kensington's development was originally funded by the enormous success of Prince Albert's Great Exhibition in 1851. Modestly, "Albertropolis" was created! The area is still home to numerous museums, colleges, the Albert Hall, and most appropriately, the recently refurbished Albert Memorial.
Richmond is the site of both a Royal Palace and a Royal Park, with an intriguing link to the world famous Royal Botanical Gardens at nearby Kew. Most splendid under the Tudors, Kew was acquired by Queen Caroline in 1728 as a summer residence, but remained empty after the death of Queen Charlotte in 1818 until it was given to the State, along with the Botanical Gardens in 1840.
Sir Christopher Wren's crowning glory that still sits at the heart of London's skyline. The Cathedral has had a dramatic history, often damaged but never destroyed, even by the Germany blitz of 1940. It still stands as a potent symbol of the nation's capital. Buried beneath its floors are civil heroes and religious leaders. We hear how the Bishops of London became Deans of the Chapel Royal.
The city of London has a long and complex relationship with the Crown, built over many years and taking many different forms. From days of ancient war when the warrior Queen Boudicca sacked the city to the formation of the trading livery companies and the establishment of the judiciary at the Inns of Court and the Old Bailey. It bore witness to the Plague and The Great Fire of London.
The story of Greenwich Palace stretches as far back as 1471 right up to the Queen's House as it is today, and includes the rival of the maritime museum, the observatory, the park, and the Royal Naval College. We a visit nearby Blackheath and the former Tudor palace at Eltham.
Edward Windsor explores various sites in the South East of England examining their historical links with the Crown. When five small ports on the South Coast came to a deal with the King back in 1050, it heralded the start of Britain's maritime power. In the alleyways of Dover and Rye and finally, we arrive at Walmer, the official residence of Queen Elizabeth's mother.
Edward Windsor takes us home to Windsor Castle! A Royal Fortress and family home for more than 900 years. He provides a unique perspective on the stories, legends, and characters not just of the Castle, but also the town, the Great Park and the surrounding countryside.
In this programme, Edward Windsor takes to horseback and discovers that it was not always ponies for which the New Forest was famous. As we discover it has born witness to more than its fair share of mysterious deaths and acts of treason. More purchase options
Edward Windsor's historical exploration of the South East of England takes him to one of the best natural harbours in the world and home of the Royal Navy. Innovation is key: here we find the first dry dock, the first iron-clad warship, and it was even the first place that tea was drunk socially!
This glorious and ancient city was an ancient capital of England and Edward traces back down the years the origins of the Crown via such luminaries as King Alfred, King Edgar, and even King Arthur. More pillage and plunder, more murder and miracle.
A tale of two towns concludes this tour by Edward Windsor through some of England's most historic sites and their connections with the Crown. The regal links between the two towns is in small part due to George IV, but has more to do with some acts of derring-do and tales of wheeling and dealing. More purchase options
Edward Windsor travels overseas for the first in a series of Crown and Country to the Isle of Wight. He discovers that an ancestor of his was responsible for the first salvage dive below the ocean and learns how the town records for Yarmouth came to be thrown away! He also has a brush with a band of smugglers and visits Osbourne House, the family home of Queen Victoria.
Edward Windsor goes to Farnborough to find a corner of England that is forever France, and unearths the reason why Aldershot is so strongly linked with the army. We also keep with the military theme by visiting Stratfield Saye, home of the Duke of Wellington, where we find out that Queen Victoria was not amused by the temperature of the house!
Rochester was famously both the scene of the first Royal abdication and ironically the restoration of the monarchy after Cromwell. Edward Windsor discovers a curious connection between the area's most prolific author Charles Dickens, the naval dockyards at Chatham, and Queen Victoria.
The flower festival of Corpus Christi provides the backdrop as Edward Windsor investigates one of the oldest hereditary titles in the land, The Earl of Arundel. They are still responsible for organising many of England's grandest state occasions nearly one thousand years after they first held the post!
Salisbury is an area steeped in myth and legend, from Stonehenge to the top of the spire in Salisbury Cathedral. Edward Windsor follows in the footsteps of his ancestors, and discovers how many Royal connections there are with this beautiful part of the country. We also unearth a forgotten Palace, and find out why a nobleman insisted on smuggling a factory worker to England in a butt of wine! More purchase options
In 1174 a few ill-chosen words from Henry II changed the course of history - Thomas Becket murdered.