Monarchy

In episode one, Dr Starkey begins his history of the British monarchy in the violence and chaos of the dark ages. There, from a legendary world occupied by dragons and monsters, a uniquely English idea of monarchy, which was able to stand…

In episode two of Monarchy Dr. Starkey chronicles the stormy path of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England, the world's first nation state. He tells how, assailed by blitzkrieg from the Danes of King Canute, it survived to take its captor…

From the devastation of the initial Norman conquest, through the intrigues and murder of King William II, to the civil war in the reign of King Stephen, 'when God and his angels slept', Dr Starkey illuminates the experience of a turbulent…

In this stirring program, Dr David Starkey profiles a mediaeval superstar, King Henry II of England, whose dominion stretched from the moors of Scotland to the foothills of the Pyrenees, including more than half of modern France. And he…

In this episode Dr. Starkey explores a century which saw three Edwards reign: father, son and grandson. Edward I took the image and might of the English monarchy to new heights. He was the new Caesar; a man who would unite England, Wales…

In this final episode, Dr. Starkey takes up the story of Shakespeare's kings: Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. It starts with the usurpation and murder of Richard II and ends in a bloody civil war in which the English royal…

The historian continues his examination of the British monarchy, from the beginnings of the Tudor dynasty to the English Civil War. He re-examines the Wars of the Roses, fought between the royal houses of York and Lancaster in the 15th…

The historian examines the reign of King Henry VIII, who inherited the throne at the age of 17 and became overwhelmed by a desire for fame. In his search for love and the need for an heir, he divorced his wife Catherine of Aragon to marry…

The historian examines the reigns of Henry VIII's three children, revealing how the king's advice to pursue moderation in matters of religion fell on deaf ears as his son Edward enforced extreme Protestantism on the country, only for…

he historian examines the reign of James I, the first king of both England and Scotland. From the outset, the new monarch had little time for Parliament and did what he could to limit its influence. His son Charles I went further,…

The series concludes with an analysis of the English Civil War, revealing how the country was temporarily transformed into a republic with the execution of Charles I. The historian considers the nature of Oliver Cromwell's rule and how…

Looks at the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the reign of Charles II.

Looks at the events of 1688 and its aftermath, when the unpopular Roman Catholic King James II was overthrown and his replacement with the protestant Stuart Mary and her husband William of Orange. Considers how the consequences of this…

Looks at the end of the reign of William and Mary, and the changing relationship between Crown and Parliament, and that of Anne and the union with Scotland in 1707 which saw the emergence of Great Britain and how it grew in power.

Looks at the selection and crowning of George I as British monarch in 1714, and the events of his reign and also those of George II and George III. Considers how the breakdown in the relationship between the prime minister William Pitt…

When, in 1789, the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed and the French Revolution began, few in Britain - least of all King George III, who was recovering from one of his bouts of madness - thought that it would lead to a cataclysmic war…

This David Starkey documentary - the last in his long-running series - brings us pretty much up to date with the House of Windsor. Looking back at how the monarchy has survived and strengthened during the last century, the critically…