“Delightful and informative” —San Francisco Chronicle

See this U.K. broadcast edition with episodes not seen on PBS documenting a 1,500-year history of power, passion and glory.

Over more than a millennium, the British monarchy has survived brutality, betrayal, and bloodshed to emerge as the oldest functioning political institution in Europe. Join eminent historian David Starkey (The Six Wives of Henry VIII) as he probes the personalities of the men and women who wore the crown. Meet the Anglo-Saxon king Offa, who ruled more like a mafioso than a monarch; Henry VIII, who cultivated celebrity like a modern rock star; and Victoria, who remade the monarchy into the model of middle-class morality. Through it all, visit the very sites where history happened: Hastings, Bosworth Field, the Tower of London, and more.

In this captivating 16-part series, Starkey advances a unifying narrative—the dynamic tension between authoritarian order and rule by consent of the governed—that makes Britain unique among the world’s nations.

An honorary fellow at Cambridge University and a member of London’s Society of Royal Antiquaries, David Starkey (CBE) has taught history at the London School of Economics, written more than a dozen books, and presented many acclaimed television documentaries.