Why did people start cremating bodies? When did black become the colour of mourning? And who are the 'invisible dead'? Speaking to Charlotte Hodgman, historian Douglas Davies answers your top questions about traditions surrounding death and mourning in Britain through the centuries.
The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazin ... Show More
Jan 13
Emperor Hirohito: life of the week
While most of the other surviving Axis leaders were put on trial following the end of the Second World War, Japan's Emperor Hirohito never faced justice and, instead, continued to reign until his death in 1989. Debate continues about how far he was personally responsible for Japa ... Show More
42m 2s
Feb 2024
Lady Killers: what murder scandals reveal about Victorian society
What can brutal murders reveal about society at the time they were committed? And what additional insights can we gain when those killings were committed by women? In today's Long Read, Rosalind Crone, historical consultant on the BBC series Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley, reveal ... Show More
20m 49s
Oct 2023
The Murders of Alexander the Great
<p><em>This episode contains strong language, and references to sexual assault.</em></p><br><p>Alexander the Great - conqueror, legend, <em>murderer</em>. After ascending to the throne at aged 20 in 336BCE, his rule started with mass executions and political assassinations - them ... Show More
43 m
Jan 2024
Murder in the Stuart Court
<p>The public fascination with true crime is nothing new. Four centuries ago, the sensational story of the death in the Tower of London of Thomas Overbury, a lawyer in the court of King James I, led to a scandal that rocked the monarchy to its core. </p><br><p>In this e ... Show More
44m 44s
Nov 2023
Season 3 | 11. Into the Fire
Magna Carta has failed and the country is plunged into war. John devises a cruel plan that involves taunting his starving enemies with the delicious smell of bacon. Meanwhile, Louis the Lion, the son of the French King, prepares to invade England, while the Pope’s representative ... Show More
19m 37s