Late Tudor England was a dangerous place, with plots both at home and abroad, and no certainty about who was going to succeed the ageing queen, Elizabeth I. Into this perilous world stepped Robert Cecil, a brilliant but unglamorous statesman and spymaster who played a pivotal role in keeping the country together and ensuring a smooth transition to the Stuart ... Show More
Today
Spy, hero, rebel, traitor: the story of Roger Casement
Rory Carroll unpacks the dramatic final years of Roger Casement – an Irish diplomat and nationalist whose tangled legacy includes heroism, betrayal, and personal scandal. Carroll tells Elinor Evans about how Casement's support of Irish Home Rule in the early 20th century morphed ... Show More
40m 40s
Mar 25
The relentless rise of the mafia
The 20th century saw the mafia go global. Crime groups, from Japan's Yakuza to southern Italy's Camorra, capitalised on political chaos and mass migration to spread their influence around the world. In this episode, Spencer Mizen and Ryan Gingeras trace the relentless rise of the ... Show More
43m 10s
Mar 24
Harriet Martineau: life of the week
Thinker, feminist, sociologist, campaigner: 19th-century writer Harriet Martineau was a pioneer and a radical across a huge range of areas, but it's very likely you've never heard of her. Stuart Hobday tells Matt Elton about a figure who played a key role in shaping the modern wo ... Show More
40m 4s
Apr 2024
Seducing James I: Mary & George
<p>The major new TV series, <em>Mary & George</em> tells<em> </em>the scandalous story of George Villiers, who rose - thanks to his mother Mary’s machinations - from minor gentry to enrapture King James VI & I, Britain’s first Stuart king. For a decade, George Vill ... Show More
47m 22s
May 2024
Royal Maladies: Henry VIII and His Doctor
<p>In this episode, we delve into the intriguing story of Henry VIII, known for his robust health and love of physical activities, and his trusted physician, Thomas Wendy. Discover Wendy's rise from humble beginnings to serving three Tudor monarchs on their deathbeds. Join us ... Show More
12m 23s
Jun 2025
Edward IV: A King's Will
<p>Inside Edward IV's Last Will: Secrets, Stories, and Medieval Mysteries</p><p>Journey back to 1475, a time when Edward, undefeated on the battlefields of the Wars of the Roses, prepared for a grand invasion of France, including writing his Will.</p><br><p>Matt Lewis is joined b ... Show More
47m 39s
Mar 2025
Edward II: King of Incompetence
<p>Gone Medieval begins a gripping 4 part series exploring scandal, power, and betrayal in the Plantagenet Court.</p><br><p>This one of England’s most dramatic royal sagas; from the ill-fated reign of Edward II to the rise of his son, Edward III, Matt Lewis and Dr. Eleanor Janega ... Show More
1h 16m
Apr 2025
Succession 1625: James I to Charles I
<p>March 2025 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of King James VI and I, and the succession of his son Charles I. Crowned King of Scotland at just 13 months old in 1567 and later succeeding Elizabeth I in England in 1603, James envisioned a unified United Kingdom. However, ... Show More
49m 3s