Tvseries
Monarchy With David Starkey
History series with a runtime of 59 minutes, released in 2004. Presented in English.
At a Glance
Series Snapshot
Synopsis
In a major television event, the greatest living authority on the subject, Dr David Starkey presents a complete history of the British Monarchy. Over 20 episodes in four series, he tells the epic and bloody stories of our great Kings and Queens and charts the course of the oldest surviving political institution in Europe. Dr Starkey's perspective is controversial, well informed and very personal: he sees the story of our Monarchy as a crucial and sometimes violent dialogue between the people and the monarch, through which the very nature of our society was forged. Dr Starkey explores the dynamic relationship between monarchy and people from 400 and 1400AD: a relationship that has created English national identity and shaped Scotland and Wales; in short, forging the British nation. Starting with the creation of the first Saxon kings in the chaos of the Dark Ages, the series pushes on via the trauma of the Norman Conquest through to the glory days of Crecy and Agincourt, when English kings dominated the battlefields of Europe. Throughout, the series highlights the fertile relationship between Crown and people, which has, from earliest times, shaped British politics in a unique way. Sometimes it has been a forced marriage, in which brutality, greed and violence have driven the partners apart. But it has also been a relationship of mutual need that has guaranteed freedoms and underpinned justice in Britain. Asking the fundamental question 'What makes a good ruler?', Dr Starkey illuminates the detail and colour in the lives of the extraordinary men who held the throne in medieval England, and the powerful women who supported and sometimes even overthrew them. He begins his history of the British monarchy in the violence and chaos of the Dark Ages. From a legendary world peopled by dragons and monsters a uniquely English idea of monarchy emerged, which was able to stand firm in the face of the Viking invasions. In this programme Dr Starkey tells the dramatic story of the creation of England and the triumph of an English hero, Alfred the Great. An interview with David Starkey will be published under October on the Programme Info section of the Press Website next Monday.
Where to Watch
Start with the quickest viewing option we have for this title.
Availability can vary by country and over time.
Series Binge Profile
Total Content Density: 13 hours 35 minutes (14 episodes)
Intensity Rating: Moderate Burn - Story-dense episodes. Best spaced out over a week.
Binge Milestones
1 episode/day: 14 days
3 episodes/day: 5 days
5 episodes/day: 3 days
Episodes (14)
- S01E01 - A Nation State
- S01E02 - Aengla Land
- S01E03 - Conquest
- S01E04 - Dynasty
- S01E06 - Death of a Dynasty
- S02E01 - The Crown Imperial
- S02E03 - The Shadow of the King
- S02E04 - The Stuart Succession
- S02E05 - Cromwell: The King Killer
- S03E01 - Return of the King
- S03E02 - The Glorious Revolution
- S03E03 - Rule Britannia
- S03E04 - Empire
- S03E05 - Survival
