About this season
Professor Suzannah Lipscomb looks at the roles the press, parliament and the public have played in generating outrage and spreading scandalous royal rumours.
Episodes (6)
1. Murder
Aired 29 October 2024 • 47 min
Was the infamous disappearance of the Princes in the Tower a murder, or an attempt to discredit an overthrown king? And why was a bloody murder carried out in a Scottish royal palace?
2. Sex
Aired 5 November 2024 • 45 min
Suzannah reveals how the multiple-partner sexual shenanigans of the Georgian court helped to fuel the newly formed British tabloids. And was 13-year-old King James VI of Scotland groomed by his uncle?
3. Witchcraft
Aired 12 November 2024 • 45 min
Suzannah explores the complex connection between British royalty and witchcraft. How did Elizabeth I try to predict the future? And why was a Scottish (and later British) king so terrified of sorcery?
4. Crime
Aired 19 November 2024 • 45 min
Suzannah delves deep into how members of the British royal family have been both victims and perpetrators of criminal acts. Did Henry VIII manipulate the law to convict two of his wives of treason?
5. Affairs
Aired 26 November 2024 • 45 min
Suzannah Lipscomb uncovers some historic royal affairs that shocked the public or were hidden away to avoid an outcry. She investigates how an affair between a royal prince and a famous actor shocked Georgian society and led to a barrage of negative press and 10 illegitimate children. She also learns how Queen Elizabeth I's stepfather would enter her bedroom semi-naked
6. Money
Aired 3 December 2024