The Queen

Chief curator of historic royal palaces Lucy Worsley provides an exclusive tour of London’s most extraordinary palaces: the Tower of London, Hampton Court, and Kensington Palace.

Historian William Dalrymple travels to Hyderabad in India to explore the remarkable 18th-century love affair between a British diplomat and the Muslim princess he married. Tensions ran high when an Englishman fell for a Mughal ruler's daughter.

The painful story of Ireland and the Irish people, who struggled for centuries to free themselves from the tyrannical clutches of the British Empire; an epic tale of poverty, hunger, despair, violence and unyielding courage.

Writers and historians including Hilary Mantel and Philippa Gregory revisit the last days of Anne Boleyn, who in 1536 became the first queen in British history to be executed.

Historian Lucy Worsley restages the 1840 wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Aided by a team of experts, Worsley recreates the most important elements of the ceremony and the celebrations, scouring history books, archives, newspapers and Queen Victoria's diaries for the details. She reveals how every moment was brilliantly stage-managed for maximum effect. Woven into the recreation of the wedding day is the story of Victoria and Albert's courtship and engagement, and its political importance.

Clarissa Dickson Wright tracks down Britain's oldest known cookbook, The Forme of Cury. This 700-year-old scroll was written during the reign of King Richard II from recipes created by the king's master chefs. How did this ancient manuscript influence the way people eat today? On her culinary journey through medieval history she reawakens recipes that have lain dormant for centuries and discovers dishes that are still prepared now.

20 year-old Lady Diana Spencer laughed out loud when Prince Charles proposed to her having met her only 12 times. Five months later, she walked up the aisle - watched by three quarters of a billion people around the world - to marry what people believed was her Prince Charming. This is the true story of the seven days that led to the wedding of the decade - was it doomed before it even began?

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Their love story was not one without challenges. Marrying 35 years after they first met, they have become a widely accepted couple, having faced years of scandal, tormented by the media. Charles declared Camilla would be a non-negotiable part of his life. The fight for their relationship has proved worthwhile in one of histories greatest love stories. Charles and Camilla found their happily ever after, against all odds. Join us as we look back the story of our future king and queen.

This Traveltalk series short visits an array of locations associated with England's heritage. Included are Runnymede, Windsor, Ascot, Lincoln, Wells, Salisbury, Glastonbury, and the ancient Stonehenge site.