Lesley Smith
Mary Queen of Scots: Romance & Betrayal
A Queen without a country, Mary Stuart remains one of the most memorable monarchs of Scotland. She stood her ground against her cousin, Elizabeth I, and wasn’t afraid to rule from her heart. Mary, Queen of Scots was an admirable woman of much influence in an era dominated by drama, turbulence, and disaster. But what led to her execution? And why did she pose such a threat to Queen Elizabeth I’s rule?
Apple TV
The Dark History of the Witch Trials
From fertility potions and love charms to evil spells designed to kill kings of England, certain types of magic became associated with royal women during the Middle Ages. Most supposed witches were usually old women and invariably poor. Any who were unfortunate enough to be ‘crone-like’, snaggle-toothed, sunken cheeked and having a hairy lip were assumed to possess the ‘Evil Eye’! If they also had a cat, this was taken as proof, as witches always had a ‘familiar’, the cat being the most common. Many unfortunate women were condemned on this sort of evidence and hanged after undergoing appalling torture. The ‘pilnie-winks’ (thumb screws) and iron ‘caspie-claws’ (a form of leg irons heated over a brazier) usually got a confession from the supposed witch.
Apple TV
The End of the House of Tudor
The Tudor dynasty has occupied the English throne for decades. Three kings, three queens. But Elizabeth will be the last of them. Refusing to give up her autonomy, she was always destined to be the last of her dynasty. From great naval battles, to succession crises, to feuding siblings and tyrant kings -this is the story of the rise and fall of the Tudors.
Apple TV
Legacy of the Name: Elizabeth
How much meaning and power does a name hold? Can a chosen name become a curse or a blessing, or can it even represent a heavy burden of a legacy that needs to be carried forward? Elizabeth I and Elizabeth II are two of the most significant monarchs in British history - but do they share anything else besides their names?
Apple TV
Apple iTunes
Britain's Haunted Castles: Tutbury
Tutbury Castle is known to people who are interested in paranormal investigation. And that’s because it's got a very long history of ghosts. Ghosts have been part of our culture for decades. The idea is that places with a long history of horrific and gruesome events are almost impregnated within the walls consisting of great brutality and darkness. If there are going to be ghosts, they’ll be here.
Apple TVApple iTunesMary Queen of Scots: Romance & Betrayal
A Queen without a country, Mary Stuart remains one of the most memorable monarchs of Scotland. She stood her ground against her cousin, Elizabeth I, and wasn’t afraid to rule from her heart. Mary, Queen of Scots was an admirable woman of much influence in an era dominated by drama, turbulence, and disaster. But what led to her execution? And why did she pose such a threat to Queen Elizabeth I’s rule?
Apple TVApple iTunesThe Dark History of the Witch Trials
From fertility potions and love charms to evil spells designed to kill kings of England, certain types of magic became associated with royal women during the Middle Ages. Most supposed witches were usually old women and invariably poor. Any who were unfortunate enough to be ‘crone-like’, snaggle-toothed, sunken cheeked and having a hairy lip were assumed to possess the ‘Evil Eye’! If they also had a cat, this was taken as proof, as witches always had a ‘familiar’, the cat being the most common. Many unfortunate women were condemned on this sort of evidence and hanged after undergoing appalling torture. The ‘pilnie-winks’ (thumb screws) and iron ‘caspie-claws’ (a form of leg irons heated over a brazier) usually got a confession from the supposed witch.
Apple TVApple iTunes
The Haunting Conflict of Elizabeth and Mary
Queen Elizabeth I of England and Mary Queen of Scots were two of recorded history's most significant, most legendary rivals—although they never met. Elizabeth was the childless “virgin” queen in one castle: bawdy, brilliant, tactical and cynical. On the other hand, Mary is feminine, charming, romantic and reckless. Their decades-long battle over the English crown would end with Mary’s beheading at Fotheringhay Castle—with Elizabeth’s blessing—in 1587. But the two cousins’ tortured relationship was determined long before, during childhoods, so dissimilar and defining that they would inform both Queens’ characters—and seal Mary’s tragic fate. The rivalry between the two queens was marked by imprisonment, escape and execution.
Apple TVApple iTunes
Forged In Blood: Tutbury Castle
This is a story of conflict and struggle, but it is also a story of beauty and culture, where artists and writers found inspiration, and where the grandeur of royal courts was once on full display. Through the stories of its inhabitants, the true power of this fortress can be uncovered. Tutbury Castle. A fortress that has stood for almost a thousand years and has witnessed some of the most significant events in English history. Vikings, kings, queens, soldiers - all have passed through its gates, leaving behind a legacy of bloodshed, torture, and betrayal. The castle's walls have been witness to countless battles, and its halls have echoed with the cries of prisoners, both innocent and guilty.
Apple TVApple iTunesThe End of the House of Tudor
The Tudor dynasty has occupied the English throne for decades. Three kings, three queens. But Elizabeth will be the last of them. Refusing to give up her autonomy, she was always destined to be the last of her dynasty. From great naval battles, to succession crises, to feuding siblings and tyrant kings -this is the story of the rise and fall of the Tudors.
Apple TVApple iTunes