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Ongoing Series

Secrets of the Royal Palaces

★ 1.0 · 2021-01-02 · 2 Seasons · PG · Documentary
Secrets of the Royal Palaces

Episodes

1

Buckingham Palace

An unveiling of some of the many secrets held by Buckingham Palace, including its former rat problem, and the part it played in Charles and Diana's courtship.

44m
2

Balmoral Castle

Historian Jonathan Foyle casts his eye over Balmoral.

44m
3

Windsor Castle

Some dramatic events have taken place at Windsor Castle, which was built more than 900 years, guided by Edward III and his obsession with tales of Camelot. There is a look at one of the most popular exhibits at Windsor - Queen Mary's Dolls' House - and Kate Williams revisits some of the castle's darker times, including the year when bubonic plague caused Queen Elizabeth to isolate at Windsor, and the death of Prince Albert in 1861.

44m
4

Sandringham House

Sandringham in Norfolk was purchased in 1861 for the rakish Prince Edward, to curb his ways, but it proved to be the perfect palace for a party.

44m
5

Highgrove

Highgrove House in Gloucester is the smallest royal residence currently in use, with nine bedrooms. It is Prince Charles's own creation and features a garden described as an 'organic oasis'.

43m
6

Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace has been home to many Royals since the 17th Century. Christopher Wren expanded Nottingham House into a palace, which some describe as a bit of a 'botched job'.

44m
7

Holyrood House

Holyrood House in Edinburgh has a bloody history - Mary Queen of Scots saw her secretary murdered in front of her there, and it is also where her second husband was murdered.

43m
8

Palace of St James

Hidden in Central London, the Palace of St James is the real seat of royal power. Originally built for Anne Boleyn, by the time it was finished her marriage with Henry VIII was over.

1

Windsor Castle

Kate Williams explores some of the more gruesome stories of Windsor Castle history, including the death of Princess Charlotte in 1817.

2

Hampton Court

3

Versailles

Versailles is one of the most enormous and impressive palaces in the world. Louise XIV built it in 1634 as a way of controlling the French aristocracy.

4

Sandringham

5

Brighton Royal Pavilion

Brighton's Royal Pavilion was built by Prince Regent, George IV in 1787. He took a small beach house and turned it into a flamboyant multi-domino-Saracenic wonder palace.

6

Kensington Palace

Kensington Palace had always been a party palace but a gap in succession made way for foreign import George 1st of Hanover and his refurbishments.

7

Whitehall

London's lost royal palace Whitehall is destroyed, but if you know where to look, it is still possible to find the remnants of what was once the largest palace in Europe.

8

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace is known throughout the world as the headquarters of the royal family, and is one of our most recognisable palaces.

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