Royal History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley

Royal History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley
TV Show · Documentary · History

History is filled with famous stories that have been told and retold so many times that few stop to question: is that really what happened? In this series, Lucy Worsley steps up and discovers how many royal stories, cemented in history and accepted as fact, have in fact been manipulated and shaped by those who write history. From recontextualising the English Reformation by discussing how Henry the VIII was a staunch Catholic, to examining documents that reveal the true story of the Spanish Armada, Lucy is here to question and uncover the biggest fibs of royal history.

2020 · 59m
Starring Lucy Worsley
Director Andrew Thompson, Laura Blount

Season 1

  • Reformation
    EPISODE 1
    Reformation
    Lucy Worsley discovers how the history of the Reformation has been manipulated and mythologised by generations of politicians and writers.
    53 min
  • The Spanish Armada
    EPISODE 2
    The Spanish Armada
    Lucy Worsley discovers how the history of the Spanish Armada has been manipulated and mythologised by generations of politicians and artists. This is an inspiring tale of an underdog English navy defeating an `invincible' Spanish fleet: the moment which set England on the path to imperial glory.
    54 min
  • Queen Anne and the Union
    EPISODE 3
    Queen Anne and the Union
    Lucy Worsley explores how Queen Anne's reputation and legacy have been blackened by a sustained campaign of historical fibs. When Queen Anne came to the throne England looked set to be dominated by France and Spain. But Anne bravely fought to help England become a leading European power.
    54 min
  • French Revolution
    EPISODE 1
    French Revolution
    Lucy Worsley explores some of the myths and fibs swirling around the Revolution of 1789 and the uprising that brought down the French royal family. This violent revolution became the blueprint of many future revolutions across the world.
    54 min
  • George IV and the Regency
    EPISODE 2
    George IV and the Regency
    The Regency is thought of as genteel and well-ordered: beautiful buildings, Jane Austen's romances and red-coated officers defeating Napoleon at Waterloo. Lucy Worsley digs behind the facade of Georgian elegance to reveal the fibs that helped conceal a darker side to the Regency and suppress rebellion in an age of revolution.
    54 min
  • Russian Revolution
    EPISODE 3
    Russian Revolution
    In October 1917, the Bolsheviks rose up, swept the tsar from power and communism was born. Lucy explores the myths and fibs that swirl around the dramatic events of 1917. She finds it was really a group of women workers who kick-started the Russian Revolution in February 1917. At the time, the Bolsheviks tried to stop it, and Lenin, the radical leader of the Bolsheviks, wasn't even in the country.
    54 min

Related

  • Tales From The Royal Wardrobe
  • Lucy Worsley Investigates
  • She-Wolves: England's Early Queens
  • Elizabeth I: Tudor Queen
  • Elizabeth: A Portrait In Part(s)
  • Elizabeth I: Queen Without a King
  • The Haunting Conflict of Elizabeth & Mary
  • Charles I: King on the Edge
  • The End of the House of Tudor

Cast & Crew

  • Lucy Worsley
    Host
  • A‌T
    Andrew Thompson
    Director
  • L‌B
    Laura Blount
    Director
  • C‌G
    Chris Granlund
    Producer
  • L‌B
    Laura Blount
    Producer
  • A‌T
    Andrew Thompson
    Producer

About

Royal History's Biggest Fibs with Lucy Worsley

Documentary

History is filled with famous stories that have been told and retold so many times that few stop to question: is that really what happened? In this series, Lucy Worsley steps up and discovers how many royal stories, cemented in history and accepted as fact, have in fact been manipulated and shaped by those who write history. From recontextualising the English Reformation by discussing how Henry the VIII was a staunch Catholic, to examining documents that reveal the true story of the Spanish Armada, Lucy is here to question and uncover the biggest fibs of royal history.

Information

Studio
PBS
Released
2020
© 2020 BBC Studios

Languages

Original Audio
English (United Kingdom)
Subtitles

English (CC)

Accessibility

Closed captions refer to subtitles in available languages with the addition of relevant non-dialogue information.
Audio descriptions (AD) refer to a narration track describing what is happening on screen to provide context for those who are blind or have low vision.
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Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bahrain
  • Botswana
  • Brunei Darussalam
  • Cape Verde
  • Egypt
  • Eswatini
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • India
  • Israel
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon
  • Mauritius
  • Mozambique
  • Namibia
  • Niger (English)
  • Oman
  • Qatar
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Tajikistan
  • Turkmenistan
  • Uganda
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Zimbabwe

Asia Pacific

  • Australia
  • Cambodia
  • Fiji
  • 香港
  • Indonesia (English)
  • 日本
  • Lao People's Democratic Republic
  • 澳門
  • Malaysia (English)
  • Micronesia, Federated States of
  • Mongolia
  • New Zealand
  • Philippines
  • Singapore
  • 대한민국
  • 台灣
  • Thailand
  • Turkmenistan
  • Vietnam

Europe

  • Armenia
  • Österreich
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Cyprus
  • Czechia
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France (Français)
  • Deutschland
  • Greece
  • Hungary
  • Ireland
  • Italia
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg (English)
  • Malta
  • Moldova, Republic Of
  • Nederland
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal (Português)
  • Россия
  • Slovakia
  • Slovenia
  • España
  • Sverige
  • Schweiz
  • Türkiye (English)
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Anguilla
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Argentina (Español)
  • Bahamas
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • Bolivia (Español)
  • Brasil
  • Virgin Islands, British
  • Cayman Islands
  • Chile (Español)
  • Colombia (Español)
  • Costa Rica (Español)
  • Dominica
  • República Dominicana
  • Ecuador (Español)
  • El Salvador (Español)
  • Grenada
  • Guatemala (Español)
  • Honduras (Español)
  • México
  • Nicaragua (Español)
  • Panamá
  • Paraguay (Español)
  • Perú
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Venezuela (Español)

The United States and Canada

  • Canada (English)
  • Canada (Français)
  • United States
  • Estados Unidos (Español México)