Private Lives of the Monarchs

Their iconic images are part of the very fabric of national culture, and are powerful symbols of bygone ages. But royalty are just human beings, with the same ticks and foibles, bad habits and weaknesses, wants and needs as the rest of humanity. Tracy Borman reveals the nitty-gritty details of the monarchs, to find out what really went on in their private lives. Queen Victoria gave her name to an age not readily associated with fun and laughter. Tracy explores two of the most important relationships in her private life - with her husband Prince Albert, with whom things may not have been quite as they seemed; and her eldest son Edward, who she came to utterly despise.

In Kew Palace near Richmond, Tracy reveals the story behind not one but two of royal history's most infamous private lives which are forever intertwined: the tragic 'mad' King George III and his son the Prince Regent. Tracy explores their fractious relationship, which was made worse by the King's madness, a condition that has attracted fascinating theories. Tracy explains how a handsome and popular young man with exquisite manners, a witty conversationalist, the first gentleman of England, indeed turned into a bloated, boorish and bullying monster, who abandoned his friends, not to mention all consideration and politeness.

We explore the secret life of King Charles II and look at the private life of the man who was said to be ‘too randy to rule’. Hampton Court and Whitehall Palace provide the backdrops for a man besotted by sensuality who presided over a court obsessed by sex. Tracy finds out more about him and his works, as well as the many royal mistresses who appeared on the scene, the King's attraction for the seedier side of London and his love of actresses and prostitutes.

Louis XIV the Sun King had France's magnificent Palace of Versailles built and it pays extraordinary testimony to his reign. He ruled for an incredible 72 years at a time when France was all powerful. Discover the truth about the King's very open 'secret' second marriage to Francois D'Aubinge and his many affairs. It’s been claimed Louis bathed only three times in his entire life. How does that square with the luxurious Turkish bath at the Palace, or the stories of him disinfecting his skin with alcohol, or the fact that he had literally hundreds of pairs of underwear which he changed many times during a day? He was very conscious of his height at only five feet four inches tall, however in his wigs and heels he appeared to be alot taller, Tracy explains how this extraordinary effect was achieved.

The popular image of Henry VIII is that of an overweight tyrant with multiple wives and an obsession with fathering a son and heir. But there's another side to his story-- that of a youthful, chivalrous king capable of great tenderness and love. Host Tracy Borman reveals the real Henry VIII, a Renaissance man who made England fantastically wealthy before a tragic accident transformed him into the infamous monarch we know today.