Secrets of the Royal Palaces

Uncovering the secrets of Palace entertaining, from Wayne Sleep teaching Princess Diana how to dance, to the Buckingham Palace party that almost went up in flames.

Behind-the-scenes tales of palace retreats, exploring former royal yacht Britannia'a hidden history and unravelling why its loss caused such public sorrow on its decommissioning at Portsmouth dockyard. Plus, the secrets of George IV's seaside palace Brighton Pavilion, while Kate Williams tells the astonishing story of how George V's doctor hurried the dying monarch to his death at Sandringham in order that its could be reported in the morning's edition of the Times.

This time, we uncover the secrets of Queen Victoria's Palaces, as we explore the romantic hideaway designed for her by Prince Albert, open-up the scandalous diaries that reveal Victoria's racier side, and discover just how many times she was shot at by would-be assassins.

Behind-the-scenes tales of Tudor residences, with architectural historian Jonathan Foyle tracing the story of Hampton Court Palace’s creation and revealing it was a radical departure for architecture in this country. Plus, Kate Williams takes us to a Tudor palace banquet as she enjoys a starting treat known as coqz heaumez, which consisted of a helmet-wearing chicken riding a pig and was meant to suggest a proud knight on his trusty steed