When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she left behind an extended family network that spanned nine European thrones.
This dynasty was the very pinnacle of high society and family members referred to themselves as 'The Club'. But from the moment Queen Victoria died, 'The Club' was doomed.
Long-forgotten royal correspondence, admiralty telegrams and secret service records discovered by historian Dr Andrew Cook reveal an amazing trail of events leading from the build-up to war, through King George's astonishing refusal of asylum to his cousin Tsar Nicholas, to a previously unknown desperate rescue plan involving the British secret service, and a mission to deepest Siberia to try and save the Tsar and his family.
It's an incredible story played out against a backdrop of global war and revolution: a moment in time that would change the course of the 20th century.
-
-
Three Kings at War
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she left behind an extended family network that spanned nine European thrones.
-
MORE:
-
The Queen's Sister
1 Episode
Favourite ShowA drama, starring Lucy Cohu, capturing the intimate details of Princess Margaret's private inner world as it charts her troubled life
-
Queen Victoria's Last Love
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThe story of Queen Victoria's relationship with her Indian servant Abdul Karim, which violated Victorian taboos and stoked royal jealousy, threatening her diamond jubilee celebrations
-
The Queen's Mother in Law
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThe story of Prince Philip's mother, who fled revolution in Greece, suffered a breakdown, was experimented on by Sigmund Freud, hid Jews from the Nazis, gave all her possessions away to help the poor, and founded her own religious order
-
Elizabeth Taylor: Auction of a Lifetime
1 Episode
Favourite ShowAn exploration of Elizabeth Taylor's extraordinary life story, told through some of her most valuable and glamorous possessions, and with exclusive interviews
-
Murder in Paradise
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThe Bahamas of 1943 provides the setting for one of the greatest unsolved crimes of the 20th century and this film reveals the findings of a five-year investigation into the brutal murder of Sir Harry Oakes
-
The Real Casanova
1 Episode
Favourite ShowA documentary that explores the man behind the myth, painting a vivid portrait of the 18th century Venetian, but one that's far removed from his popular reputation
-
Sex and the Swastika
1 Episode
Favourite ShowLocated in the English countryside, a secret division created 'Black' propaganda and disseminated pornography to German troops and civilians illustrating the sexual perversions of their leaders
-
Richard III: The King in the Car Park
2 Episodes
Favourite ShowWas a skeleton found under a Leicester car park really Richard III? With exclusive access to the investigating team, this documentary reveals the answer.
-
Sex and the Swastika
1 Episode
Favourite ShowLocated in the English countryside, a secret division created 'Black' propaganda and disseminated pornography to German troops and civilians illustrating the sexual perversions of their leaders
-
Upstairs Downstairs Love
1 Episode
Favourite ShowThe remarkable real life story of barrister Arthur Munby and his servant lover Hannah Cullwick whose relationship transgressed the strict moral codes of nineteenth century Britain
-
Time Team
16 Series, 173 Episodes
Favourite ShowIn this popular and (literally) groundbreaking programme, Tony Robinson and a team of experts travel the country to investigate a wide range of archaeological sites of historical importance
-
Monarchy
3 Series, 11 Episodes
Favourite ShowDr David Starkey's complete history of the British Monarchy, which reveals the epic and bloody stories of our Kings and Queens and charts the course of the oldest surviving political institution in Europe
-
Six Wives of Henry VIII
4 Episodes
Favourite ShowThrough dramatic reconstructions and his own passionate narration, Dr David Starkey, the controversial Tudor historian, profiles the six women who married Henry Vlll
-
Secrets of the Stone Age
3 Episodes
Favourite ShowAnthropologist and author Richard Rudgley sets off on an epic journey back in time and around the world to discover the real roots of civilisation
-
The Mystery of the Cocaine Mummies
1 Episode
Favourite ShowDocumentary questioning whether mummies found with high levels of cocaine provide proof of early trade routes between Egypt and South America
-
Private Lives of the Pharaohs
3 Episodes
Favourite ShowIn this three part ground-breaking series, scientific and forensic tests reveal the truth behind the great civilisation of Ancient Egypt
