Lucy Worsley Investigates

History Series / 2 Seasons

Lucy Worsley re-investigates some of the most dramatic chapters in British history. She uncovers forgotten witnesses, re-examines old evidence and follows new clues.

54m 50s / TV-PG

Bloody Mary: The first woman to be crowned Queen

2m 55s

Mary had a very difficult line to tread as the first queen; she had to blur the genders, but what she did set the pattern for all the queens to follow. Lucy investigates if the real Queen Mary has been lost to history. She is now reduced to a mere two words "Bloody Mary," but was she the victim of a smear campaign because she was the first women in a man's world?

Bloody Mary: Her earliest portrait

4m 5s

Was England's first ruling queen a pioneer or a tyrant? Lucy investigates whether Mary I was really as "bloody" as history suggests or was she the victim of a smear campaign for being the first women in a man's world?

The Gunpowder Plot: The Mural on the Tube

3m 1s

On the 5th November 1605, a terrorist cell of desperate men tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, but what drove these men to the extreme and why is their mural on the London tube?

William the Conqueror: The Bayeux Tapestry

3m 12s

There's one historical artefact that tells us exactly why William the Conqueror thought he should be King of England. It's over 230 feet long and over 900 years old. Its the Bayeux Tapestry.

Coming Face to Face with William the Conqueror

3m 35s

What is it like to come face to face with William the Conqueror? Lucy Worsley examines three rare coins from the 1060s, which locals buried in the ground in fear as William's Army surged North to pacify York.

Jack the Ripper: A letter from the killer?

4m 14s

Lucy examines the infamous "Dear Boss" letter, which is supposedly from the pen of the serial killer. With criminologist Dr. Martin Glynn, Lucy questions the letter's authenticity and the role it played in creating the first serial killer persona. The name Ripper is now synonymous with serial killers around the world, but many believe it is a hoax.

Jack the Ripper: Read all about it!

3m 6s

In the Summer of 1888, the world was gripped by one case, a serial killer was on the loose in East London. The newspapers couldn't get enough of the story and began to create a template for how we cover true crime, which is still familiar today.

Series Preview

30s

In this series, Lucy Worsley re-investigates some of the most dramatic and brutal chapters in British history. She uncovers forgotten witnesses, re-examines old evidence and follows new clues, to bring a fresh and modern perspective to some of the most enduring historical mysteries. This season, she explores Jack the Ripper, the Gunpowder Plot, William the Conqueror and Bloody Mary.

The Imprisonment of Agnes

4m 1s

Agnes is brought to Edinburgh, imprisoned and interrogated at the Palace of Holyroodhouse where King James lived. Agnes meets the king, and Newes from Scotland gives the account that she stood up to the king and denied being a witch.

The National Museum of Scotland

3m 47s

Lucy visits the National Museum of Scotland storeroom which houses amulets and charms. Amulets were common and a mix of religious belief coexisting with the supernatural. Lucy is shown a seedpod known as "Mary's nut" which was an amulet used in childbirth as protection.

Lucy Visits the Suffolk Archives

4m 17s

Lucy visits Suffolk Archives to look at the Court Rolls for Walsham le Willows, which shows a spike in death taxes being paid due to deaths from the black death. The Rolls are a microstudy for all of Britain during the black death pandemic.

How the Black Death Spread

2m 43s

Lucy visits a pub in Walsham and draws a map of English ports to show how the black death spread from Europe. She reads from a book which details how the black death traveled from Genovese ships to Marseille and Avignon where half the people have died. France is only 24 hours away from Walsham le Willows.

Episode 2 Preview | Madness of King George

30s

How did George III’s mental illness change Britain? Lucy Worsley uncovers Royal papers and explores how the assassination attempt on his life by a mentally ill subject changed psychiatry forever.

King George III Grants New Rights to Catholics

2m 47s

Lucy discusses accounts in the newspaper of riots that were caused by King George III's new rights for Catholics. Lucy notes how revolutions were happening all over the world during this time, and that assassination attempts were being made against leaders. King George III may have felt that he was losing the Empire as a result of revolution in America.

Robert Greville's Diary Reveals Secrets About King George

3m 14s

The Royal Archivist brings out a diary at Windsor Castle for Lucy to read. It is the diary of Robert Grevell, the king's equerry. Lucy learns about George's ill health and how on one occasion he talked constantly for 19 hours. A statement is sent to Mr. Pitt the prime minister to say that the king is "entirely" deranged.

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