A secluded royal retreat in the Scottish Highlands
Since Queen Victoria first acquired it in 1852, the British royal family have found solace at Balmoral. This enormous private estate in the Scottish Highlands is where monarchs have holidayed, hidden, plotted, and played.
The inside view of this secretive sanctuary reveals some of the extraordinary features found at Balmoral and the tales of intrigue involve the figures who have resided there.
Watch Inside Balmoral and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.
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Elizabeth and Philip: Love and Duty
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Elizabeth I and II: The Golden Queens
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Queen Victoria and her Nine Children
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The Queen's Palaces
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My Years with the Queen
What’s it like to be close friends with Queen Elizabeth II? Lady Pamela Hicks reveals all.

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The fascinating story of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II

Before They Were Royal
The story of Prince Philip, Camilla Parker-Bowles and more before they became royal

Princess Diana: A Life After Death
How Princess Diana's tragic death and legacy changed the British monarchy forever.

Secrets Of Royal Travel
The unseen luxury and decadence within the royal family’s planes and trains.

Princess Margaret: Queen of Mustique
Scandal and gossip stalked Princess Margaret on the luxurious island of Mustique.

Elizabeth Fashioning A Monarch
How the Queen used clothing and jewelry to send a message to the world

Elizabeth: Her Passions and Pastimes
A look back at the pastimes, passions and pleasures of Queen Elizabeth II

When the Queen Spoke to the Nation
Exploring the Queen’s annual Christmas Day messages and other special addresses.

Picturing Elizabeth: Her Life in Pictures
The stories behind some of the most famous and era-defining pictures of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Platinum Jubilee Interview: Tina Brown
Writer Tina Brown speaks with Katty Kay about decades chronicling the British royal family

Young Victoria
How a modest little girl turned into Queen Victoria, one of history's most powerful women.

A Royal Guide to…
A revealing look into some of the more peculiar protocols followed by the Royal Family.

The Queen Mother
The triumphs and pain that came to define the woman affectionately known as the Queen Mum.

The Princes and the Press
Explore the changing relationship between the Royal Family and British tabloid press

Royal Cousins at War
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History documentaries
From the dawn of civilization to the emergence of modern-day superpowers, BBC Select hosts a wide-ranging collection of world history documentaries.

Armada: The Untold Story
The fierce naval conflict between England and Spain that changed the face of Europe.

The Catacomb Mystery
Can the discovery of thousands of skeletons help unlock the secrets of the Roman Empire?

The Last Days Of Anne Boleyn
What led to the dramatic downfall and violent execution of Queen Anne Boleyn in 1536?

The Most Dangerous Man In Tudor England
The dramatic story of William Tyndale and his mission to translate the Bible into English.

African Apocalypse
The atrocities committed by a rogue French officer in Africa are still being felt today.

The World's Biggest Bomb
Why did American then Soviet scientists race to explode the biggest bomb of all time?

Henry VIII's Enforcer: The Rise and Fall of Thomas Cromwell
Was Thomas Cromwell a corrupt, ambitious politician or has history unfairly maligned him?

Jesus' Family Tree
The traditional view of Jesus and his family is far from an accurate representation.

The Bible: A History
What history's bestselling book can tell us about ourselves and our modern-day beliefs.

Antiques Roadshow
What treasures will be found as antique experts appraise the public’s heirlooms?

Christmas Carols with Lucy Worsley
From pagan fertility rituals to World War I, the story of Christmas carols is surprising.

Who Killed The Princes in the Tower?
Did King Richard III murder two princes to ruthlessly gain the crown of England?

War's Secret Shame: Shell Shock
Using previously unseen archives the hidden story of WWI soldiers is told.

The Quintinshill Rail Disaster
Reinvestigating the deadliest rail crash in British history that killed over 200 people

The Normans
How the extraordinary ambition of the Normans transformed the history of Europe.

Return of the Black Death
Could 25 medieval skeletons help to eradicate the Bubonic plague?

The Pity of War
Britain's decision to enter the First World War might have been a tragic miscalculation.

Rome's Invisible City
Venture beneath the streets of Rome to explore a hidden city seen by very few

The Hector: Canada's Mayflower
The horrific story of migrants who left Scotland in 1773 to settle in Nova Scotia

A Life In Ten Pictures: Muhammad Ali
Ten photographs show a different side of boxer Muhammad Ali

Moon Landing
Relive the drama and danger of the mission to the moon in this thrilling documentary

The Industrial Revolution
Unraveling the mysteries behind the Industrial Revolution in 19th century Britain

Death Camp Treblinka
Those who survived the Treblinka Nazi extermination camp tell their story

BBC at War
This enthralling series asks, how much did World War II shape the personality of the BBC?

Nature And Us: A History Through Art
In the age of climate crisis, what can art teach us about our relationship with nature?

The Bible's Buried Secrets
Can contemporary historical evidence confirm stories from the Bible?

Treasures of the Indus
Ancient treasures are used to chart the fascinating history of India and Pakistan.

Nuremberg: Nazis on Trial
Could the Nuremberg trials help shed light on the motivations of leading Nazis?

Edward VIII: Britain's Traitor King
The amazing story of the former British King who may have had Nazi sympathies during WWII.

The Art of Gothic
Why were Brits in the 19th-century obsessed with art that was horrific, macabre and weird?

The Body Beautiful: Ancient Greeks, Good Looks and Glamour
Why were the Ancient Greeks so preoccupied with images concerning the naked human form?

The Silk Road
The world's first superhighway that carried goods and ideas between Europe and China.

Confucius
The remarkable story of a great thinker who helped to form a nation and shape the world.

The Wild West
What is the truth behind the iconic figures of the Wild West – and what is pure myth?

The High Art of the Low Countries
Size doesn’t matter. How one small region spawned the greatest artists of all time.

Simon Schama's Shakespeare and Us
A Bard’s tale. How Shakespeare united the intellectual and populist like no one else.

Rallying: The Killer Years
How rallying’s unregulated mayhem ended in 1986 after a series of horrific tragedies.

Ancient Worlds
An epic quest through the birth of civili`ation and the development of humanity

Ancient Treasures with Bettany Hughes
How did our ancient ancestors, and the amazing treasures they left behind, shape the modern world?

The Crusades
Why were the Crusaders willing to endure pain, death and starvation in the name of God?

Countdown to War
The story of the 3 days between the Nazis invading Poland and the beginning of World War II.

The Six Queens of Henry VIII
Rediscover the Queens who shaped a King & his legacy in The Six Queens of Henry VIII, BBC's new look at the King's infamous wives.

History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered
In space, you can hear the Earth scream... History of Mother Earth: Gaia Uncovered

Nixon in the Den
Was President Nixon a visionary on China? Davin Reynolds investigates in Nixon in the Den

Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley
Hitler's Terrifying Battle of Britain Bombing. Blitz Spirit with Lucy Worsley, BBC's leading historian

Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History
From slavery to settlement, award-winning historian David Olusoga explores the history of black Britain.

Harry Potter - A History of Magic
They’re the fastest-selling books in history. But what inspired the enchanting world of Harry Potter?

Rome: Empire Without Limit with Mary Beard
World renowned historian, Mary Beard, is back to shatter myths about the Roman Empire.

Russia 1917: Countdown to Revolution
Three men rise from obscurity to unleash a bloody revolution that changed history forever.

The Persians: A History of Iran
How was the world's first empire born and what led to its ultimate destruction?

Secret Cities
How much can the artistic history of a great city tell us about its character?

Racism: A History
Where did the notion of racism come from and how did such an abhorrent idea develop?

Filthy Cities
Dan Snow explores the murky histories of London, Paris and New York from the bottom up.

Queen Victoria and her Nine Children
How Queen Victoria's grief changed her as a mother and a monarch

Archaeology: A Secret History
Better living through archeology. How can our past make sense of our present?

Simon Schama's Power of Art
Eight masterpieces. Eight big names who changed the world. An electrifying feast of art.

Vienna: Empire, Dynasty and Dream
The rise of one of the great cities and how it offers a window into power, faith and war.

The Birth of Empire: The East India Company
The world’s first megacorp. How Britain’s East India Company grew into an imperial power.

Royal Cousins at War
It makes The Crown look like Sesame Street. The bitter regal rivalries that led to war.

Genius of the Ancient World
The original free thinkers. The stories of the Buddha, Confucius and Socrates.

Genius of the Modern World
Emigres, recluses, enemies of the state. How Marx, Nietzsche and Freud changed the world.

American History's Biggest Fibs
American history is fake, fact? Historian Lucy Worlsey delves deeper into US mythology.

Suffragettes
The violence, valor and sacrifices made by the women fighting for their right to vote.

Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners
People as property: historian David Olusoga on the untold stories of British slavery.