Royal Autopsy with Alice Roberts

The true nature of the deaths of kings and queens of the past is shrouded in mystery and rumor. In this graphic history documentary, Professor Alice Roberts investigates the cause of death of two of Britain’s most famous monarchs, King Charles II and Queen Elizabeth I. At the heart of each investigation is a detailed ‘as real’ autopsy where the gruesome facts are separated from wild fiction.

Watch Royal Autopsy with Alice Roberts and more acclaimed documentaries on BBC Select today. Restrictions apply*.

Royal Autopsy with Alice Roberts on BBC Select

Ep 1: Charles II
Was England’s ‘Merry Monarch’, King Charles II, tortured and poisoned before his death?

What was the ultimate cause of death of Britain’s ‘Merry Monarch’, King Charles II? Professor Alice Roberts explores his final dying days in this fascinating history documentary. An ‘as real’ postmortem exam on the dead king, reveals a man who appears to have suffered some degree of torture, having been burnt and bled, with a stomach showing traces of many poisonous plants.

Ep 2: Elizabeth I
Various infections and diseases are discovered as Queen Elizabeth I undergoes an autopsy.

Queen Elizabeth I was reputed to be a strong, dependable British monarch. But, as Professor Alice Roberts discovers in this engrossing history documentary, that might not be the full story. An ‘as real’ autopsy on the dead queen reveals a frail women riddled with various infections and diseases, including a mental disorder that could be responsible for her reported ‘melancholy’.

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