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The Body of the Queen

Simon Schama examines the long, tangled relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, who was executed by royal command in 1587.

Queen Elizabeth I was one of the country's most intelligent monarchs, ruling a Protestant rogue state in a Catholic world. But it was her long, tangled relationship with her cousin Mary Queen of Scots that would test her the most.

Elizabeth never married. Mary married twice but it ruined her. A magnet for conspiracy and intrigue, Mary tormented Elizabeth until finally executed for treason. But it was Mary not Elizabeth who gave birth to an heir. Simon Schama asks if it was the politican Elizabeth, or the mother Mary, who won in the end.

59 minutes

Last on

Wed 22 Feb 2023 02:30

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Simon Schama
Executive Producer Martin Davidson
Producer Clare Beavan

Broadcasts

Quiz: How's your British history knowledge?

Quiz: How's your British history knowledge?

Quiz featuring seven key moments between 3000 BC and 1603 AD from the first series.

Quiz: Can you answer these seven history questions?

Quiz: Can you answer these seven history questions?

Quiz featuring seven key moments between 1603 and 1776 from the second series.