Secrets of the Royal Palaces Season 3 Episode 3 - Windsor Castle

Airdate: 2023-Jan-21

Episode summary:

Windsor Castle is the largest permanently lived in castle in the world, and it's still packed with secrets. There is the Welsh Cottage, a 2 fifths life size Dolls house that the young Elizabeth 2nd played in as a child. It had been gifted to her by the people of Wales but she almost never got to play in it, as caught fire on the way to Windsor. We examine the stunning Waterloo Chamber, built from contained courtyard and turned into one of the most stunning rooms in the Palace, dedicated to Britain's greatest military victory. And why did the Royal family pick Windsor as their new name. When Princess Margret died in 2002, her family were left with a 3million pound tax bill. Their solution to cover this was to sell her personal Royal Kensington possessions. What followed was a one-off Royal Auction. Everything that wasn't nailed down went under the hammer. But the Queen was not amused and intervened to stop them profiting from the state. In 1981, during the Trooping the Colour, shots ring out as the queen passes by. We cover inside story of this potential assassination with eye-witness interviews including the guard that confronted the shooter. And we discover that jewellery and portraits are not the only treasures kept in the palaces. We explore the Queens favourite car, her palace on Wheels And Kate Williams explores some of the more gruesome stories of Palace history including the worst executioner in Palace history and the Iron Maiden, the British Predecessor to the Guillotine. Secrets old and new, from the darkest history of the royal residences to modern day dilemmas and disasters – it's all here in Secrets of the Royal Palaces.

About Secrets of the Royal Palaces series:

Behind-the-scenes stories of the British monarchy's residences. Historian Kate Williams also has some gruesome tales from palace history.