Secrets of the Royal Traditions Season 2 Episode 3 - Episode 3

Airdate: 2026-Feb-07

Episode summary:

A look at the Birthday and New Year Honours lists, revealing how they came about, taking in everything from the savagery of medieval warfare to the horrors of the First World War. The programme reveals how the knighthood is steeped in ceremonial ritual and harks back to a time of chivalry that never actually existed. The tradition of the servant is also explored, a role that stretches back as long as royalty itself, including the long gone and much-missed post of jester.

About Secrets of the Royal Traditions series:

Revealing how the monarchy uses traditions to maintain a place in our nation's identity.