Historians and royal experts share their in-depth exploration of shocking stories about the residences of the British monarchy.
Secrets of the Royal Palaces airs Mondays, July 7-28 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streams live on the WXXI app.
Filled with tales of scandals and intrigue, the eight-part series uncovers some of the many secrets held by these spectacular royal estates. Specialist historians, royal commentators, and ex-royal staff members guide the viewer through art, architecture and recent events, while sharing behind-the-scenes palace stories that have shaped the modern royal family.
Episode titles + air dates:
7/7: Love and Marriage — Includes the “Squidgygate” phone recording of Princess Diana at Sandringham Palace with James Gilbey in 1992, and the ensuing mystery around who was really behind the phone call leak. Also includes Queen Elizabeth II’s 1988 stay at the Palace of Madrid, Queen Victoria’s scandalous statue of Prince Albert, a look at Queen Victoria’s revolutionary white wedding gown at St. James’ Palace, and a glimpse of Charles and Camila’s secret Welsh getaway estate, Llwynywermod.
7/14: Private Life — Recounts the royal family’s desperate race to Balmoral Castle during Queen Elizabeth’s final hours, William I the Conqueror’s odorous burial in St. Stephen’s Abbey in Caen France, an exploration of Prince Edward’s enviable Bagshot Park estate, and the quest to discern the full extent of the 1943 Greville Bequest—a remarkable collection of jewelry and personal items bequeathed by philanthropist Margaret Greville.
7/21: Royal Scandals — Details the art scandal of the forged masterpieces in King Charles’ Dumfries House, and the 1986 Charles and Diana vacation to Marivent Palace in Spain — an effort to not only improve relations between the two countries but also the frosty marriage. The episode also recounts a failed 2023 assassination attempt on Elizabeth II in Windsor Castle, and a 2021 theft of valuable items from Buckingham Palace by a member of staff.
7/28: Royal Duffy — Includes the controversy around Russian spy Anthony Blunt’s long stay at the Palace in the 80s, and the revelation that Blunt had performed a secret mission retrieving incriminating evidence linking Queen Elizabeth’s family with the Nazis. Also recounts the tumultuous history of the Scottish Crown Jewels, Diana’s ascent to fashion icon status with her “Black Sheep” jumper, and Princess Kate’s first international speech and hibiscus Alexander McQueen gown at Istana Negara in Malaysia.
Photo: Architectural Historian Dr. Jonathan Foyle in front of the Osborne House in East Cowes, UK.
Credit: American Public Television.