A Royal Guide to…

Being born into royalty isn’t always easy, and parenting the royal way isn’t necessarily a piece of cake either. In a minefield of expectation and formality, this engaging documentary reveals how the royals find parenting balance. While modern-day royals all go to school, hundreds of years ago sword fighting and riding into battle were the only lessons they had planned out.

From the Queen’s beloved racehorses to King Charles’ animal memorial, the royals are big animal lovers. As this intriguing documentary shows, over the years dogs, cats, horses and even parrots have acted as constant, faithful royal companions. The Royal Menagerie at the Tower of London was once home to more than 60 species of animal, even a polar bear that fished in the Thames.

Royal gardens are arguably the place where new monarchs can make their mark. Henry VIII’s hunting grounds are now royal parks, King Charles transformed Highgrove into an award-winning green space and the late Queen reworked Victoria and Albert’s Balmoral Estate. As this insightful documentary reveals, they act as a source of income, a place to relax and somewhere to host spectacular parties.

The royals have always had a close relationship with the armed forces. After all, the King is their official head and recruits must swear an oath to the monarch. This fascinating documentary shows how many a monarch has led their army into battle, with Queen Elizabeth I doing so in a spectacular white dress. Today the military still plays a huge ceremonial role to the royals.

Unlike many of us, the royals plan their own funerals from start to finish. More than 250,000 people saw the late Queen lying in state and two million lined the streets for Princess Diana’s funeral. As this compelling documentary highlights, they are steeped in tradition, from who keeps guard over the royal bodies and where they are buried, to how the new monarch takes to the throne.

The Christmas period for the royals is a spectacular affair. One filled with extravagant black-tie dinners, celebrity carol concerts and enormous festive trees. As this glorious documentary reveals, it was once a 12-day celebration filled with performances, jousting tournaments and even coronations. Today, the royal Christmas is much more like ours, if a little more opulent.

Arguably the true home of the British Royal Family, it’s in Scotland that they really let their hair down. From family BBQ’s and weekend hikes at Balmoral, to university love affairs and the Queen’s final days, as this illuminating documentary reveals, it's the location for many key royal moments. But, as history repeatedly illustrates, it hasn’t always been such a close relationship.

A country steeped in history and tradition, Wales’s relationship with the British Royals has been somewhat rocky over the centuries, filled with bloody battles and oppression. Today however, as this engrossing documentary reveals, it’s arguably in much better shape. After more than 50 years as the Prince of Wales, King Charles has cemented a vital link to the nation.