The Stuarts

Ruling Britain for over 100 years from 1603 to 1714, the Stuart monarchs have often been branded as merciless tyrants. But the kingdoms they ruled, Scotland, England and Ireland, were already steeped in bloodshed and infighting as they took power. Historian Dr Clare Jackson argues that the Stuarts were Britain's defining royal family and their impact on the country is still felt today.

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S1 E1 - And I Will Make Them One Nation
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January 29, 2014
51min
13+
Today's modern United Kingdom is often taken for granted. But there was nothing inevitable about its creation. This union was mainly down to the persistence of the Stuart dynasty of kings and queens. Historian Clare Jackson looks at King James VI and I's attempts to unite Scotland and England under the umbrella of his crown and persuade his subjects to feel more 'British'.
First episode free
S1 E2 - A King Without a Crown
February 5, 2014
51min
ALL
In the mid 1600s, King Charles I attempted to impose political and religious uniformity throughout his kingdoms. It was a disaster. Soon civil war raged throughout Britain, Charles was defeated and beheaded while his family fled into exile. The Stuart monarchy seemed doomed. Historian Dr Clare Jackson reveals how this unprecedented violence shaped the DNA of British political culture.
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S1 E3 - A Family at War
February 12, 2014
52min
ALL
The final, dramatic period of the Stuart dynasty saw a family fatally divided by religion. In 1688, the catholic King James was deposed by the protestant William and Britain became a constitutional monarchy, Scotland lost its monarch while Ireland was reduced from a kingdom to a colony. As historian Clare Jackson reveals, resentments from this time continue to trouble Britain to the present day.
Free trial of BBC Select