Episodes
Queens that Changed the World: The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I (Channel 4 Saturday 5 August 2023)
Queens that Changed the World: The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I airs Saturday 5 August 2023 on Channel 4
What can we expect from this episode
This six-part series examines the ways that famous queens have exercised power and influence throughout history, not just by virtue of their position as monarch but also by virtue of their personal qualities like charisma, intelligence, and strength of character. Elizabeth I, Henry VIII’s daughter from his six marriages to try and produce a male heir, is the focus of the premiere.
Elizabeth ascended to the throne following the deaths of her older sister Mary and younger brother Edward. After ascending to the throne, the Protestant Queen made it possible for loyal Catholics to practise their faith in peace and prosperity. Under her rule, the arts and sciences flourished in England, and explorers like Francis Drake and Walter Raleigh planted the seeds for the eventual British Empire.
Mary, Queen of Scots, the Virgin Queen’s cousin, was one of many who plotted against her, as was King Philip II of Spain and his armada.
For so long believed to be bit-players in histories dominated by men, some queens wielded extraordinary power, and ruled in ways that far surpassed their male counterparts.
In this series we discover what drove these women, how they asserted their authority, and reveal the times when, sometimes, being a woman had its advantages.
Combining archive, location shooting, talking heads and stylised recreations, we trace the rise to power of each queen and investigate their reign. With analysis from historians, academics and psychologists, we will pick apart the challenges they faced and discover each monarch’s unique approach to power while understanding wider themes such as women’s changing position in society and what it meant to be the ‘fairer sex.’
Season 1 Episode 1
When can we see the episode
Queens that Changed the World: The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I airs Saturday 5 August 2023 at 19:15 on Channel 4
Featured image credit: Channel 4
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