Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV / Stream now with KPBS Passport!
In "Tales From The Royal Bedchamber," Dr. Lucy Worsley, chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces, snuggles up with Britain’s monarchs to uncover the fascinating secrets of the royal bedchamber. From Hampton Court to Hever Castle to the great English country manors, Worsley shows the opulence of Royal State bedrooms and explains how these private spaces were once very public hubs of English politics and policy.
It was in these rooms that royal marriage ceremonies were held, royal births were observed by crowds eager to verify the baby’s sex. Even the process of creating royal babies took place in a semi-public context, Worsley says, because everyone had a stake in its outcome. The eventual creation of private chambers evolved as a reaction to the overwhelmingly public nature of royal bedrooms, and affairs of state eventually were relegated to offices and the Houses of Parliament.
But the program gives viewers access to the regal pomp and detailed work of these inner chambers – detailing the lavish designs of royal state beds and “pulling back the covers” on the political intrigue that occurred behind closed doors.
Watch On Your Schedule: "Tales From The Royal Bedchamber is available to stream with with KPBS Passport, a benefit for members ($60 yearly) using your computer, smartphone, tablet, Roku, AppleTV, Amazon Fire or Chromecast. Learn how to activate your benefit now.
Credits: Producer / director: Nick Gillam-Smith. Executive producer: Lionel Mill. Host: Dr. Lucy Worsley. Tiger Aspect Productions, an Endemol company, for BBC.
