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The Best Episodes of Monarchy

Every episode of Monarchy ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Monarchy!

The Best Episodes of Monarchy

Monarchy is a Channel 4 British TV series, 2004-2006, by British academic David Starkey, charting the political and ideological history of the English monarchy from...
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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    Monarchy Season 1 Episode 6 - Death of a Dynasty
    8.2/10(36 votes)

    #1 - Death of a Dynasty

    S1:E6

    In this final episode, Dr. Starkey takes up the story of Shakespeare's kings: Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V and Henry VI. It starts with the usurpation and murder of Richard II and ends in a bloody civil war in which the English royal house tears itself apart. The last medieval kings see the institution of the monarchy reach a crisis point in which its future seems far from certain.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. Monarchy Season 1 Episode 2 - Ængla Land
    8.0/10(42 votes)

    #2 - Ængla Land

    S1:E2

    In episode two of Monarchy Dr. Starkey chronicles the stormy path of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of England, the world's first nation state. He tells how, assailed by blitzkrieg from the Danes of King Canute, it survived to take its captor captive; and how, driven by civil strife, it nonetheless restored itself to power until through a historic misfortune, it fell in the end to the knights of William the Conqueror.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  3. Monarchy Season 1 Episode 3 - Conquest
    8.0/10(38 votes)

    #3 - Conquest

    S1:E3

    From the devastation of the initial Norman conquest, through the intrigues and murder of King William II, to the civil war in the reign of King Stephen, 'when God and his angels slept', Dr Starkey illuminates the experience of a turbulent time which changed the course of English history.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. Monarchy Season 1 Episode 4 - Dynasty
    7.9/10(36 votes)

    #4 - Dynasty

    S1:E4

    In this stirring program, Dr David Starkey profiles a mediaeval superstar, King Henry II of England, whose dominion stretched from the moors of Scotland to the foothills of the Pyrenees, including more than half of modern France. And he tells some of the most dramatic and significant stories of English history: the bitter tale of King Henry's conflict with Archbishop Thomas Becket, which ended in Becket's murder; the struggle for the nation's liberties in Magna Carta; and the beginnings of the modern parliamentary system.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. Monarchy Season 1 Episode 5 - A United Kingdom
    7.9/10(35 votes)

    #5 - A United Kingdom

    S1:E5

    In this episode Dr. Starkey explores a century which saw three Edwards reign: father, son and grandson. Edward I took the image and might of the English monarchy to new heights. He was the new Caesar; a man who would unite England, Wales and Scotland into one kingdom. All his achievements almost came to nothing during his son's disastrous reign which ended in abdication and murder. It would take the third Edward to rebuild the prestige of the English monarch. With his victory against the French at Crecy, Edward III made England great again, but also plunged her into a war with France, which would last one hundred years.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. Monarchy Season 1 Episode 1 - A Nation State
    7.8/10(48 votes)

    #6 - A Nation State

    S1:E1

    In episode one, Dr Starkey begins his history of the British monarchy in the violence and chaos of the dark ages. There, from a legendary world occupied by dragons and monsters, a uniquely English idea of monarchy, which was able to stand firm in the face of the Viking invasions, emerged. In this first of the six episode series, Starkey tells the dramatic story of the creation of England and the triumph of an English hero, Alfred the Great.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of Monarchy

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  7. Monarchy Season 2 Episode 1 - The Crown Imperial
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #7 - The Crown Imperial

    S2:E1

    The historian continues his examination of the British monarchy, from the beginnings of the Tudor dynasty to the English Civil War. He re-examines the Wars of the Roses, fought between the royal houses of York and Lancaster in the 15th century, exploring the disappearance of the 'Princes in the Tower' during Richard III's reign and the rise of Henry VII - who became one of England's most hated monarchs

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  8. Monarchy Season 2 Episode 2 - King and Emperor
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #8 - King and Emperor

    S2:E2

    The historian examines the reign of King Henry VIII, who inherited the throne at the age of 17 and became overwhelmed by a desire for fame. In his search for love and the need for an heir, he divorced his wife Catherine of Aragon to marry his mistress Anne Boleyn - severing England's allegiance to the Pope in Rome and giving him powers no English king had ever exercised before

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. Monarchy Season 2 Episode 3 - The Shadow of the King
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #9 - The Shadow of the King

    S2:E3

    The historian examines the reigns of Henry VIII's three children, revealing how the king's advice to pursue moderation in matters of religion fell on deaf ears as his son Edward enforced extreme Protestantism on the country, only for eldest daughter Mary to reimpose Catholicism after his death. Elizabeth I initially embraced her father's words, but when Mary Queen of Scots arrived in England, religious tensions rose again

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  10. Monarchy Season 2 Episode 4 - The Stuart Succession
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #10 - The Stuart Succession

    S2:E4

    he historian examines the reign of James I, the first king of both England and Scotland. From the outset, the new monarch had little time for Parliament and did what he could to limit its influence. His son Charles I went further, effectively removing the government and ruling alone - but when he needed their help to enforce religious rule on the Scots, the resulting conflict led to two civil wars and the monarch was eventually executed

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. Monarchy Season 2 Episode 5 - Cromwell The King Killer
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #11 - Cromwell The King Killer

    S2:E5

    The series concludes with an analysis of the English Civil War, revealing how the country was temporarily transformed into a republic with the execution of Charles I. The historian considers the nature of Oliver Cromwell's rule and how this key period of history altered British perceptions of the monarchy for ever

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. Monarchy Season 3 Episode 1 - The Return of the King
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #12 - The Return of the King

    S3:E1

    Looks at the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, and the reign of Charles II.

    Director:David Barrie
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. Monarchy Season 3 Episode 2 - The Glorious Revolution
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #13 - The Glorious Revolution

    S3:E2

    Looks at the events of 1688 and its aftermath, when the unpopular Roman Catholic King James II was overthrown and his replacement with the protestant Stuart Mary and her husband William of Orange. Considers how the consequences of this was a curtailing of royal power and the basis for the constitutional monarchy and relation with parliament that exists in Britain to this day.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. Monarchy Season 3 Episode 3 - Rule Britannia
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #14 - Rule Britannia

    S3:E3

    Looks at the end of the reign of William and Mary, and the changing relationship between Crown and Parliament, and that of Anne and the union with Scotland in 1707 which saw the emergence of Great Britain and how it grew in power.

    Director:Rachel Bell
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. Monarchy Season 3 Episode 4 - Empire
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #15 - Empire

    S3:E4

    Looks at the selection and crowning of George I as British monarch in 1714, and the events of his reign and also those of George II and George III. Considers how the breakdown in the relationship between the prime minister William Pitt and George III led to the American War of Independence and the loss of the US colonies.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. Monarchy Season 3 Episode 5 - Survival
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #16 - Survival

    S3:E5

    When, in 1789, the Bastille prison in Paris was stormed and the French Revolution began, few in Britain - least of all King George III, who was recovering from one of his bouts of madness - thought that it would lead to a cataclysmic war with France.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  17. Monarchy Season 4 Episode 1 - The Windsors
    NaN/10(0 votes)

    #17 - The Windsors

    S4:E1

    This David Starkey documentary - the last in his long-running series - brings us pretty much up to date with the House of Windsor. Looking back at how the monarchy has survived and strengthened during the last century, the critically acclaimed programme also looks forward to the accession of King Charles III and suggests he might turn out to be one of our most successful monarchs.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Death of a Dynasty" is the best rated episode of "Monarchy". It scored 8.2/10 based on 36 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 11/22/2004. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "Ængla Land".