Monarchy: Complete Collection [5 Discs]

" Great Britain's government stands apart from those of many neighboring countries in Western Europe, courtesy of an unusual tension that exists between the consent of the people and the authority of the rulers. This characteristic has both shaped and defined British political life for centuries, and forms the thematic foundation of the sweeping, ambitious documentary series Monarchy, emceed by Cambridge University fellow David Starkey). Over the course of 16 episodes and nearly 13 hours, the program traces the conflicted and tumultuous history of the British monarchy, shedding an incisive and occasionally troubling light on many of the individual rulers. For example, we experience the organized crime of Anglo-Saxon king Offa (757-796), the self-serving celebrity of Henry VIII (1491-1547) and the bourgeois morality of Victoria (1819-1901), to name only a few of the subjects on display here. The program also takes the audience to various sites where key British historical events occurred, such as Bosworth Field, Hastings and the Tower of London. This box set features the entire series, plus bonus elements including a 16-page booklet with a timeline, a history of Westminster Abbey and Royal Trivia; a gallery of royal palaces; a biography of David Starkey, and more."