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Lucy Worsley Investigates

A Visit to Stony Stratford

Jack the Ripper: A letter from the killer?

Jack the Ripper: A letter from the killer?

Lucy examines the infamous "Dear Boss" letter, which is supposedly from the pen of the serial killer. With criminologist Dr. Martin Glynn, Lucy questions the letter's authenticity and the role it played in creating the first serial killer persona. The name Ripper is now synonymous with

Bloody Mary: The first woman to be crowned Queen

Bloody Mary: The first woman to be crowned Queen

Mary had a very difficult line to tread as the first queen; she had to blur the genders, but what she did set the pattern for all the queens to follow. Lucy investigates if the real Queen Mary has been lost to history. She is now reduced to a mere

Jack the Ripper: Read all about it!

Jack the Ripper: Read all about it!

In the Summer of 1888, the world was gripped by one case, a serial killer was on the loose in East London. The newspapers couldn't get enough of the story and began to create a template for how we cover true crime, which is still familiar today.

A Visit to Stony Stratford

A Visit to Stony Stratford

Lucy travels to Stony Stratford and visits a house where Edward was brought by his uncle, Anthony Woodville. Richard decides to arrest Woodville, leaving Edward alone and in the custody of other uncle, Richard. Richard feels threatened by the Woodvilles and their claim on the throne.

Lucy Visits the Suffolk Archives

Lucy Visits the Suffolk Archives

Lucy visits Suffolk Archives to look at the Court Rolls for Walsham le Willows, which shows a spike in death taxes being paid due to deaths from the black death. The Rolls are a microstudy for all of Britain during the black death pandemic.

Lucy Visits St. Paul's Cross

Lucy Visits St. Paul's Cross

Lucy visits St Paul's cross and tells us about a preacher who says Edward was already married to another and that young Edward was illegitimate with no claim to the throne. Richard takes the throne and is crowned king while the princes are still in the Tower.

Thomas Moore's Account of the Murder

Thomas Moore's Account of the Murder

Lucy wants to interrogate the sources she has to get to the bottom of the mystery. Thomas Moore's account of the murder is so specific that she wonders where he received his information from. She visits Buckfast Abbey where there has been new research into Thomas Moore'

King George III Attempts to Rebrand as an Accessible King

King George III Attempts to Rebrand as an Accessible King

King George III is under pressure to make the monarchy work in this new era. He styles himself as a new kind of accessible king who would listen to the public, and he made it possible for people to petition the king to have their issues heard. Lucy tells of

Robert Greville's Diary Reveals Secrets About King George

Robert Greville's Diary Reveals Secrets About King George

The Royal Archivist brings out a diary at Windsor Castle for Lucy to read. It is the diary of Robert Grevell, the king's equerry. Lucy learns about George's ill health and how on one occasion he talked constantly for 19 hours. A statement is sent to

King George III Grants New Rights to Catholics

King George III Grants New Rights to Catholics

Lucy discusses accounts in the newspaper of riots that were caused by King George III's new rights for Catholics. Lucy notes how revolutions were happening all over the world during this time, and that assassination attempts were being made against leaders. King George III may have felt that

How the Black Death Spread

How the Black Death Spread

Lucy visits a pub in Walsham and draws a map of English ports to show how the black death spread from Europe. She reads from a book which details how the black death traveled from Genovese ships to Marseille and Avignon where half the people have died. France is only

The National Museum of Scotland

The National Museum of Scotland

Lucy visits the National Museum of Scotland storeroom which houses amulets and charms. Amulets were common and a mix of religious belief coexisting with the supernatural. Lucy is shown a seedpod known as "Mary's nut" which was an amulet used in childbirth as protection.