A+E Networks UK has commissioned Phoenix Television and Motion Content Group to produce a two-part Sky History series presented by Professor Alice Roberts entitled "Royal Autopsy." The series will broadcast on Sky History in October 2022. It will also premiere in December on the History Channel in the Netherlands, Sweden, and later in 2023 throughout the rest of Europe.
“In this series, we employ new historical research, forensic pathology, and special effects to achieve something which has never been done before: a twenty-first-century autopsy on a long-dead monarch," Professor Alice Roberts said. "Teaming up with brilliant forensic pathologist, Dr Brett Lockyer, I take a fresh look at these cold cases and discover new insights into disease and medicine, life, and death in the past. In each case, we dug into the evidence - and we weren’t afraid to draw our own conclusions about the cause of death.”
"Royal Autopsy" is distributed internationally by Abacus Media Rights. The series was commissioned and executive produced by Dan Korn, VP of Programming at A+E Networks UK, with Diana Carter, Commissioning Editor and Head of Talent at A+E Networks UK. The Phoenix Television and Motion Content Group production was developed by executive producers Miles Jarvis and Jaimi West for Phoenix and Melanie Darlaston for Motion Content Group. The series was created, written, and directed by Paul Olding, with Clare Beasley as a production executive.
"Royal Autopsy" has completed production and is set to broadcast in the UK on Sky HISTORY in October 2022. SKY HISTORY is available on Sky 123, Virgin 270, Talk Talk 327, and NOW. The UK commission investigates the cause of death of two of Britain’s most famous monarchs: Queen Elizabeth I and King Charles II, in an entirely new and realistic way. Professor Alice Roberts will bring together a blend of historical and medical expertise and by using contemporaneous accounts and documents piece together how and why these monarchs died. Each investigation follows an autopsy conducted by Home Office pathologist Dr Brett Lockyer which will use a unique combination of prosthetic bodies, actors, and ethically sourced animal organs to reveal how each of the monarchs perished. Forensic analysis and toxicology testing is used to determine whether there is any evidence of foul play in each case.“Royal Autopsy’s unique approach to re-examining the deaths of our monarchs means Alice’s investigations have brought an exciting new perspective on their lives and deaths that deliver new conclusions on what actually killed them, and why," Miles Jarvis said.
Alice will then take her findings to the world’s leading medicolegal experts and constitutional historians to determine how each ailment and affliction might have impacted either monarch’s reign in their later years and in the run-up to their deaths. Using eyewitness accounts sourced from the time of their deaths, the final dying days of these historic figures are brought to life in vivid detail with premium scripted dramatic scenes, directed by Paul Olding and starring Mark Wingett as Charles II and Linda Marlowe (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy; EastEnders) as Elizabeth I. Based on the evidence from their unique in-depth investigations, Professor Alice Roberts and Dr Brett Lockyer will reveal what they believe really killed King Charles II and Queen Elizabeth I, over 300 years ago. “We at Sky HISTORY are continually exploring different ways of delving into some of the most crucial periods in British history," Dan Korn said. "By using modern techniques and technology to conduct autopsies of some of our most famous monarchs, we gain a unique insight into their lives and into the manner of their deaths."
In this series, we employ new historical research, forensic pathology and special effects to achieve something which has never been done before: a twenty-first century autopsy on a long-dead monarch. Teaming up with brilliant forensic pathologist, Dr Brett Lockyer, I take a fresh look at these cold cases and discover new insights into disease and medicine, life, and death in the past. In each case, we dug into the evidence - and we weren’t afraid to draw our own conclusions about the cause of death” Alice Roberts Professor
