BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz, begins a four-part exploration of almost 1000 years of the British monarchy as told through the objects of art they collected.

In a weekly journey that takes him from the wilds of Balmoral in Scotland to the isolation of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, from the State Rooms in Buckingham Palace to the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, he selects choice items from the Royal Collection to see what they betray about the art of statecraft and a successful reign.

In each programme historians, academics and Royal Collection curators shed light on the mystery of kingship and the importance of faith, war, magnificence, progress and the people in the minds of monarchs. Each object in the series has its own story to tell and each reveals another aspect to the art of monarchy.

EPISODE ONE
Will Gompertz begins his investigations by looking at some of the most personal royal images in the collection to see what insights they give us into the lasting power of the monarchy.

From the very earliest royal photographs to the revealing portrait of a seductive Victoria, and the manipulated images of George III, Will asks how important understanding their own image has been to the longevity of Britain's Kings and Queens.

(Image: An intimate portrait of Queen Victoria. This portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873) was commissioned by the young Queen Victoria as a surprise gift to her husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861), on the occasion of his 24th birthday.) Show less