Private Lives of the Monarchs (2017– ) User Reviews

Meh. Miscasting by actor and narrator lower the quality

[thejdrage · 6/10 · 20 June 2023]

I am reviewing the Peter the Great Episode only since it was the only one available.

As one reviewer noted, Historian Tracy Borman is not Dr. Lucy Worsley. It is IMPOSSIBLE to live up to Lucy's ease at doling out information with ease and humor, often in costume. Dr. Borman would dip her head at the end of literally every sentence. This became an unnecessary distraction. I am surprised that the director didn't notice it and stop her from doing it after the first 25 or 30 times.

I did learn new information about Peter the Great. He was a fascinating, scary, leader who accomplished a LOT!! And that was very interesting.

Did prefer the adult Peter the Great actor to the younger one. He looked much like the paintings of Peter the Great.

So, did learn several things. Especially enjoyed how they showed the Trident design the city was built on. It was beautifully dramatic.

I'm glad I watched it, but am also glad it was only 44 minutes long given the "ticks" it had.

Too bad - it could have been so much better. Am not sure I will watch anything Dr. Borman narrates again.

Just Ok

[ladyethyme · 5/10 · 25 October 2020]

It's tolerable, but...nothing new. Rehashed old news, a presenter that doesn't seem engaged by her subjects, trying desperately to be as interesting and entertaining as Dr Worsley but utterly failing. Instead of Worsley's pure joyful enthusiasm and humour, Borman is a pale imitation-and she really is presented as an attempt to equal Worsley. And frankly- In the case of Edward VIII- the 'poor old Edward' refrain got old fast. The presenter saying "was visiting Naxi Germany REALLY that bad"? Shows a complete lack of taste, sensitivity and, frankly-understanding. There are documents, letters that show he threatened suicide when Wallis attempted to disengage from him- that he was giving Germany British intelligence during the war, and even stated to a German official in a letter that Germany should continue bombing civilians, as it would surely bring about British surrender faster. It's ON HISTORICAL RECORD that Hitler offered him the British crown in a German victory, to place his beloved Wallis at his side with her title as Queen. WHY have these facts been ignored? To make Edward seem to be "a bit of a dolt, really just a fashion minded selfish little boy" which utterly die plays the true harm he intended for his country.

Not much new

[drjgardner · 5/10 · 12 September 2019]

This is a reasonable enough series but there isn't much new, and the host seems to have trouble looking at the camera.

Gossipy and Often Heavily Censored

[reymunpadilla · 5/10 · 30 October 2023]

As the title says, the private lives of monarchs, and not much else. Not really monarchs. These are almost all English kings and queens, along with a princess, Margaret, who does not matter the slightest bit except to tabloid readers.

So you get a lot about their fashion, food, sex lives and romances. There's no mention of Napoleon's censorship and dictatorship, his mass murder of Haitians and bringing back slavery. No mention of English manmade famines killing millions of Irish and tens of millions of Indians under Victoria, or genocide in Australia.

The big exception is Peter of Russia. Suddenly the program goes into explicit detail of every execution and torture.

Probably most inexcusable and most widely known to most viewers already is Edward VII being an outright anti Semite and Nazi sympathizer, and so was Wallis Simpson. His gibing a salute to Hitler, passing along intel to Germany, and even being proposed as ruler if UK had fallen are well known. Instead the program whines that Wallis was never given a title.

Still worth seeing, even if you fast forward pass silliness like looking at queens underwear.