Believed to have been written in 1591, William Shakespeare's "Richard III" is one of the bards first plays, the first installment in a tetralogy of plays which includes "Henry IV, Part I," "Henry IV, Part II," and "Henry V." One of the longest of Shakespeare's plays and consequently rarely performed unabridged, "Richard III" is the story of the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of King Richard III of England. The play begins with...

"Kept isolated from the court by her domineering mother, Victoria seems unprepared for the throne when King William IV dies. But the teenage queen shows surprising strength and resolve, defying her mother's schemes to seize power, and puts her full faith in the political counsel of Lord Melbourne, the Prine Minister--an alliance that would prove troublesome in the future."--Container.

Though he waited nearly 60 years to become king, and reigned for only nine, Edward VII changed the British monarchy forever. Derided by his mother, Queen Victoria, as frivolous and untrustworthy, Edward was in fact a skillful, determined diplomat who longed to be useful to his country. This miniseries dramatizes his life from frustrated prince and inveterate philanderer to loving father and respected statesman.

Dramatization of the life of Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII by Anne Boleyn. As a young woman, Elizabeth is faced with imprisonment and worse, but she prevails over vicious court intrigues and secures her claim to the throne. As Queen, she faces the continuing threat from Mary, Queen of Scots, an impending royal wedding that would unite England and France, and a palace insurrection involving a former court favorite.

This videodisc presents the rarely dramatized, tumultuous early years of King Henry VIII's nearly 40 year, omnipotent reign (1509-1547). In addition to his famous female consorts and 20+ year marriage to Catherine of Aragon and to the infamous dalliance with Anne Boleyn, the series delves in to Henry's most notable political relationship and the deconstruction of the Roman Catholic Church in England.