National Geographic has announced How the Tudors Lost Their Heads, a new six-part documentary series presented by renowned historians Dan Snow MBE and Professor Suzannah Lipscomb.
How the Tudors Lost Their Heads will premiere on National Geographic in the UK on September 6 at 8 p.m. and stream on Disney+ the same day. It will also premiere in the US at a later date.
Across six episodes, Snow and Lipscomb take a forensic look at the lives, power struggles and downfalls of some of Tudor England’s most controversial, notorious and misunderstood figures. Drawing on new historical research, cutting-edge forensic evidence and rarely seen historical artefacts, the series revisits one of Britain’s bloodiest dynasties and the executions that helped shape the Tudor era.
Each episode begins in the moments immediately before an execution, as the axe is about to fall or the noose tightens. The series then rewinds the clock, with Snow and Lipscomb tracing the chain of events that led each figure to their final moments.
By combining historical investigation with forensic analysis, How the Tudors Lost Their Heads offers a fresh perspective on six notorious executions and the human stories behind the downfall of some of the Tudor era’s most controversial figures.
Snow said: “The Tudors have always fascinated us, not just because of their power and pageantry, but because life at court could be as dangerous as it was glamorous. In this series, Suzannah and I return to the evidence with fresh eyes to ask whether these extraordinary executions were inevitable tragedies, political necessities or something far more calculated. It’s history at its most human, dramatic and brutal.”
Lipscomb said: “Making How the Tudors Lost Their Heads has been a wonderful experience. I have studied the Tudors for years, but this series offered me a chance to dig deep into the reasons behind these famous executions – the very human mistakes, vendettas, unwavering faith and dark politics – and has made me change my mind about some of the most remarkable characters of the period. Discovering new twists and forgotten evidence has been fascinating and has thrown the era into sharp, bloody focus.”
Watch the trailer here:
