The first episode focuses on stories of out-of-control spending, from Henry VIII's Field of Cloth of Gold to the extraordinary debt that George IV accrued.

From medieval to modern times, British monarchs have always been at the centre of scandals. Professor Suzannah Lipscomb looks at the roles the press, parliament and public have played over the centuries in generating outrage and spreading rumours. Dr Joanne Paul, Professor Matthew McCormack and Dr Anna Senkiw help Suzannah investigate some of the most notorious cold cases involving royals from the past, here focusing on suspicious deaths.