Where did traditional royal funerary practices come from? When did lying in state begin? And will the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II set any new precedents? In this special edition of our ‘Everything you wanted to know’ series, Tracy Borman answers questions on the history of royal funerals. 

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Royal funerals: everything you wanted to know

The HistoryExtra podcast brings you interviews with the world's best historians, on everything from the ancient world and the Middle Ages to the Second World War and the history behind current events. Produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed, it offers fresh takes on history's most famous figures and events. Subscribe for the real stories behind your favourite historical films and TV shows, and compelling insights into lesser-known aspects of the past.

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Society & Culture

Famously branded "mad, bad and dangerous to know", Lord Byron captured the imagination – and attention – of early 19th-century Britain with his soul-bearing poetry, decadent lifestyle and torrid love affairs. In this Life of the Week episode, Corin Throsby speaks to Ellie Cawthorne about how the Romantic poet became the era's most scandalous celebrity. 

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Lord Byron: life of the week

Since it first hit TV screens back in 2009, Horrible Histories has brought Terry Deary and Martin Brown’s hugely successful series of books to an entire generation of children. As it marks its 15th anniversary, Matt Elton speaks to three members of the team behind the show that mixes comedy songs, gruesome deaths and a talking rat. 

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Horrible Histories: 15 years of death, poo and talking rats

What would a medieval first aid kit have contained? What were the era's strangest cures? And is it true that it was better to steer clear of the doctor altogether in the Middle Ages? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Elma Brenner answers listener questions about medieval medical theory and practice – from how gruesome surgery really was, to whether leeches were actually that useful. 

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Medieval medicine: everything you wanted to know

In the early 19th century, two different British expeditions headed into the interior of West Africa – and both ended in disaster. But what was driving the expeditions, and why were they so ill-prepared? Speaking to Elinor Evans, Dane Kennedy, author of Mungo Park's Ghost shares the tale of the ill-fated missions, and explores the wider story of British exploration of the continent.


(Ad) Dane Kennedy is the author of Mungo Park's Ghost: The Haunted Hubris of British Explorers in Nineteenth-Century Africa (Cambridge University Press, 2024). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mungo-Parks-Ghost-Explorers-Nineteenth-Century/dp/1009392980/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty 

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Death & hubris in west Africa: how two British expeditions met with disaster

In part 2 of a special bonus episode of our Conspiracy series, Rob Attar and Gerald Posner delve deeper into the questions surrounding the assassination of JFK. Who did Lyndon Johnson think was behind the murder? Why do so many people believe in a conspiracy theory? And why is Lee Harvey Oswald’s other killing rarely discussed?  

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.
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Royal funerals: everything you wanted to know

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