History

Queen Elizabeth's Secret Agents

This series uncovers the secret state that helped keep Queen Elizabeth in power for over 40 years. During a time when Britain was divided, unstable and violent the world’s first secret service was born. Run by William and Robert Cecil, this father and son team had the duty of protecting the Queen and the Country.

Episode 3

54m

England has a new monarch, King James I, and Elizabeth’s former spymaster, Robert Cecil, faces his toughest test. A group of religious extremists’ plan to blow-up the Houses of Parliament with the King inside – what we call the Gunpowder Plot.

Episodes

  • Episode 3: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Episode 3

    S1 E3 - 54m

    England has a new monarch, King James I, and Elizabeth’s former spymaster, Robert Cecil, faces his toughest test. A group of religious extremists’ plan to blow-up the Houses of Parliament with the King inside – what we call the Gunpowder Plot.

  • Episode 2: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Episode 2

    S1 E2 - 54m

    Elizabeth’s enemies grow in strength but Robert Cecil, her spymaster, also fights an enemy within. An ambitious aristocrat is trying to takeover his network. At stake is control over the aging Queen and the power to choose the next King of England.

  • Episode 1: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Episode 1

    S1 E1 - 53m 59s

    William Cecil, Queen Elizabeth I’s spy master, intercepts a conspiracy to assassinate the Queen. When he discovers that Elizabeth’s own cousin, Mary Queen of Scots is behind the plot, he lays a trap to capture and execute her.

Extras + Features

  • Episode 3 Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Episode 3 Preview

    S1 E3 - 30s

    England has a new monarch, King James I, and Elizabeth’s former spymaster Robert Cecil faces his toughest test. A group of religious extremists plans to blow up the Houses of Parliament with the king inside—what we call the Gunpowder Plot.

  • Gerard Hides from the King and Cecil’s Men: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Gerard Hides from the King and Cecil’s Men

    S1 - 2m 58s

    Gerard knows Cecil is searching for him after the failure of the Gunpowder Plot so stays with Eliza in her home at Harrowden Hall. Eventually the King and Cecil’s men come to Eliza’s home to search for them. To keep safe Gerard hides himself in a priest hole, a secret compartment of the house. The house is searched for nine days and Eliza is taken to London accused of sheltering a Catholic priest.

  • Guy Fawkes is Captured: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Guy Fawkes is Captured

    S1 - 2m 32s

    Upon Cecil’s request the cellars underneath the House of Parliament are searched. Guy Fawkes is found by the barrels of Gunpowder with matches in his hand. He reveals the Gunpowder Plot conspiracy and is arrested. The other plotters run for escape, chased by Cecil’s men. They engage in a shootout with their chasers and eventually they are captured or killed.

  • The Gunpowder Plot: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Gunpowder Plot

    S1 - 1m 36s

    Cecil takes his intelligence letter about the Gunpowder Plot to King James I directly. He knows that James will only get involved with the conspiracy if he thinks he’s uncovered it himself. James interprets the words in the letter about the use of gunpowder and boasts about how smart he is for working it out.

  • James Creates the Unite Coin: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    James Creates the Unite Coin

    S1 - 1m 23s

    James ignores Parliament's request and issues a coin called the unite, which on one side describes him as King of Great Britain, a title he’s adopted despite objection. This puts Cecil in a difficult position as he must manage the ideas of the new king alongside the resistance of the English Parliament.

  • Episode 2 Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Episode 2 Preview

    S1 E2 - 30s

    Elizabeth’s enemies grow in strength, but her spymaster Robert Cecil also fights an enemy within. An ambitious aristocrat is trying to take over his network. At stake is control over the aging queen and the power to choose the next King of England.

  • William and Robert Cecil: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    William and Robert Cecil

    S1 - 2m 1s

    With William Cecil banished from Queen Elizabeth I’s court after entrapping and arranging the execution of Mary Queen of Scots his son Robert Cecil waits in the wings to take over his father’s role and inherit his spy network.

  • Elizabeth Spends Her Life in Little Rooms: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Elizabeth Spends Her Life in Little Rooms

    S1 - 1m 18s

    Elizabeth feels like she has spent all her life in little rooms, in a world of spies and conspiracies where she feels as if she never safe and danger is all around. Cecil is partly responsible for this. As he tries to keep her protected he also shields her away from the world to have her manageable and contained.

  • Queen Elizabeth Chooses Her Successor: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Queen Elizabeth Chooses Her Successor

    S1 - 2m 11s

    Elizabeth must choose who will be the next heir to the throne as her reign comes to an end. Elizabeth’s court including Robert Cecil gathers around her deathbed. At this moment Robert Cecil leans and asks if the King of Scots will be her next successor. Elizabeth puts her hand to her face and Cecil interprets this as confirmation that James I will be King.

  • Mary Queen of Scots is Executed: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Mary Queen of Scots is Executed

    S1 - 2m 34s

    Mary Queen of Scots is taken to the Great Hall of Fotheringhay Castle where she is to be executed on the scaffold. Mary has one last trick up her sleeve: When she takes off her cloak she reveals a scarlet dress, the Catholic color of martyrdom. This is her one last chance to tell the story for herself.

  • Cecil's Men Capture Charles Bailly: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Cecil's Men Capture Charles Bailly

    S1 - 2m 4s

    Cecil’s network is put on high alert by intelligence from a source in Catholic Europe. As a result he catches Charles Bailly, a Catholic courier carrying coded letters addressed to someone called Forty.

  • Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Preview

    S1 - 30s

    This series uncovers the secret state that helped keep Queen Elizabeth in power for over 40 years. During a time when Britain was divided, unstable and violent, the world's first secret service was born. Run by William and Robert Cecil, this father and son team had the duty of protecting the Queen and the Country.

Schedule

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