The First Georgians, BBC Four series, May 2014

Our series The First Georgians, rather amazingly, kicked off with what turned out to be the fourth-most-watched programme in the history of BBC Four when the first episode was first broadcast in May 2014.

The series tells the story of George I, George II and their family.  In 1714, to prevent the crown falling into the hands of a Catholic, Britain shipped in a ready-made royal family from the small German state of Hanover. To get some insight into this risky experiment, I was given access to treasures from the Royal Collection as they were prepared for a new exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace – providing a rare and personal view of George I and his feuding dynasty.

The Hanoverians arrived at a moment when Britain was changing fast. We looked at satire, gin-drinking, smallpox, the slave trade, the crushing of rebellion and the building of an empire – all at a time when Britain was embracing freedom of speech and modern cabinet government.