The Stuarts cover art

The Stuarts

The Epic BBC Radio 4 Drama

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Stuarts

By: Mike Walker
Narrated by: Anton Lesser, Bill Paterson, Blake Ritson, Brian Cox, Fenella Woolgar, full cast, James Fleet, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Kate O'Flynn, Pip Torrens
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Eleven BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramas telling the stories of Mary Queen of Scots and the Stuart royals

Under the Stuarts, Britain entered the modern world. But with great change came turmoil, and for 111 years, the Stuart monarchs faced dynastic struggles, religious conflict, the rise of parliamentary democracy – and civil war. These dramas chart that turbulent epoch through its royal family, from Mary, Queen of Scots to the ‘last Stuart’, Bonnie Prince Charlie’s daughter Charlotte.

It Came In with a Lass1561. Arriving in mist-shrouded Scotland, Queen Mary must quickly distinguish her friends from her enemies. Starring Jeany Spark as Mary.

To Make the Plough Go Before the Horse – James I’s life and reign told through his relationships, from his first love, Esme to his last favourite, George Villiers. Starring Bill Paterson as James I and VI.

A World of Fools and Knaves – Henrietta Maria, Charles I's Catholic queen, watches her husband fail to keep hold of the reins of government. Starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as Charles I.

This War Without an Enemy – Only on the morning of his execution can Charles I begin to understand the events that brought him to to the scaffold. Starring Julian Rhind-Tutt as Charles I.

Charles II, Part One: Through the World in Various Fortune – When news of Oliver Cromwell's death reaches Brussels, the exiled Charles II plots his return. Starring Jamie Parker as Charles II.

Charles II, Part Two: The Long Lease of Pleasant Days– Charles II plots to confound parliamentary reformers and secure the throne for his brother. Starring Pip Torrens as Charles II.

James II: The Storms of this Deceitful World– 1688. After just four years as King, James II flees England in the Glorious Revolution. How did it all go so wrong? Starring James Fleet as James II.

William III and Mary II: To Have and To Hold– Dutch William marries his Stuart cousin for reasons of politics, not passion – but their partnership proves crucial when it comes to ruling England. Starring Mark Edel-Hunt as William III and Elaine Cassidy as Mary.

Queen Anne: Myself Alone– Queen Anne must abandon long-held allegiances to command parliament’s loyalty and rule with authority. Starring Fenella Woolgar as Queen Anne.

Bonnie Prince Charlie: Who Dares to Be Free– Charles Edward Stuart, the ‘Young Pretender’, risks everything for the Stuart name. Starring Blake Ritson as Charles.

Charlotte Stuart: The Last Stuart – Is Charlotte Stuart as driven as her predecessors, or the last victim of the Stuart curse? Starring Kate O’Flynn as Charlotte.

Produced and directed by Jessica Dromgoole, Sasha Yevtushenko, Marc Beeby and Gemma Jenkins.

©2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2019 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
Drama & Plays Fiction Historical Fiction Royalty War Funny Scotland Epic Drama

Listeners also enjoyed...

Plantagenet cover art
Caesar! cover art
God’s Revolution cover art
Castle of the Hawk: An Epic Chronicle of the Habsburg Dynasty cover art
Tsar cover art
Tumanbay: The Complete Series 1-4 cover art
I, Claudius cover art
Alexander: The Story of a Legendary Leader cover art
Dickens Confidential cover art
Vivat Rex: Volume One (Dramatisation) cover art
Shardlake: The Complete BBC Radio Collection cover art
Sergeant Cribb cover art
Falco: The Complete BBC Radio Collection cover art
Jack Aubrey & Stephen Maturin: Master & Commander & Other Adventures cover art
Apprentice - Scarlet City - Part I cover art
Rumpole: A BBC Radio Collection cover art
All stars
Most relevant
It is bewildering how much top-class radio drama comes out of the BBC. This series of radio plays, featuring a top-flight cast, is never short of brilliant. The episode about the Young Pretender was particularly poignant and beautifully performed. The haunting music ties every episode together.

Draw up a comfy armchair, make a mug of cocoa and settle back for the epic sweep of Stuart history.

BBC drama is amazing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Tudors are overdone. Stuarts aren’t just Mary, Queen of Scots and Charles I!
Unfortunately the early Stuarts (up to James V) aren’t included, as their lives and times were just as turbulent and contradictory.
This series of plays, though all written by the same author, have varying formats. I see a few instances of dramatic licence and naturally there is selection of the events covered - no reign could be fully recounted in a play of one hour. Good acting as expected from BBC Radio drama.

The other royal dynasty

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This is an excellent BBC dramatisation performed by an outstanding cast who are credible and very funny.

Well written, and researched dramatisation

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I loved every episode. Excellent dramatisation, superbly voiced by extremely talented actors, including Brian Cox no less! They really brought the history of the Stewart’s to life.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A great series. I would recommend this to anyone interested in this period of history

The Stuarts

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews