The Story of the Royal Collection

Andrew marvels at the works acquired by the great founders of the modern Royal Collection: Henry VIII and Charles I. Henry VIII deployed the most essential rule of royal collecting, that great art projects great power.

Andrew explores how Charles I's Royal Collection introduced a new artistic language to British art. The sensuality of Titian and the epic canvases of Tintoretto, still in the Royal Collection today, were a revelation for a country whose visual culture had been obliterated by the Reformation.

Art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon continues his analysis of the British Royal Collection and finds out that in 1660, something miraculous began to happen.

Art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon travels to Venice to tell the story of one of the greatest purchases in the Royal Collection's history.

Andrew has reached the age of the Romantics, including the flamboyant George IV who created so much of the visual look of the modern monarchy.

Art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon finds out that although Queen Victoria is often depicted as the uptight opposite of her louche uncle, for her, art was just as important.

Art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon finds out how royal collecting has changed since the days of Queen Victoria.

Andrew Graham-Dixon finds out how The Royal Collection reveals fresh insights into HM the Queen Mother's love of art. At Clarence House, Andrew discovers a surprising collection of contemporary British art that she assembled in the 1930s and 1940s, including works by Walter Sickert, LS Lowry, Pau...