This Sceptred Isle is a BBC radio series, written by historian Christopher Lee, about the story of the lands and peoples of Britain.
The programme's title is a quotation from Act 2, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare's play, King Richard II, attributed to John of Gaunt: This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle, This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars ...
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this EnglandBeginning in 55 BC with the arrival of Julius Caesar and initially concluding in 1901 with the death of Queen Victoria, the series was read by Anna Massey and included extracts from the book A History of the English-Speaking Peoples written by Sir Winston Churchill, interwoven into Christopher Lee's main account of the history.
This told the stories of the powerful and influential families of Britain and Ireland, including the Godwines, the Despensers and the Churchills.
The narrator was Juliet Stevenson and the cast of readers of various historical documents–such as poems, songs, personal letters, and first-hand accounts–included Jack Davenport, Joss Ackland, Christopher Eccleston, and Anna Massey among others.