The Devil's Crown(1978)

The Devil's Crown is a BBC limited series that dramatises the reigns of three medieval English kings: Henry II and his sons Richard the Lionheart and John. Broadcast in thirteen 55-minute episodes between April and July 1978, the series follows Henry Plantagenet's rise to power through a calculated deal with King Stephen, securing the throne after Stephen's sudden death. Though crowned King of England, Henry's true prize lies in the vast Angevin Empire sprawling across France, which he maintains through shrewd political marriages and complex alliances. Having married Eleanor of Aquitaine, the ex-wife of King Louis VII, Henry outmanoeuvres his French counterpart to build a kingdom of law and order. The Devil's Crown chronicles the ambitions, conflicts and legacies of a dynasty that would shape medieval Europe.