Original release 16 juin 1996
Previous episode S00E09 - Hugh Hefner: America's Playboy
Number S00E10
Episode runtime 90 minutes
Country United States
Original language English
Genres Documentary, History
External links TheTVDB page
IMDB page
TheMovieDB page
Last update 12 novembre 2026 - 08:27
on 11 databases

S Henry VIII: Scandals of a King

Everyone knows the story of the many wives of Henry VIII. But that sordid tale is but a small part of the life of a remarkable leader who led his country for almost four decades. One of the best-known monarchs in history, Henry VIII was coronated at the age of 18. Join leading historians as they explore the life and 38-year reign of the legendary king who transformed his nation. Find out how he used his political brilliance to united England and Wales and establish the Kingdom of Ireland. And discover the complete story behind his most lasting accomplishment the creation of the Church of England. Learn the ironic end to his quest for a son, which led to his many marriages, and explore how his legacy continues to shape England to this day.

BetaSeries' opinion

Secrets d'histoire Season 20 Finale: Stéphane Bern's Messalina Episode Ends a Season About Reputations on Trial

Twenty seasons in, "Secrets d'histoire" can still surprise its audience. The Season 20 finale aired on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 9:10 p.m. on France 3, and Stéphane Bern closed the season with one of the most notorious women of antiquity: Messalina, the third wife of Emperor Claudius. If you watched it, you already know it was more than a parade of Roman scandal. It was a careful re-examination of a woman whose name has been shorthand for depravity for almost two thousand years. If you haven't caught up yet, this debrief shows why the episode, and the whole season, deserves a place in your watchlist.

A finale that puts history's verdict on trial

The question at the centre of the finale was simple: does Messalina deserve the brutal nickname history gave her? Roman writers handed down a woman driven by insatiable desire and a hunger for power. Bern's team took that portrait apart piece by piece. They asked who wrote the story, why they wrote it, and what they gained from it. This is the series at its best. It doesn't simply retell a legend. It looks into how the legend was made. Messalina's world gave the episode plenty of drama: Caligula, Nero, Agrippina and the freedman Narcissus all appear, each with their own agenda in the deadly politics of the Julio-Claudian court. Without spoiling anything for latecomers, the finale's real emotional pull comes from the gap between the caricature and the young woman caught up in a machine much bigger than she was.

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