Main content
This programme is not currently available on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ iPlayer

Kew's Forgotten Queen

Documentary about the Victorian botanical artist Marianne North, who rejected marriage and social convention for a pioneering life of conservation and adventure.

Within Kew Gardens stands an extraordinary gallery, celebrating the work of one of the most prolific botanical artists of the Victorian age. At a time when women barely left their parlour rooms, Marianne North's globetrotting exploits defied convention as she travelled alone at the height of the British Empire. From Borneo and Brazil to Japan, South Africa, Australia and India, she fearlessly navigated the world twice over in her pursuit of capturing every living plant on canvas.

Actress Emilia Fox tells the story of how this Victorian rebel changed the face of botanical research, propelling her to the top of a male-dominated world of science and exploration, gaining the admiration of Charles Darwin and even Queen Victoria. Retracing Marianne's footsteps and her passion for the natural world, Emilia revisits the awe-inspiring locations of some of her greatest experiences.

With exclusive access to Kew Gardens and Marianne's wealth of personal memoirs, letters and paintings, this is a tantalising tale of a visionary who rejected marriage and social convention for a pioneering life of conservation and adventure. Her artistic legacy remains as mesmerising today as it was in 1882 when her gallery opened at Kew Gardens.

1 hour

Last on

Mon 20 May 2019 03:00

Credits

Role Contributor
Narrator Emilia Fox
Producer Irene Antoniades
Director Irene Antoniades
Executive Producer Jack Andrews
Executive Producer Lavinia Warner
Executive Producer Dan Oliver
Executive Producer Dan Chambers

Broadcasts

Featured in...