If you take a quick look at my Netflix queue, you'll notice a trend. A majority of my recently watched and suggested views happen to be historical dramas about European monarchs. It seems like a pretty specific category, but if you're a European history nerd like, you'll find these shows pretty addicting.
1. "The Tudors"
Ever heard of a guy named Henry the 8th? Well, "The Tudors" follows Henry through all six of his wives, including the infamous Anne Boleyn (played beautifully by Natalie Dormer AKA Margaery Tyrell.) The show has four seasons and ended in 2010, so you can binge all the drama, debauchery, and downright torture (Tower of London anyone?) as much as you want.
2. "Reign"
If you want to go in chronological order, head to "Reign" after "The Tudors" and follow a young Mary Queen of Scots through her rule in France, including plenty of drama with Henry VIII's daughter, Queen Elizabeth. This show comes from the CW, so while it's full of sex and violence, it's certainly not as much or as graphic as some of the other shows on this list. It's also not the most historically accurate, but if you're looking for accuracy then maybe a history book would be a better fit. However, it's full of plot twists, a great soundtrack, incredible costumes, and just a touch of the supernatural. Trust me, this show is addicting, and you can find it on Netflix.
3. "Versailles"
After finally discovering this show early this year, I would not shut up about it. It's about a young Louis XIV (not to be confused with Louis XVI, the one who lost his head during the French Revolution) as he struggles with ruling over France and expanding the famous Chateau of Versailles, once just a royal hunting palace. Louis XIV had probably the most famous court in French History, and was also known as the Sun King.I watched all ten episodes of season 1 in a week and am currently going crazy waiting for season 2 to be released in the U.S.
4. "Medici: Masters of Florence"
Admittedly, I only saw about two episodes of this show before life got in the way and I have yet to finish, but from what I did see, this is a great show. The Medici to power from nothing and practically funded the Italian Renaissance. The show goes back and forth in time from when the Medici brothers are younger and older, and features some amazing actors, including Richard Madden (Robb Stark anyone?) This show is especially great for art history nerds like me, as it shows the construction of the famous Duomo in Florence and even introduces artists like Donatello as characters.
5. "Borgias"/"The Borgias"
Two separate shows, and admittedly I haven't seen either of them, so I'm going off the reviews of others, but I've heard great things. These shows follow the famous Borgia family, who are similar to the Medici in their influence during the Italian Renaissance, and follow the same sexy, dramatic pattern as the others on this list. Oh, and one of them stars Jeremy Irons, so there's that.
Bonus: "Game of Thrones"
Okay, I know, obviously this one is not "historical" in any right, BUT a lot of the plot points in the show were inspired by actual events in history. This includes the famous "red wedding," as well as the whole Stark vs. Lannister thing. So if you don't already watch this show, which would be shocking, now you have another reason to start.
