The mere mention of The Battle of Hastings in 1066 might give you unwanted flashbacks to school history lessons, but what really caused the medieval ruckus?
King & Conqueror, a new eight-part BBC drama launches this weekend and will tell one of the most famous stories in British history along with the parts that GCSE history didn’t mention.
An all-star cast and epic battles are in store with what promises to be one of the year’s telly highlights.
Here’s all you need to know about the historical drama.
What is King & Conqueror about?
King & Conqueror tells the story of a rivalry that defined the future of England, with dramatic events leading up to the historic Battle of Hastings in 1066.
The drama focuses on Harold of Wessex (James Norton) and William of Normandy (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), with the pair beginning as allies with no design on the English throne, but both eventually forced by circumstance and personal obsession into a war for possession of England’s crown.
Where was King & Conqueror filmed?
Filming for the historical epic began in Iceland in March 2024, before moving across the island.
The Battle of Hastings was filmed on a farm
The famous battle wasn’t filmed in England, but instead on a farm at Hvalfjördur, Iceland, about 50 minutes drive outside of Reykjavik.
The epic battle scenes featured over 180 extras and at least 50 horses.
London was recreated outside Reykjavik
Stockades and various exterior set-builds were created out of studios on the coast just outside Reykjavik. These included the Norman castle exterior and London locations.
Other exterior scenes were filmed at Heiðmörk Nature Reserve, about 50 minutes outside of Reykjavik.
Cast and crew had to battle the Icelandic weather
‘The weather was always a challenge,’ James Norton said. ‘It was impossible to predict what the weather was going to do and how to prepare for it – one day you'd need thermal pads underneath your armour, and the next you'd be desperate for a fan and cold patches on your neck.’
Who is in the cast of King & Conqueror?
James Norton (Happy Valley) leads the cast as Harold, Earl of Wessex, England’s last crowned Anglo-Saxon king, with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) as William, Duke of Normandy, better known as William the Conqueror.
Emily Beecham (Cruella) as Edith, Harold’s wife, while Clémence Poésy (Fleur Delacour in the Harry Potter movies) plays Matilda of Flanders, William’s wife.
British acting legend Eddie Marsan (Gangs of New York) stars as ailing monarch King Edward.
Luther Ford (The Crown) plays Tostig, Harold’s brother whose loyalties are questionable at best.
Rounding out the cast is Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) as noblewoman Lady Emma, Geoff Bell (Mean Machine) as Gowdin, the patriarch of the Godwin family, and Elliott Cowan (Lost in Austen) as Sweyn, another of Harold’s brothers.
When is King & Conqueror on TV and streaming?
All eight episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
The first episode will air on BBC One at 9.10pm on Sunday August 24, with the second episode airing on Monday August 25.
The remaining six episodes will air weekly on Sunday evenings, with the final episode airing on Sunday October 5.
Is there a trailer for King & Conqueror?
Take a look at the clip below for a taste of the epic action set to unfold.